Year 4

Where on Earth?

In this geography topic, we will be travelling the world, finding out about different continents and nations, as well learning how to read a map. Children in Year 4 will understand how a world map is segmented into lines of longitude and latitude. They will be able to locate the equator, the tropics, the meridian line (including time zones), and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

The children will also research a specific country as a case study, finding out about its geographical features, both political and physical, as well as dipping into its cultural identity.

Year 4 will learn to compare and contrast different locations and understand the reasons for these differences. This is a brilliant topic to open the year with, as it will equip each pupil with skills that they can use in the topics covered throughout the rest of the year.

Crime & Punishment

Another broad and sweeping topic, we are going to be learning how the law was enforced throughout history. From the first juries and courts of the Roman Empire, to the highwaymen of 18th century Britain, the children will come to understand that, although sometimes gruesome and cruel, the past has a lot to teach us about the law that we live under today.

How have police forces evolved over the centuries? How did the Anglo-Saxon ideas of Wergild influence our modern concept of compensation? What was a Victorian prison like?

The children will continue to embed their skills - in comparison and drawing conclusions - from the previous geography topic, and in the spring this learning is consolidated with a trip to York Castle Museum, which used to be a working prison!

The Mayans

They were masters of astronomy and mathematics, users of a forgotten alphabet that has never been deciphered, and (most importantly) the civilisation that brought us chocolate! The Maya civilisation dominated Central America, and lasted over 3000 years.

In Year 4, we unearth some of their most fascinating discoveries, explore their territories, and compare their culture to their European contemporaries. We will also find out what you would expect to find in a Mayan city, as well as what happened when Europeans crossed the Atlantic and first set foot on Mayan soil.

The topic will be topped off with a visit to York’s Chocolate Story, to find out first-hand what the Mayan version of chocolate tasted like!

Deserts

Deserts - just a lot of sand, right? As Year 4 will find out this year, there is a LOT more to deserts than meets the eye. Are deserts always hot? Which wildlife would you find in a desert? How do humans survive and thrive in such an inhospitable environment? In which desert would you find penguins? These are some of the questions that our children will be exploring in year 4.

The Great Sheffield Flood

154 years ago, the Dale Dyke Dam burst on its first filling, claiming . Nobody is entirely sure what the cause was, but in Year 4, we look at the aftermath, the reach of the flooding, and how the tragedy changed the shape of structural engineering and dam-building to this day. We investigate case studies, learn the difference between primary and secondary sources, and understand how our local area has changed in the years since.

Harry Potter Book Study

We enter J K Rowling’s magical world of wizardry in Year 4. From using descriptions of Diagon Alley to develop our writing style to makinf our own sorting hats; our book study of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a memerable one.