Summer Term: 21st June 2017

This term, Zebra Class have been learning about the importance of the Rainforest, thinking about the geographical features like the climate and their locations, animals and how they have adapted to life there, as well as the important issue of deforestation.

They have been learning about fractions, angles, shapes and their properties in Maths. We have been taking advantage of the sunny weather and doing a lot of our Maths learning outside to create angles and to describe turns.

In Science, we have been testing materials suitable to wear in the Rainforest, as well as looking at how plants grow well and what they need.

Zebras are all excited to go on our Educational Visit to Woburn Safari Park next week (Wednesday 28th). It will be an exciting day and a chance to consolidate their learning about the different Rainforest animals. 

On Thursday 6th July, we will have our Afternoon tea and will be showcasing our cookery skills which we developed in Spring. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Flag Fen

On Friday 31st March, Year 3 went to Flag Fen, a local Bronze Age site, to learn about life in prehistoric Britain. The day began with a timeline activity, where we learned about the different time periods leading up to the modern day. 

For our second activity, we became field archaeologists, who sorted a selection of artefacts into Stone Age, Bronze Age and the Iron Age. We were even challenged to find the red herring, which came from the Roman period (something we are very excited to be learning about next year in Year 4). These artefacts included:

• a beeswax tablet (an early writing instrument)
• a spear head, with an intricate pattern, from the Bronze Age
• dried flowers  (woad) which were used in the Iron Age to turn them blue before battle

and many others.

Following this, year 3 transformed into experimental archaeologists and we made pots using a variety of natural materials. For example, wood, string, shells, pine cones and sticks.

We finished the day with a tour of Flag Fen, where we saw a causeway, boats which were thousands of years old and well preserved and a bridge which was in the same location as it had been during the Bronze Age. It was used as a religious site.  Our tour finished at a reconstruction of a roundhouse, where we heard a story about giants and fairies and battles. 

We had an incredible day and were so lucky to have had such spectacular weather. We hope you enjoy our photographs. 

 Friday 10th March 2017

What an exciting day! Today Zebra Class got to take part in a Tennis session with some tennis coaches who came in to school. We learned how to control  the ball and racket and then practiced volleying with a partner.

Later, we worked in our collaborative groups to create "Rainbow Pizzas" which were filled with fresh vegetables. We took it in turns to complete different roles and making sure we followed the recipe. Kneading the dough was the most difficult part.

Here are some quotes which the children said:

"It was so much fun!" Chloe

"At first our pizza dough didn't turn out very well but then we added more water and flour. Now it looks fantastic!" Daisy

"I can't wait to eat our pizza. We covered ours in vegetables." Georgie

"Jessica took some photos of us cooking. We hope you enjoy looking at them. " Nnamdi

Cookery: Spring Rolls

Today Zebra Class made spring rolls, filled with chicken, peppers, cabbage, noodles and beansprouts.  We had a brilliant time making them and almost all of the class were brave and had a taste. 

Art Work

In Zebra Class this week during Topic we have been focusing on developing our sketching skills. We have followed a set of instructions to create some wonderful drawings of prehistoric animals. We then used our skills to draw our class animal, the Zebra. Here are some of our masterpieces. 

Methods we use in Maths

Here are some photographs of the methods we use in Year 3 to solve multiplication, division, addition and subtraction calculations. 

Merry Christmas and  Happy New Year from all of us in Zebra Class. Thank you for all of your continued support in what has been an exciting term. Below, I have included what we will be learning about in the Spring term. 

Spring curriculum

During the Spring term in Year 3, the learning focus will be centred around the topic ‘Scavengers and Settlers’. This is a very exciting topic where the children will be learning about life in Britain from the Stone Age through to the Iron Age.

As part of this, Year 3 will be visiting our local history site of Flag Fen which will be a valuable experience for the children to immerse themselves into the Bronze Age lifestyle.

In English, our initial focus will be on ‘The Stone Age Boy’. Following this, we will be teaching the children to write their own poems, instructions and information texts.

In Maths we will be continuing to work on Multiplication and Division using 2 digits, before moving on to measure, where we will learn about capacity, mass and length.

In Science, we will be moving away from learning about magnets onto the topic rocks and fossils. In addition to this, for Design Technology this term, we will be focusing on preparing and cooking a variety of savoury dishes.

