Science: How are rocks different?
Enquiry question: How are rocks different?
Scientific skill: I can record findings from a comparative test.
Last Friday, Year 3 completed three small tests to find out how rocks are different.
- The ‘scratch’ test: Use a nail or paperclip to scratch a rock to find out how hard or soft it is. The softer it is, the more of a mark it will have.
- Does the rock react with acid (vinegar)? We put a small amount of white vinegar on the rocks to see if they would react. There might be a change in colour, bubbles or no reaction.
- Will it float or sink?
Each table had one rock to focus on then at the end, each group shared their findings.
Here’s what we found:
Help at home by researching this question.
Is chalk a hard or soft rock? Why would it be hard to see the scratch test on chalk?
Spring term after-school clubs
We’ve had a great first week to our after-school clubs. There are some places available on the following clubs if your child would like to join. Please refer to the letter below to show the relevant year groups.
Living and Learning: I know what a drug is.
In Living and Learning this week, we have been learning about drugs, alcohol and tobacco. In Year 3, we discussed what a drug is:
A substance that changes the way the body or mind works.
The children discussed what different drugs and their uses. Drugs can be medicines like Calpol (for children) or paracetamol (for adults). These drugs are helpful because they can make us feel better when we are feeling unwell.
However, it is still very important that we use these with caution.
Here are some of the top tips we thought of to stay safe around medicines at home:
- Always ask a trusted adult to help you take your medicine.
- Read the instructions on the back that tell you how much you should have.
- Keep them in a safe place and out of reach from really little ones! Lots of us said that they have a special cupboard somewhere high up or with a child lock.
- Only take medicines that belong to you. For example, never use someone else’s inhaler!
- Only take medicines if you are actually unwell.
Alcohol and tobacco are substances that also change the way our bodies or minds work.
We learnt that the law says, you must to be 18 or over to buy or use these substances because they are not safe for young children.
Help at home: Read these two scenarios and think of some sensible advice you would give to help.
Yogi says, Yogi do!
This half term’s PE is yoga and dance…
We begin with a breathing exercise.
Bear breath: Breath in for 5, hold for 3, breath out of 5, hold for 3.
Warm up with ‘Yogi Says’! (It’s the same as Simon Says.)
Yoga poses with a partner… it’s all about trust.
End with a guided meditation: Lay down, close your eyes and pretend you are outside. You hear a rustling in the bush. There is an animal. It’s there to help you, listen to you and give you advice. Share your worries.
Help at home by trying this yoga routine just like we did in school! How do you feel before? How do you feel after?
Reading: current class novel
Year 3’s current class novel is…
The Last Firefox by Lee Newbury.
The children voted for this book from a short list and we’ve been really enjoying it so far!
We’ve added lots of words to our word wall (some fire related!):
- flammable: something that can catch fire and burn quickly
- disintegrate: to break into smaller pieces
- orb: a ball or spherical shaped object
Help at home: Have a look at some of his other books as they link to the one we are reading at the moment!
New year, new topic!
Happy New Year! We hope you had a great break from school and are feeling refreshed.
With a new year, comes a new term and a new topic. This half term, we are being geographers and learning about natural disasters, specifically volcanoes.
This week, we’ve learnt about what’s under the Earth’s crust…
The inner core is made from a mixture of solid metals (nickel and iron). It’s the hottest part of the Earth at around 6100 degrees Celsius!
The crust is the thinnest layer and is where the Earth’s tectonic plates are. These plates move underneath the Earth’s surface and cause natural disasters like volcanic eruptions.
Help at home: Research the location of different volcanoes around the world! Where are they most common? Is there a pattern to where they are? Your child can share their findings during our geography lessons!
Topic: Art, art and more art!
Here are our final collages that were inspired by Wren and Hadid’s architecture.
They turned out brilliantly with lots of different materials and layers to create new art!
We also used these to create your new calendars for 2025.
Help at home: What visual and tactile elements can you see in these?
- line
- shape
- texture
- shadow
- tone
- composition
- colour
Saturday morning cross country runners
Well done to all our KS2 pupils who took part in the third Leeds Schools Sports Association cross country race at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley on Saturday morning.
It was great to have some first time runners this time and many improved their race positions from last time.
Thank you to parents who supported at the event.
There is one more race this season and information will be sent about these nearer the time. Please note there is a new registration system this year with all children being registered prior to their first race to take part.
Royal Ballet and Opera School Set Design
Today, Year 3 joined a live lesson to learn more about how someone set designs for the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Visit this link to see more about this production: https://www.rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-events/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-details
We listened to how a set designer starts with their drawings to building a prototype to their final sets.
A part of the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland set is the trees. We had a go at creating our own prototype trees using different materials.
It was quite tricky to create the cone shape but once we did, we tried to add texture to make it look realistic. Here’s some of our final trees… 
Help at home: You can join another of their live lessons at home too! Visit this link here…https://www.rbo.org.uk/schools/teacher-training/live-lessons
PE DAY CHANGE 2025!
Year 3’s PE day is changing to a TUESDAY rather than Thursday.
Your child needs to come into school in their PE kits on a Tuesday and Wednesday (plus swim kits) from the first week back!
Please remember to have your child in white or black trainers too.
Thank you!
