WELCOME TO YEAR 4 KINGFISHERS
Kingfishers are resourceful, hardworking and as the oldest children in the Year 3/4 team, we also bring vibrancy and imagination to our daily learning.
This Term's Theme
How has the reign of George VI impact on us today?
In our learning we will be looking at how life has changed in Britain since the reign of King George VI. In doing so, we will be discussing key concepts and organisations/events that came out of his reign and exploring what they mean to us in today's society. These will include: The role of the monarchy, stereotypes, the coronation, the commonwealth, the NHS, WWII and the welfare state. These transferable skills will be linked to all of our curriculum areas and offer up key points for discussion.
(For more information about this term's theme, scroll down to our curriculum map)
P.E & Dance days
P.E. is on Monday and Dance is on Tuesday.
Please ensure that your child has the correct kit in school all week. We will ensure that they are sent home at the end of every half term
Home Learning days
Home Learning will be handed out on a Friday and collected in on a Wednesday. This will give you the opportunity to explore aspects of your child's learning if you wish.
Upcoming Events
Thursdays 9th, 16th, 23rd May Reach Outdoors - Paddleboarding
Meet The Team
If there are any issues or concerns, please feel free to come in and see your teacher (Mrs May) or alternatively please contact a team leader (Miss Durnford, Mrs Sage or Mrs Foster).
jmay@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk
lsage@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk
Academic Year 2018-2019
States of Matter (2.7.19)
Kingfishers have begun looking at their final unit of science this week as we've looked at the differences between solids, liquids and gases. We identified characteristics of the different states and learned how the particles of a substance behave differently in each of the three states.
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Is cheese and insulator or conductor of electricity? (28.6.19)
This week, we learnt about insulators and conductors of electricity. We set up a fair test comparing various materials looking at which ones let the electricity through. We found that cheese is a good insulator!
The class also finished writing their fairy tales based on the Clock Tower and showed their editing skills as they read them out loud to their friends.
Children from Chernobyl came to visit (20.6.19)
Kingfishers had a great day on Thursday as we got to meet 8 children from Chernobyl. We followed instructions together to make the british traditional Bread and Butter pudding and discovered that the children from Chernobyl are really good at cracking eggs without making a mess!! Year 4 competed in a game of Dodgeball (with Kingfishers winning, just!) We had the opportunity to find out a little bit about what life is like in Chernobyl and were all very jealous when we discovered they have a 3 month summer holiday!!!
Year 4 Residential 14.6.19
What an amazing week Year 4 have had! Despite patches of rain, spirits have remained high all week and the children have embraced every challenge sent their way. We have been coasteering, caving, weaseling, climbing and team building. The groups had a go at archery, team building exercises and a game of Battle Royale. We all managed to sleep a bit too! It has been unbelievable fun and children from across the year group have come away with great new experiences! Well done everyone for making it such an enjoyable time!
YEAR 4 RESIDENTIAL 11.06.19
We're arrived and it's NOT RAINING!
Tuesday pm 11.06.19
Team Work with Reach Outdoors (10.5.19)
This week, Kingfishers have carried out our science investigation into sound proofing materials and then written up our findings. On Thursday we went to Goodrington and learnt how to make rafts, tested them out and got wet!! In Maths, the class have started learning about neagtive numbers.
Notating Music (3.5.19)
We began our music this term listening to Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf' and thinking about how we could draw what we could hear. We talked about how we could draw high and low pitch as well as different volumes and rythms. This week, we started to develop our own methods of writing music so that someone else could play our compositions.
3 Little Pigs - What is the true story? (26.4.19)
Kingfishers have made a great start to our Summer Term, getting stuck into the 3 Little Pigs story and considering the wolf's perspective. We've performed the original story in Guided Reading, we've written a Newspaper article announcing the new evidence from the Wolf in our writing and started thinking about how we could design a sound proof house for the pigs in Science.
Spring Term Curriculum Map
Science Week 11th -15th March 2019
Kingfishers have got to grips with designing solutions to a problem that soldiers would have faced in WW2 this week. Taking on the role of engineers, we have collaborated on ideas, developed technical drawings of our designs before then building our devices that would have helped soldiers carry boats and other heavy equipment up large hills. We've tested them and reflected on what might need to change if they were to 'go back to the drawing board'.
World Book Day (7.3.19)
Kingfishers dressed up well for World Book Day - we had Gangsta Granny, Matilda, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, The Boy in a dress and many more! We had a great time completing a book trail, sharing our knowledge of various books. We competed in a 3-round quiz all about books and related films. The highlight for many of the class, however, was our trip to Cygnets to read to children in the Foundation year. The children enjoyed using their reading skills to inspire younger readers. Well done Kingfishers!
Gymnastics Spring 1 Half Term
In Year 4 this half term, we have been practising our Gymnastics skills, including egg rolls, log rolls, rock'n'rolls, teddy bear rolls and learning to do a forward roll accurately.
