Beech Class
Year 1 and 2 - Mrs Hoggins, Miss Crawford and Mrs Bentley
This term we will be looking at two class texts. As part of our English curriculum, we will read and examine ‘The True Story of the Three Little Pigs’ by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. In our Whole Class Reading sessions and story times, we will be reading The Arabian Nights, particularly focusing on the story of Aladdin
We will be retelling the story of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, following the structure of an opening (beginning), climax (middle), and resolution (ending). We will begin by refreshing our knowledge of capital letters and punctuation such as full stops, looking at how a simple sentence is constructed from a subject and verb.
The children in Year Two will extend their sentences by using multiple adjectives to produce a vivid picture of the character they are describing. They will also look at using commas correctly. We will finish the term by writing instructions on how to marry a princess, using imperative verbs and some time adverbials.
In Maths this term Beech Class will be focusing on Place Value and getting a firm grip on numbers within 20 or 100, depending on the year group. This will include writing numbers in numerals and words, being able to represent numbers in different ways, and counting accurately. We will be demonstrating our understanding by adding and subtracting numbers using objects, drawing and numerals. We will learn how to find one more and one less, and compare numbers, as well as estimating them.
Our Science topic this term is the Human Body, and we will be studying the five senses. The children will learn which body part corresponds with which sense. Then they will look at sight in more depth, learning that our eyes send messages to our brain. They will also discover that the pupil changes size in response to the amount of light it receives and how to use scientific drawing to label parts of the eye.
We will also find out about how some people have difficulties with one or more of their senses. Moving on, we will build on the idea that body parts send messages to the brain by looking at the ears. The children will learn that sound waves consist of particles bumping into each other and that the brain interprets these sound waves. The children will then use their senses to understand the world around them, considering the messages being sent to their brain as they use them. We will explore sensory impairment further by learning about the life of Helen Keller.
Our Geography unit this term is called ‘Spatial Sense’, which is a topic the children will revisit throughout their journey through school. It focuses on the sense of place and is the beginning of understanding map work. The children will be introduced to the concept of aerial perspective. Through exploration, they will begin to understand how our view of an object can change depending on which way we are looking at it. They will learn that maps show us a simple representation of an aerial view, helping us to identify where things are located.
Moving on, the children will learn some of the vocabulary we use to describe location. This will require them to think about their own position in relation to things around them. They will then learn that maps give us information about places and that ‘location’ means where something is. They will also explore how maps use symbols to show where things are. The
children will also have an opportunity to learn about direction and apply their knowledge to a practical situation, using left and right, as well as compass points. They will learn that a compass shows us directions; north, south, east and west. 5 children will generate a checklist of things that good maps require. They will finish their unit of study by creating their own maps against the checklist of requirements.
Our Art topic this term is Colour. The children will revise their knowledge of primary colours and what is special about these using Mondrian’s ‘Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue’. They will learn that we can mix secondary colours from primary colours. They also learn that colours can be described as warm and cool by comparing Bruegel’s Hunters in the Snow with Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
The children will move on to explore the concept of tints and shades looking at how Vermeer uses tints and shades of blue to paint the headscarf in Girl with a Pearl Earring. Then they will further explore how artists can use tints and shades to paint water by studying Hockney’s A Bigger Splash. They will continue this exploration by looking at two paintings of the sea by Monet and will learn that artists use different brushstrokes to create different effects. Using all this knowledge, the children will experiment with different brushstrokes and mark-making using mixed media to create pictures which depict a stormy sea.
Finally, in RE, we will be looking at the question: ‘What is a human being?’ The children will be thinking about what differentiates human beings from other animals? What does the Bible tell Christians about how to be a human being and to treat each other? We will think about how human beings can be very different from each other, yet we all have basic similarities. The children will build on this by learning that, though Christianity is one religion, there are denominations within it that hold different ideas as well.
