Welcome to Year 3 - Birch

Miss Edizer

Learning Update

Literacy
We have been completing work on the book The BFG, which we started after half term. This story is about a girl called Sophie who meets a friendly giant. The giant takes her to Giant Country, but Sophie soon discovers that he is not like the other giants, because they eat humans, especially children. So far, we have been completing some descriptive writing, using adjectives to describe what the BFG looks like, and verbs and adverbs to describe how he moves. We have also been making up similes to make our descriptions more interesting, for example, “his arms are as wide as tree trunks,” “he is as tall as a house,” or “his ears are big like an elephant’s.” We have also been creating compound words, just like the author does, using a noun for what the giants eat and a verb for how they eat to create names for our own giants. Children are really enjoying this book so far and are excited to read more.

Maths
We recapped the use of the column method to help us work out addition and subtraction questions. We highlighted the important rules we need to remember when answering these questions: we always need to check the symbol given so that we know whether we are adding or subtracting. We then start in the ones column and work across to the left. If we are adding, we need to carry over to the next column if the digits total more than 10. If we are subtracting, the top number has to be bigger, so we may need to exchange from the column next to it in order to increase the number. We then moved on to our next multiplication and division unit, where we are using number facts we already know to help us solve more difficult questions. For example, if I know that 3 × 4 = 12, I know that 3 × 40 = 120 because the calculation has been scaled up by 10.

Art
We have started a new topic called People and Places. In our first lesson, we practised sketching the human form, identifying specific shapes and lines that we could see. We had children modelling at the front of the classroom, standing or sitting in an interesting pose, and the class had five minutes to sketch them in their books. We highlighted that sketching requires a light hand when using a pencil, so that mistakes or changes can be sketched over. We also discussed scale, where children tried to ensure that the figure they were drawing was proportional, with both arms and legs the same length, etc. In the next lesson, children explored using different materials in a carousel activity. For example, children used white chalk on black paper to see how this affected their work. They also practised using charcoal and sketching pencils to try different drawing techniques, such as cross-hatching for shading and using continuous lines to create a drawing without taking the pencil off the paper. Next, we will be looking at “places,” focusing on key features of our local area and creating a collage to represent these features.

PE
We are completing a unit on dance. Currently, we are learning a country and western line dance, using four moves called the fan, heel toe, step kick step touch, and grapevine. All four moves have an eight-count beat to help the children stay in time with the music and with each other. The children have enjoyed the unit so far and will be moving on to learning a dance relating to superheroes next.

Geography
Children have started learning about our driver topic, Rocks, Relics and Rumbles. So far, they have learnt about different rock types and their properties. Igneous rocks form when magma is cooled and hardened. They consist of interlocking crystals and make up most of the Earth’s crust. One example is granite. Sedimentary rocks form when pre-existing rocks break down into smaller pieces and are pushed together with other organic materials. Over time, pressure causes new rock to form with many layers inside. One example is limestone. Metamorphic rocks form when existing sedimentary or igneous rocks come under intense heat or pressure, causing a change in their texture and structure without melting. One example is marble.

Looking Ahead:
Over the next few weeks, we will be finishing our work on The BFG by writing our own “plan” for how Sophie and the BFG might get rid of the giants, before finishing the story to see what the author has chosen to happen. We will also be writing a book review, discussing what we did and didn’t like about the story, what surprised us, and three questions we would ask the author if we were able to interview him. Lastly, we will be planning and writing our own fantasy adventure story based on the ideas and events from the book.

In Maths, we will be learning techniques to help us work out times table equations involving a two-digit number multiplied by a one-digit number, including what happens when remainders and flexible partitioning are involved. We will continue to use Times Table Rock Stars (TTRS) during our Friday morning work sessions, and children will also be completing quizzes on arithmetic questions to keep their addition and subtraction knowledge secure.

In Geography, children will begin learning about volcanoes, including how they form, what is inside them, and the key features we can identify from images. We will also learn about a specific disaster, Pompeii, and the effects this eruption had.

Spring Term 2025

Click on the links below to see what the children in Year 3 will be learning in the Spring Term.