Identifying and Exploring Factors
Kingfishers have discovered factors this week and realised that we've been using factor pairs ever since we started learning our times tables. The class have used music to discuss common multiples, investigated factor pairs for numbers up to 20 and learnt that those numbers with only one factor pair (1x?) are called prime numbers.
Performing Speeches
This week, Kingfishers have applied what we've learnt about the skills required to deliver a speech well to their own speeches. We've thought about our tone of voice, expression, volume, timing, and eye contact with the audience. We've made notes all over our scripts to remind us how to deliver each sentence. The whole class then successfully performed our speeches to 45 Year 3 children!
Perfecting the Persuasive Speech (1.2.19)
This week Kingfishers have been completing their persuasive speeches, seeking to address some major issues in society. Following Martin Luther King's famous 'I have dream speech', we've tackled homelessness, deforestation, ocean plastics and general inequalities in the world. The class have finished the week by studying George VI's speech and the skills to deliver a speech well. We have practised adjusting the timing, tone and emphasis of certain words to keep the listener interested and take on board the key messages.
Taking on Electricity
Kingfishers have started learning about electricity in Science this week. We've considered how different life would be without it and how we need to be safe when using electrical appliances at home and at school.
Who was George VI?
We've returned from our Christmas break and discovered a lot of information about King George VI. From research we've found out that George VI was King from 1936 until 1952 and that he was our current Queen's Dad. He had a stutter and was forced to be King when his brother Edward abdicated to be with Wallace Simpson.
Orienteering
In the past two weeks, Kingfishers have been orienteering 3 times with Reach Outdoors. We've learnt key orienteering vocabulary and how to navigate using a map and compass directions. The class have explored Cockington, Clennon Valley and Primley Wood and only once got super muddy!!!
The Christmas Story
Kingfishers visited Goodrington Methodist Church on 7th December to take part in an interactive exploration of the story of Christmas.
Exploring the Human Digestive System
This week, Kingfishers have been discovering aspects of the digestive system. We found that initially, we were very unsure of what happens to food once it enters the body. Having looked at the theory of what happens to food in the human body and then simulated aspects of digestion though some fun and messy activities, Kingfishers were then better able to describe what happens to food when it enters the body.
Fractions to Decimals
Kingfishers have been develpping their understanding of decimals this week as we've added in the concept of hundredths to the concept of tenths. We've considered different ways of representing tenths and hundredths and begun to consider how to put decimals in order.
Thinking Teeth
Having made pizza at Occombe Farm, Kingfishers started looking at how our bodies process food. To begin with, this week, we looked at the role of our teeth and the specific jobs our incisors, canines and molars have to do when we eat. We tried to eat apple only using our incisors - we found this tricky as once we'd bitten the pieces, we wanted to chew them with our molars!
Occombe Farm
On Wednesday 31st October Kingfishers had an amazing time at Occombe Farm with the Torbay Coast and Countryside Team. We were able to feed many of the animals including sheep, chickens, ducks, and pigs and find out about what makes organic farming different. This was also an opportunity to consolidate our science learning in class about classifcation of vertebrates.
In the afternoon, we discovered how flour is produced and used this with other ingredients to make pizza dough. Everyone was able to walk around the vegetable plot and choose vegetables and herbs to put on top of our pizzas. They smelt amazing and hard to resist on the coach back to school but they were yummy when we were finally able to eat them!!!!
Global Junk Jam
On Thursday 18th October Kingfishers took part in an international project that connected us to students across the world. The Junkman from America led groups in performing eco-chants, expressing concerns about the way we are impacting on our environment and ways of preventing further damage. We connected live with students in Romania and New Zealand and heard from students in Iran. This event was performed live via a youtube link around the world and filmed by BBC Spotlight. This broadcast can be seen on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da5n1w_3g3s&feature=youtu.be
Presenting our findings
This week, Kingfishers brought together their research from home learning and in class about dangers that threaten the marine environment. In groups, we presented information we had found out about ocean plastic, other pollution affecting the oceans, global warming and overfishing and their effects on sea life.
Living Things
In Science this week we've looked at food chains and food webs, acting out the latter to understand the impact of pollution, global warming and over fishing on a marine food web. Kingfishers have also learnt the difference between a herbivore, omnivore and carnivore and classified animals based on what they eat.
Mastering Place Value
This week in Maths, Kingfishers have continued looking at 1000 more or less and ensuring we are secure in our understanding of place value. We've used many resources and taken on some really tricky problems to solve. For some, this has been a frustrating process that has required a significant amount of perseverance and creative strategic thinking!
Thursday 6th September - Brixham Museum Visit
Kingfishers joined Kites on Thursday to hear from staff and volunteers from Brixham Museum about the history of fishing in Brixham. We were able to use a machine to make ropes, find out about morse code and how the trawlers would have used it, and find out about the Great Gale of Brixham in 1866. This visit has kicked off our theme for the term, looking at our local history and what makes us who we are.
