Welcome back!

Please note that PE days are Monday and Thursday this term.  Forest school will be in Term 3 (Spring 1) on Wednesday afternoons and swimming will be on Thursday mornings in Term 4 (Spring 2).  Homework will be handed out on Wednesday and due back in the following Monday.  Please look at the 'Homework' tab for more information.  Spellings are also handed out on Wednesday and will be tested every Monday morning - please see the spelling page for a termly overview of the spellings set and link to spelling frame.

We have a very exciting curriculum to enjoy this year.  Please scroll lower down this page to see an overview of what to expect for each term.  Across the year, I will also add photographs from our learning each term so please do have a look at the photographs page for our year group.

If you need to get in touch with me urgently, please contact the office.  Otherwise, please catch me in the playground after school, or contact me via the class email address: Year3@chalgrove.oxon.sch.uk.

Any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I look forward to working with you and your children this year.

Mrs Cook

Autumn Term 1

We can't wait to get started with the fantastic learning in Year 3 over this first half term.  In our Talk for Writing, we will use Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura to write our own journey story, including setting descriptions.  We will then write an explanation text on elements of Stone Age life.  This is linked to our history learning on Stone Age to Iron Age across the term. Our maths units will cover place value and addition/subtraction.

In Art, we will be learning about gestural drawing with charcoal, inspired by cave drawings/ art.    In Science, we will be learning about animals including humans, particularly exploring nutrition, healthy eating, muscles and skeletons.  Our ICT lessons will all be linked to the theme of 'Connecting Computers', looking at how digital devices work.  Our Spanish learning will teach the children the initial sounds they need to know for sounding out Spanish words.

WOW experience for the term:

Thursday 23rd October - 'Ancient Britons' workshop at Earth Trust in Abingdon.

Please see this link for information about what will happen on the day: Year 3 Earth Trust trip - Social Story

Autumn Term 2

In the second Autumn term, we have a fantastic term of learning planned.  In our Talk for writing lessons, we will be writing our own character story, inspired by reading 'Mr Big' by Ed Vere.  Then, we will be learning about explanation texts by looking at a Stone Age non-chronological report.  We will use this learning to then write our own non-chronological report about Chalgrove, using our history learning to share our expertise.  In maths, we will begin learning about different strategies for multiplication and division - please ensure your children are fluent with x2, x5, x10 and x3 by practising lots at home. 

In our history lessons, we will be learning about our local history by exploring Chalgrove's interesting past including early medieval, the Battle of Chalgrove, Victorian changes to the village, Chalgrove during the war and comparing childhood now and in the past with villager's oral histories.  In geography, the children will be learning about settlements and the human and physical geography within them.  Our PE lessons will be dance (indoors with Mrs Cook) and football (with Ignite).  In Spanish lessons, the children will learn the names for different animals.  Mrs Campbell will continue to teach the class on Wednesday afternoons and will be teaching RE lessons on the Nativity story and learning songs for the KS2 Christmas Carol Service later in the term.

WOW experience for the term:

Date TBC: Year 3's Museum of Chalgrove exhibition. 

Parents will be invited to come into the classroom one day afterschool and see the fantastic history learning from the children displayed as their own museum. 

Spring term 1

In our Talk for Writing sessions, we will be learning about how to use dialogue and speech marks in text by exploring an extract of 'The Twits' by Roald Dahl.  We will also explore types of poetry by learning 'The Magic Box' by Kit Wright.  In our maths, we will learning further strategies and methods for multiplication and division and also learn about how we measure length and unit conversions.  

During our science lesson on rocks and fossils, we will learn about the properties of rocks, effects of weathering and erosion, how fossils are formed and learning what soil is.  In geography lessons, we will learn about the UK and the countries and seas of these British isles.  Our PSHE lessons will be on online safety.  In art, we will be exploring how we can use cloth, thread and paint to create art.  Our indoor PE session will be gymnastics. We will also have Forest school on Wednesday afternoon with Mrs Soper.

WOW experience for the term:

Tuesday 6th January: Rocks and fossils session led by Geotechnical Manager, James Deacon

Children will be able to explore rock and fossil samples, learn about different careers and real-world examples of why the study of rocks and fossils is important.

Spring term 2

In our guided reading, we will be reading 'The Great Kapok Tree' by Lynne Cherry, which has themes of environmentalism and global responsibility.  This will inspire our Talk for Writing sessions, where the children will write a persuasive letter on deforestation. In maths, the children will learn about fractions first and then how mass/capacity is measured.

In our geography lessons, we will be learning more about the rainforest including the different layers of the rainforest ecosystem, the climate, life in the rainforest and how the rainforest needs protecting. Our DT lessons, will explore kites and we will create our own designs of kite in small groups.  In RE, the children will learn about Islam and the value of beliefs of this religion.  Our Spanish learning will be all about the seasons.  In IT, we will continue to develop our digital literacy by branching databases.  We will be learning about forces and magnets in science.  This term, our PE sessions will be led by Ignite and we will have our swimming lessons on Thursday mornings.

WOW experience for the term:

Creating a 'Letters to the Earth' online class book for parents

Children will publish their letters about deforestation for all to read.  This will also be submitted to the Letters to the Earth global initiative.

Summer term 1

In our guided reading, we will be reading 'There's a Pharoah in my Bath!' by Nick Sharratt.  This will inspire our Talk for Writing sessions, where the children will learn how to write a diary entry from a character's perspective.  In maths, the children will continue their learning on fractions and also learn about problem-solving with money.

Our history learning will explore the different ancient civilizations and be an in-depth study on the Ancient Egyptians. In science, the children will be learning about Light, including spotting shadows, sun safety and marvellous mirrors.  Our outdoor PE lessons will be tennis and cricket.  In PSHE, we will be exploring the BBC School Radio sessions called 'Have your say!'.  In RE, the children will learn about the different signs and symbols across different faiths.  

WOW experience for the term:

Date TBC: Ancient Egypt online session from the Ashmolean museum, Oxford.

This will be an online workshop led by a member of staff from the Ashmolean museum, which will include knowledge and understanding of how archaeologists use clues from ancient people, learn about the skills developed by craftspeople in Ancient Egypt, and learn about similarities and differences between life in Ancient Egypt and in the modern world.

Summer term 2

In our Talk for Writing sessions, we will be learning about how to write a narrative with suspense, inspired by 'The Manor House'.  We will also be learning how to write newspaper reports and finish the academic year by creating our own newspaper reports on an end of term school event.  In maths, the children will be learning about telling the time, 2D and 3D shapes and their properties, and statistics.

In science, we will be learning about plants, exploring what they need to grow and completing our own investigations.   Our outdoor PE lessons will be rounders and athletics, to support with sports day.  Our art and DT lessons will link together with the theme of 'Telling stories through drawing and making'.  This will involve creating puppets.  Our PSHE lessons will support the children with their transition at the end of the school year, into a new year group, new class and new teacher.

WOW experience for the term:

Date TBC: Puppet showcase to parents 

Parents will be invited in to look at the puppets the children created in our DT learning and watch small groups perform with their puppets.