Curriculum Overview

Reading

Skellig by David Almond is the first book we will be reading for the autumn term.

Writing

Using Skellig we will write a biography about the life of David Almond. We will then develop our knowledge of setting description and writing dialogue to create a narrative about when Michael meets Skellig. Following this we will a balanced argument about the pros and cons of home schooling as opposed to public schooling. Finally, we will draw on the learning from our history unit to write a non-chronological report about Baghdad.

Maths

Place Value and number (we will look at numbers up to one million)

Science

Autumn 1 - The Human Body

In this unit, children will study how the human body changes from birth to old age building on their knowledge of how our bodies work and how we care for them, pupils will study the changes that happen to the human body from conception through to old age. They will cover the period of growth known as adolescence and will learn about the changes to the human body including muscles and bones growing larger, the growth of hair in armpits and around genitals, menstruation and voices breaking. This substantive knowledge will support their understanding of changes within their own bodies and will enable them to understand and support their peers.

Autumn 2 – Materials

In this unit, children will revisit the concept of conductivity. They will look at the most suitable material for thermal conductivity and will analyse different materials and their properties. After revisiting this knowledge, children will move on to studying solubility; which materials are soluble and what it means to be soluble.

RE

Creation

PHSE

Values

PE and Sport

Autumn 1 – Gymnastics

Autumn 2 – Dance

Geography

Autumn 1 – Spatial Sense

We will learn the following:

• To be able to read and understand how to use a range of maps
• To understand that cartographers draw imaginary lines to divide the world into sections. Lines of latitude are parallel to the equator running from east to west. Lines of longitude run from north to south.
• To know there are four hemispheres. The Equator divides the Southern and Northern hemispheres, and the Prime Meridian divides the Eastern and Western hemispheres.
• To use coordinates to locate places on a map.
• To use map scale and understand it is the proportion between the distance on a map and the actual distance on the earth’s surface.
• To interpret a relief map and know that it shows the height of land.

Autumn 2 – Mountains

We will learn the following:

• To know that a mountain is a large landform that rises above surrounding land.
• To know that the Alps are the largest mountain range in Western Europe.
• To know that the Himalayas are the largest mountain range in the world and that Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, is the world’s tallest mountain (above sea level).
• To know there are three main mountain ranges in North and South America: The Andes in South America, and the Rockies and Appalachians in North America.
• To know that Kilimanjaro in Africa is notable, not only for its height, but for the fact that it stands alone and is not part of a mountain range.

History

Autumn 1 – Baghdad

We will learn the following:

• The Islamic Empire spread rapidly after Mohammad’s death
• Baghdad is a city that was built a long time ago near the river Tigris by Caliph AlMansur who was the leader of the Abbasid Caliphate
• Many people came to Baghdad to trade and to study
• Many important books were translated into Arabic by scholars in Baghdad
• In 1258 CE, Baghdad was invaded and much of the city was destroyed

Autumn 2 – The Early British Empire

We will learn the following:

• Great Britain had an empire from the 16th to the 20th century
• Many monarchs were involved in growing the British Empire
• Britain traded with countries all over the world
• European trading nations increasingly fought over who controlled trade
• The Mughal Empire ruled most of India and Pakistan in the 16th and 17th centuries
• When the Mughal Empire collapsed, European nations fought for control of India
• Britain was victorious during the Seven Years War and gained territory from France
• Britain gained land in North America, Africa, the Philippines and India

Art

Autumn 1 – Style in Art

We will learn to compare different styles of brushwork demonstrated by Stubbs in Whistlejacket and by Munch in The Scream of Nature. The children will draw pears using contrasting techniques, creating visible marks in oil pastels in the manner of Van Gogh and smooth modelling using soft pastels in the manner of Stubbs. They go on to compare two radically different styles, rococo and modernism, analysing the differences they see in painting and chair design. This leads to a more detailed analysis of modernism, looking at abstract art of the 20th century and using their developing knowledge of colour theory to design and create their own abstract work using acrylic on canvas.

Autumn 2 – Islamic Art and Architecture

The children are first introduced to art from the Islamic world by first studying the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. In it they identify examples of Islamic style, including calligraphy, geometric and vegetal patterns made from tilework and mosaics. They go on to consider these features in The Alhambra and the Taj Mahal, in particular noting the ornate plasterwork in the Nasrid Palaces at The Alhambra. Study of symmetrical designs, vegetal patterns and mosaics refers back to the influence of Byzantine art studied in Year 4.



During the course of the unit the children create two works of art in Islamic style. At first, they use rulers and compasses to create repeating geometric designs which they decorate with brightly coloured inks. They then take their design and transfer it onto a clay tile, developing their skills in three-dimensional modelling.

Languages

We will begin learning Latin, thinking about greetings and everyday words.

DT

We will investigate different cam mechanisms and apply our knowledge of them to design and then make a moving toy.