PE will continue to be on a Tuesday afternoon.  We will elt you know about swimming dates for next term when staffing and timetabling has been finalised. Watch out for notes in your child’s book bag.

As always, if you have any questions about the curriculum or your child’s learning please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your continuing support of your child’s learning. It makes such a difference!

Miss Donkin, Mrs Selves and Mrs Wallace

Egyptologist Visit

Yesterday, an Egyptologist visited Year 3 and it was a wonderful and exciting day.

We started the day on a hunt for facts when answering a quiz before looking at some real Egyptian artifacts. Following this, we played Hounds and Jackals and then had a go at some Egyptian Maths.

After lunch, we were transported back in time where Bartek was our Pharaoh. Unfortunately, Pharaoh Bartek's reign did not last and he found himself on a journey to the after life where the Priests of Anubis and his mummy wrapping priests helped prepare his body.

As he was safely on his travels, a new pharaoh was announced, Pharaoh Alantis! To celebrate, all of the people of Egypt went on a hunt and we got to try catch some 'animals' to feed us in the banquet. It was a tie with 5 points each to Zebras and Penguins. 

Thank you for all of your support for the day. The costumes were wonderful! We hope you enjoy seeing some of the photographs. 

Friday 25th November

The past couple of weeks, Zebra class transformed themselves into budding journalists and transported themselves back in time to 1922 where Tutankhamun's tomb had just been discovered. I would like to show you a couple of examples, one from Madison and one from Bartek. We hope you enjoy reading them. 

Keep up the votes for your favourite 'beat'. We have had some new entries I will be adding shortly. 

Computing 2nd November 2016

As part of Computing, Year 3 have been using a website called: incredibox. (www.incredibox.com)

On this website we create beats which we can then record. We have to select the instruments and percussions, as well as any effects we want the sound to have.

Here is one Nnamdi has recorded. We hope you enjoy it. If you have a go at home, send in the links to your tracks so we can listen to them. :)

Nnamdi

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5819D29F1800E-V3

Katy and Madison

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5819D5156F8C9-V3

Connie, Jacob and Bartek

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5819D679C8938-V3

Johnny and Husayn

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5819D66C63C4E-V3

Matthew and Oliver

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5819D7D77E459-V4

Deanna, Alantis and Gabi

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5819D90841A97-V4

Oliver's Homework

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5829FC669E587-V3

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5829FE7C76C90-V4http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5829FE7C76C90-V4

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/5829FFED5C7C4-V2

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/582A033ED5518-V3

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/582A05283BAAA-V2

http://www.incredibox.com/mix/582A0680450C3-V3

Competition

Whoever gets the most views and likes by the 19th December will win a prize. Good Luck.

If you also make one, I will put it on the website so it can be included in the competition. Just send me the link.

English: How to mummify a body

As part of our English focus, explanatory texts,  Zebra Class have been learning 'How to mummify a body'.

Below,is a copy of our 'talk for writing' sequence which the children have been learning and will be using to generate their own explanations on mummification.

We look forward to sharing our explanations with you when we have written them this week. 

Here are some quotes from the children about their learning so far:

Lucy, "It was very fun! The actions help me to learn the key words I want to use."

Connie, " We got to learn how they mummified people by 'mummifying' someone in the class."

Johnny, "Pulling the brain out was gross." 

James, "I didn't like the part where they pulled the organs out."

Deanna, "I liked the bit where we wrote an introduction in a group and then learned it with actions."

Egyptian Homework

A massive thank you from us in Zebra's Class for all of your support and contributions to the homework so far. Here are some photographs of the different sarcophagus we have received. Please keep checking back for updates as we will continue to add photographs of them as we receive them :) The designs have been wonderful and intricately made. 

Welcome back, Zebras. I hope you have all had a fantastic summer and it has been wonderful to get back into routine and see all of your new smiley faces. 

What a wonderful week it has been! We have had a fantastic first 3 days back and I hope you all enjoyed your first WOW day.The artwork looks amazing and there will be more photographs to come.

This Autumn term we will be learning about Ancient Egypt and have an exciting visitor planned. In Science, we will be learning about light and in English we will be looking at a selection of texts, including an Egyptian twist on a traditional tale. I am really looking forward to teaching Spanish this year as a new subject. 

Let's keep up this incredible start! :)