Topic Overview
Great Fires!
Key Question?
Can disasters have a positive impact?
At Archibald First School, we believe that learning comes alive when children can connect their studies to the world around them. This term, our whole-school curriculum focus is “History on Our Doorstep” — an exciting exploration of the rich historical tapestry that has shaped the North East of England. Children will engage with the people, places and events that have influenced our region, experiencing history in meaningful, tangible ways. Through immersive activities and local connections, they will see, feel and reflect on the past that surrounds them. As they journey through this topic, pupils will develop key historical skills through our core concepts: understanding chronology and change, exploring cause and consequence, evaluating historical significance, and using evidence to build interpretations. This approach not only deepens their knowledge of the past, but also empowers them to think critically and see themselves as young historians.
History
This will be our main Humanities focus this half term. We will start with a ‘History Mystery’ whereby the children will use their historical understanding and inference skills to piece together clues and predict what we are learning about—please keep the following quiet until we have completed this task!
We will explore the events of the Great Fire of London, before learning all about the Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead. We will look at chronology, placing the events leading up to the fire in order before looking at the causes and consequences of these infamous events! We will also consider the significance of the fires, and consider the changes that they caused.
We will find out about the Quayside and look at key locations that were destroyed then rebuilt after the fire. We have ‘The History Bloke’ coming in to do a workshop on the Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead.
Key Vocabulary:
- Cause
- Disaster
- Impact
- Change
English
The children will continue daily Phonics lessons that will help them to learn the sounds needed in their writing. They will recap how to spell key tricky words and spellings will which will help them become more independent writers.
We will be learning the spelling rules for some suffixes (-ing, -less, -ful, -est, -ness and -ment) to use in our writing.
Using our ‘Great Fire’ topic as inspiration, the children will write their own non-chronological reports, diary entries and persuasive writing. The children will also write a set of instructions using time connectives and bossy verbs. Within these text types, we will continue to develop our understanding of punctuation, ensuring that all children are using capital letters, spaces and full stops. We will also use commas and question marks where appropriate.
We will continue to hear the children read weekly, in Guided Reading or 1:1 reading sessions. Please continue to read daily at home.
Key Vocabulary:
- noun
- verb
- adjective
- proper noun
- character
- setting
- report
- instructions
Maths
The children will continue to secure their knowledge of adding and subtracting two-digit numbers by using and drawing dienes and other equipment.
The children will be expected to fluently recall their bonds to 10 and 20, and use these to reason with and calculate bonds to and within 20, recognising other associated additive relationships (e.g., If 7 + 3 = 10, then 17 + 3 = 20; if 7 – 3 = 4, then 17 – 3 = 14; leading to if 14 + 3 = 17, then 3 + 14 = 17, 17 – 14 = 3 and 17 – 3 = 14). The children will also explore number bonds to 100.
This half term the children will use their addition and subtraction knowledge to solve problems in a range of contexts, including missing number problems.
In Geometry, children will develop their knowledge of the properties of 2D and 3D shapes and investigating symmetry.
Don’t forget to check out Times Tables Rockstars to practise your maths at home!
Key Vocabulary:
- add
- more than
- altogether
- total
- subtract
- less than
- find the difference
Science
This half term we will be studying uses of everyday materials.
We will identify and compare the suitability of a variety of every material, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses.
We will also find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
Key Vocabulary
- material
- properties
- bending
- twisting
- squashing
- stretching
Computing
We will continue to learn how to use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content. The pupils will make their own book using ‘Book Creator’, inserting pictures and text.
Art and Design Technology
Each half term the children will have a week dedicated to art and/or DT.
Art: Year 2 will continue to use their sketchbooks, developing their drawing skills and practicing blending and shading techniques used in Autumn 1. Children will be looking at the illustrations of Wayne Anderson from ‘The Tin Forest.
Design Technology:In DT, we will be focusing on Mechanisms, working towards producing our own Moving Monsters. We will explore levers, linkages, wheels and pivots through existing products and experimentation, then use this research to construct and assemble monsters. We will then evaluate our designs.
Music
This half term, the children will further develop their music skills while focusing on the topic ‘Musical Me.’ Children will choose and play appropriate dynamics and timbres for a piece of music. They will learn to use musical notation to play melodies and to use letter notation to write their own melody.
PSHE
We will recap our school rules and continue to learn about the Zones of Regulation. Then we will consider safe relationships and respecting ourselves and others. We will be answering the questions ‘What can I do if I am worried?’ and ‘What is the same and different about us?’. We will also read our second Year 2 No Outsiders book – Just Because.
Religious Education
This half term we will be recalling, remembering, relating and reflecting on ideas about God within Christianity and Judaism.
Towards the end of the term, we will learn about the story of the nativity as part of Christmas celebrations.
Our Values
Please Instagram us @archibald_1st if you see your child being #AFSCurious #AFSCaring #AFSCreative or #AFSCourageous
If you would like any further details about this half term's curriculum, please speak to your child's teacher.