Canberra (Year 2)

Miss Gee

Class Teacher

Miss Griffin

Teaching Partner

Miss Berrington

PE Teacher (Thursday afternoons)

Canberra's Topic for Term 4 is 'Japan'.

 

Early Morning Work

For the first half-an–hour of the day, Year Two practise and consolidate key skills in Maths and English. Children will read individually - or in small groups - to the teacher during this time.  They will be heard at least once per fortnight.

Additionally, interventions will take place during this time of the day.

English

English lessons are taught daily and will develop the children’s reading, writing and speaking and listening skills. The children will also be taught new Punctuation and Grammar rules during these sessions.

This term our units of study are:

  • Traditional Japanese tales (3 weeks)
  • Explanation Texts (2 weeks) – linked to our Science ‘Life Cycles’ unit
  • Haikus (1 week)

To begin each English session, children will participate in a Phonics session, which will include revision of Phase 3 to 5 sounds, as well as coverage of new Phase 6 spelling rules. 

Maths

Maths is taught daily.  The main focus of teaching is aimed at developing each child’s confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. They will work with numerals, words and the four operations, including access to lots of practical resources to support their understanding of the key concepts. The school follows the White Rose scheme of work and, this term, we will be focusing on:

  • Length and Height (2 weeks)
  • Mass, Capacity and Temperature (3 weeks)
  • Fractions (1 week)

The children will continue to learn their x2, x5 and x10 times tables - as well as all of the corresponding division facts - throughout the term. They will also start to learn their x3 times tables.

Science

During Science this term, the children will undertake a ‘Life Cycles' unit. As a part of this unit of work, they will be developing their skills in:

  • Presenting information in different ways.
  • Using observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  • Recording information in the form of labelled diagrams.

Computing

This term Canberra Class will be developing their programming skills. The children will be learning how to:

  • Use screen turtles to create shapes.
  • Apply coding knowledge to create regular shapes.
  • Use coding blocks to move a sprite to a given destination.
  • Use sequences of instructions to reach a goal.
  • Use coding blocks to move a sprite in a given formation.

As always, the children will be encouraged to follow the school's SMART rules, so as to ensure that they use the internet and ICT equipment sensibly and safely. 

Religious Education

During RE lessons, the children learn about different religions and themes. RE is also supported during themed collective worship every day. This term the children will be exploring the Christian theme of 'Salvation' through the key question: 'Why does Easter matter to Christians?'

Geography

During Term 4, the children will develop their skills in geography through a study of Japan. This will include:

  • Using an atlas to locate key places.
  • Exploring similarities and differences between Japan (a non-European country) and the UK.
  • Describing the human and physical features of a locality in Japan.
  • Exploring why Japan experiences more earthquakes than the UK.
  • Drawing a simple map which includes a key.

PSHE

During Term 4, the children's learning will centre on 'Living In The Wider World'. Through their ‘One World’ unit of work, the children will explore what different families are like around the world and they will consider how life is different for children in other countries.

Physical Education

This term in PE, Canberra class will participate in a weekly Hockey session with Miss. Berrington every Tuesday. The class will also take part in a Yoga session with Miss. Last on Wednesday afternoons for their Enrichment. These sessions will build on the children's previous experience and will allow children to enhance their co-ordination, balance and teamwork skills. Please ensure that they wear their PE kit to school on these days to allow them to make the most of these lessons. Longer hair will need to be tied up and jewellery removed.

Art and Design

During Term 4, the children will begin by creating their own Japanese-inspired pieces of art, with both Hokusai’s famous ‘Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ print and Japanese manga characters as different starting points for them. The children will go on to study sculptors, who have used trees for inspiration, before creating their own bonsai tree sculpture.

Modern Foreign Languages

During Term 4, Canberra will be learning some basic greetings in Japanese.