TOPICS/CURRICULUM

Summer Term 2

Welcome back! We hope that you had a lovely half term. May Day dancing, our South America day and the reptile visit were particular highlights of last half term. Summer 2 brings an equal amount of excitement with sports day, transition day and the summer fayre!

Last half term we began to prepare the children for a more formal learning environment in Y3. The children have been doing Maths and English on alternate days. This half term, we will do Maths and English daily and self-initiated learning will only happen in the afternoons. This is something that the children are absolutely ready for and will reflect Autumn 1 in Year 3.

We have thoroughly enjoyed teaching them all this year and look forward to spending our final weeks together having some fun in the sun! We would like to thank you for all your help and support this year and wish you a happy summer holiday when it arrives.

Summer 2 Term Topic: Explore- "If the Earth could speak, what would it say?"

We will be learning about the Amazon rainforest .

We will:-

Learn about the layers of the rainforest and the different habitats
Compare and contrast the rainforest with our forest school and create our own maps
Learn about deforestation, climate change and how every choice has consequences
Learn about people such as Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough and how they have influenced the world.

Our project concepts for this half term are stewardship, influence, sacrifice and consequence

English Learning

In English, we will be reading: The day the crayons quit, over and under the Rainforest, The Emerald forest, Greta and the Giants, Let’s save the Amazon.

We will learn:

To retell familiar stories. We will imitate and innovate our own versions.
To write character and setting descriptions.
To write an adventure story focusing on how to build suspense and alternative story openings. We will plan, draft, edit and publish.
To compare and contrast different types of plots.
To write persuasive letters.
Recap our Y2 writing friends: Sammy Speech marks, Penny Penguin, Etta and Edgar expanded noun phrases and Comma Chameleon.

Mathematical Learning

This half term we are looking at:

Fractions:

Recognising equal and unequal parts
Recognising and finding halves, quarters and thirds of shapes and quantities
Unit and non-unit frations
Recognising the equivalence of fractions (eg- half and 2 quarters)
Counting in fractions to a whole

Time:

Tell the time to o’clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to
Tell the time to 5 minutes
Hours in a day and minutes in an hour

Position and direction:

Describing turns, movement and position

PSHE Learning

We will preparing the children for their transition to Y3. We will be making a jar full of things we want our new teacher to know about us, going to story times and getting to know our new classroom.

Scientific Learning

We are learning about: Making connections.

This topic will be based around a STEM approach as we explore big ideas in science. We will make connections to our previous topics of Materials, Animals including humans and plants.

We will continue to explore the natural world through our new garden. We have loved growing potatoes, tomatoes, peas, sunflowers and carrots last half term. They have germinated and we are SO excited to continue to monitor their growth.

Music Learning

The unit we will be studying is called ‘Exploring Improvisation’. It consolidates the learning that has occurred during the year. In this unit, we ask ‘How Does Music Teach Us About Looking After Our Planet?’ as an entry point for the broad Social Theme of ‘Music Is a Nature Lover and Guardian of the Earth’.

Faith and Wonder Learning

‘How does celebrating Pentecost remind Christians that God is with them always?’

We will:

Think about feelings of the displaces after Jesus ascended to heaven
Think about our own experiences of waiting and what it feels like
Learn that the Pentecost story is the Church’s birthday
Explore the idea of how the Holy Spirit changes people’s lives

Computing Learning

We will be exploring data handling. We will understand how computers help astronauts to survive in space. We will create digital drawings and algorithms.

PE Learning

We will be practising athletic skills (running, jumping and throwing) in preparation for our Year 2 Sports Morning.

How can you help?

Continuing to read regularly at home to an adult, with lots of discussion about the books
Supporting your child with learning their spellings, discussing the meanings of words, putting them into sentences and reviewing spellings from previous weeks
Continuing to play Numbots at home