Topic Summary
What do animals need to survive?
In this topic, through exploration of different habitats, the children learn about how most animals are adapted to their habitat in order to survive. They begin to understand the impact humans are having on habitat loss. One of our key texts in English, the Unexpected Visitor addresses this issue, when a fisherman learns the impact of overfishing.
In the topic we will be teaching the children the following key concepts:
- Diversity - How do animals differ in their basic needs?
- Survival - How do animals work together to form a community?
- Necessity - What are the necessities of animals?
- Interdependence - How are animals interdependent?
Visits
Visit to a local zoo
Subject Information
English
We will use the story The Unexpected Visitor as an inspiration for our English work this half term. We will develop our reading skills to learn new vocabulary and make predictions.
In writing we will focus on expanding our sentences and learning how to write narratives. We will teach the children to use noun phrases to add interest to their writing and how to add description. We will also be reading a mystery text towards the end of the half term to become detectives: what can we work out about the character from the clues the book gives us?
Other Key Texts
- A mystery text!
- Something Fishy
Maths
We will start by looking at place value and develop the following skills:
- Recognising the value of 2-digit numbers and representing them using a variety of representations including dienes, numicon and number lines.
- Comparing and ordering numbers using these symbols <,>,=
- Read and write numbers in numerals and words.
We will then move on to addition and subtraction and:
- Practise fluently recalling addition and subtraction facts to 20.
- Begin to add and subtract 2-digit numbers using, resources and pictures before working mentally.
- Understand the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction.
Science
Our Science will focus on looking at the basic needs of animals for survival. We will look at mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and humans. We will carefully define each of these different types of animals before looking in detail at the different characteristics of each. We will work scientifically and practically to determine how each of these groups differ in their basic needs for survival.
Geography
In Geography we will begin to develop a sense of place by:
- Creating maps; including keys of our classroom and school
- Using atlases to locate the countries and capital cities in the United Kingdom
- Locating and naming the seven continents and the five oceans
We will also link our Geography and Science work looking at the human and physical features of different habitats.
Art
We will begin our year 2 artwork by building our drawing skills looking at:
- Creating texture using a pencil
- Creating hard lines and soft lines and everything in between
- Creating different patterns and shapes
We will then use these skills to create some art inspired by the habitats we have learned about
Computing
We will be learning how to stay safe online which will include:
- Watching videos on the internet
- Sharing pictures on the internet
- Playing games online
We will then move on to safely using the internet, learning how to effectively search for information and which websites are good sources of information.
PE
In PE we will learning some dance skills including how to:
- Learn to run, jump, leap and hop
- Begin to show balance and coordination when changing direction
- Choose different body actions to represent an idea
- Use pathways, levels, shapes and directions with guidance
- Begin to move to a regular beat, using counts
- Show mirroring in unison when completing actions with a partner.
The children will also complete some multi-skills lessons with Lee Sterry coaches to develop this basic sport skills such as throwing, catching and running.
If you would like any further details about this half term's curriculum in Year 2, please speak to your child's teacher.