Geography 

For the first half term, the topic for geography is ‘Wonderful Weather.’ Over this topic, children will be learning about the seasons and the weather patterns in the UK. They will be able to describe and explain different types of weather and even explore how symbols represent different types of weather. At the end of this half term, children will be conducting a fieldwork study of the school premises to identify, observe and record different human and physical features on the school site. 

Knowledge:

• There are four seasons in the UK: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each season has typical weather patterns.

• Types of weather include sun, rain, wind, snow, fog, hail and sleet. 

• In the United Kingdom, the length of the day varies depending on the season. Symbols are used to show different types of weather.

• Places can be compared by size, weather and climate (Amazon rainforest and a forest in Cambridge).

• Fieldwork includes going out in the environment to look, ask questions, take photographs, take measurements and collect samples.

History

The topic for history is ‘Toy stories.’ Children will develop their ability to ask and answer questions, their understanding of the past and changes over time through learning about how toys have changed over time. Children will consider the distinction between ‘old’ and ‘new’ toys through reflecting on the materials that these toys were made from. 

Knowledge:

• Toys have been around for thousands of years. The earliest toys were dolls which were often made from wood.

• Looking at the materials that toys are made of,  gives us clues about how old it is.

• Older toys are made from wood, tin, cloth or household materials.

• They had to be moved by hand. They were made by hand, by toy makers, and would take a long time to make. 

• Teddy bears have been toys for over 100 years.

• Teddy bears used to be stuffed with wood shavings.

• Parts of dolls were made from porcelain (china clay) and were very delicate, this means they could easily break. 

• Lots of modern toys use electricity to work and are often made from plastic. 

Computing

In the first half of the term the children will be introduced to data and information. Labelling, grouping, and searching are important aspects of data and information. Searching is a common operation in many applications, and requires an understanding that to search data, it must have labels. In computing we will focus on assigning data (images) with different labels in order to demonstrate how computers are able to group and present data. Learners will be logging on to the computers, opening their documents, and saving their documents. 

Later in the term, in the programming unit, learners will be introduced to on-screen programming through ScratchJr. Learners will explore the way a project looks by investigating sprites and backgrounds. They will use programming blocks to use, modify, and create programs. Learners will also be introduced to the early stages of program design through the introduction of algorithms.

Knowledge:

Data and information

• Objects can be counted 

• Information can be presented in different ways

Programming

• Words can be enacted 

• A command has a set outcome.

• You press  a button to run a command

• A program is a set of commands a computer can run

• A series of instructions can be issued before they are enacted

Reminders

PE Kits: PE lessons will continue to take place on a Friday afternoon. Please ensure your child comes to school dressed in their PE kits. We will have a mixture of indoor and outdoor PE lessons so please ensure your child's PE kit is appropriate for all weathers. 

Water bottles, and reading books should be in school everyday. 

Please ensure that all items (including lunch boxes, spare clothes and water bottles) are named as this will help us to know who they belong to and return them to their owners. In Year 1, children might have occasional toileting accidents, this is why we encourage you to put some spare clothes in your child’s bag.