Yr4 Weekly Update – 04/28/17

 

 

We have been busy deconstructing, junk modelling and tinkering with tools to develop our understanding of how simple machines work. Students are designing experiments to see if they can determine the ‘mechanical advantage’ of common tools and devices. They have been learning how to ‘journal’ their scince investigations as well as using ideas from different machines to create artwork.

 

Maths

We are finishing our unit on pattern and function and moving on to measuring. Children have been carrying out a range of open task to show their existing knowledge in the different aspects of measure: time, length, volume/capacity, area and mass.

 

English

We have been reading some explanation texts to determine their common features and practicing our ‘determining importance’ on texts about simple machines. Some children have chosen to plan and write a narrative about a ‘story machine’, while others have been writing trading cards and journaling their science learning.

 

Home Learning

Most Y4 students are quite good at estimating the length of common objects, however they are not so used to estimating mass. A great way to develop a better sense of how much things weight is by doing a bit of home baking. Maybe try a favourite recipe over the long weekend – there’s always the reward at the end!

Journalling is a fantastic way to get children writing and expressing their ‘voice’. It’s a multi-genre text type which gives children a lot of freedom in the way they get stuff down on paper.

 

Maths – capacity investigation

 

 

Deconstructing Spiderman!