Welcome to Year 4!

Here you'll find out about some of the things we've been learning about in class. If you have any ideas for other information you'd like shared on this page just let Mrs Wolfenden know (she doesn't bite!).

Sound Investigations

In science we have been exploring sound waves and how sound travels through solids, liquids and gases. Today the children were investigating how sound vibrations behave in different situations. 

Sands Centre Activity Day

Today we went to the Sands Centre for an activity day. The children played football, hockey, went on the bouncy castle, climbed the climbing walls, played relay races and finished with a roller disco. They had a brilliant day and were exhausted and sweaty by the time we got back on the bus. They'll sleep tonight!

Tasty Tapas

One of our governors, Mr Knewstubb, came into class today to teach the children about the origins of 'tapas'. A fluent speaker of Spanish, Mr Knewstubb had the children fascinated and they quickly learnt some Spanish words and phrases. Then they got to try tapas for themselves, and had a choice of 'wines' (vimto and strawberry squash!). What a lovely cultured afternoon. Gracias, Mr Knewstubb!

More irreversible changes

Today we made 'slime' with borax solution and PVA glue. Once it stops being slimy you can make it into a bouncy ball.  The children were fascinated by how it acted like a liquid and a solid at the same time.  Once we stopped playing with it, we put it on the windowsill and when we came back from play it had turned back into sticky puddles. Very interesting!

Science - reversible and irreversible changes

In Science we have been looking at reversible and irreversible changes. We carried out an investigation to see how temperature affected how quickly sugar dissolves (reversible with evaporation) and made plastic using milk and vinegar (irreversible).  It was a lot of fun but a little smelly!

Rune Sacks

The children made little sacks to keep their Viking runes safe.  We printed patterns onto our cotton fabric using a potato stamp and printing ink.  Once the fabric was dry, the children had a go at sewing them to make a sack.  They did the hems themselves with a needle and thread then Mrs Scaplehorn gave them all a turn on her sewing machine so they could sew the sides shut. Lastly, a ribbon was added to act as a drawstring.  They look fantastic. 

Tri-Golf

The children are learning how to play golf with their coach, Dan.  They worked in teams to go around a nine hole course with lots of obstacles and tricky terrain. They had to choose whether to use an iron or a putter, and were learning to 'chip' the ball. They all really enjoyed it and some of them are definitely budding Tiger Woods!

Meet the Chicks!

The children had a wee hold of the chicks today. The chicks were quite excitable and noisy - and so were the class! It has been a real treat for them to watch the chicks develop and they have a better understanding of the lifecycle of a chicken now - egg-cellent!

Musical Instruments

The children made musical instruments for their holiday homework. They made a beautiful job of them and we had a great time playing them in our music lesson.

Fractions

The children have been working hard to get their heads around fractions.  Always a tricky topic, we decided to start with some practical fraction work. We even used sweets to help us with our understanding. Our conclusion?  Fractions are yummy!!

Bjarni the Viking

Year 4 had a visit from Bjarni Thorvaldrson today.  He brought lots of artefacts, games and weapons with him and the children loved every minute. They learned about how the Vikings lived and fought, and even how they relaxed when they weren't busy farming and raiding.

Chinese Dragon Dance

The children have been learning all about Chinese New Year.  'Primary Workshops for Schools' came to teach the children all about the Dragon Dance that is an important part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. They also got to take part in a fan or parasol dance. It was great fun!

Music

In our music lessons we have been learning about how a piece of music can represent something or make us feel certain emotions.  The children were asked to work in groups to compose a piece of music called 'Run around the World'. They had to think about how the pace of running would be affected by the terrain. They had to think about how long each section would be, how fast, and which instruments to use to represent the movement or environment. They worked very hard, and the teamwork they displayed was fantastic. The compositions are still developing but see what you think of them so far.

Art

We have a couple of Art projects under way this half term. We have started making 'Calligraphy Banners' for our Chinese New Year mini-topic. We dyed cartridge paper using tissue and crepe paper to make the background for our Chinese writing.

Also in progress are our 'Aboriginal Art' pieces.  The children are using earth colours and cotton buds to paint in the style of the Australian Aborigines. We'll post more pictures of our work as it progresses.

Teeth

Our new Science topic is 'Teeth and Eating'.  The children had great fun exploring each other's teeth so that they could help their partner map their mouths.  They learned what the different types of teeth are and looked at pictures of children's skulls that showed they were born with both sets of teeth already in their jaw. Interesting!

Christmas Party Day

The children had a great time playing party games, watching Stu-Di-Doo and disco dancing.  They'll have all slept like logs!

Technology Day

Year 4 have been competing for the 'Dick Winter Trophy'.  They were making festive party hats using lots of Christmassy decorations and ideas.  Some of them went to town on their designs.  I think they look fabulously festive.  What do you think?

Mannequin Challenge with Mrs Mason

In Gymnastics the children have been practising counter balances.  Mrs Mason challenged them to hold their balance for as long as they could. Some of them were fabulous at this, while others were too busy giggling! See who you think met the 'mannequin challenge'!

Mummifying Tomatoes

Year 4 have been mummifying tomatoes. We wanted to see why the Ancient Egyptians used Natron (salt) to dry out their dead bodies, and if it really worked!

We removed the brains (seeds) dried thoroughly, then packed the tomatoes with salt until they were totally covered.  Then we waited patiently for two weeks to see what happened. Our tomatoes were dry and very wrinkly.  Some of them were lighter by more than 100g! They hadn't decayed and didn't smell rotten. It worked!