Dronfield Junior School

Dronfield Junior School
Reaching Potential

Year 3 Page

2024 - 2025

Y3 Autumn Parents Leaflet

Y3 Autumn Homework

Y3 Information for Parents

Geography

We will be learning about Dronfield and Sheffield. We will find out that Dronfield is a town, in the county of Derbyshire, in England. We will find out about the nearest city to Dronfield (Sheffield).
We will learn about the main physical and human characteristics of Dronfield including the train station, Civic Centre, River Drone, Church, Henry Fanshawe School and Cliff Park. We will also learn about different types of settlements, with an example for each one: village - Coal Aston, town - Dronfield and city –Sheffield.

History

We will be learning about chronology; constructing a timeline of key periods of Stone Age, Bronze and Iron Ages; use terms BC/AD and understand that prehistory is the time before written records. We will discuss similarities and differences (between different time periods, artefacts, materials and events); compare and contrast interpretations of Derbyshire stone circles; compare life in Britain to other places around the world at the time and compare and contrast the past with today. We will also be learning about how people lived during this time and what was discovered during each period of time.
Would you rather live in the Stone Age, Bronze Age or Iron Age?

Science

We will develop ways of working scientifically through research, pattern spotting, classifying, making models and planning fair tests.
In the first half term, we will learn about magnetic forces and friction. During the second half term, we will learn about animals including humans. We will also learn about famous scientists who have studied within these areas.

2023 - 2024

Autumn

   DISCOVER PROJECT (History Driver)

"What does it mean to be powerful?"

Our project for this term is The Roman Empire.  We will be discussing the concept of power and what it is and how it was used within the Roman Empire as well as making links to the wider world we know today.  Your children will be discussing and debating what impact power can have on the concepts of loyalty, equality and fear.  As good historians, they will be analysing and questioning primary and secondary sources, interpreting bias and constructing timelines of key events including: the beginning of Rome; the Senators and Julius Caesar; Gladiators and the Colosseum; Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii; the Roman army and the invasion of Britain; the impact of the Romans on British civilization and the fall of the Roman Empire.

During our project, pupils will be visited by our local historian, The History Van, who will share wonderful Roman artefacts and share fascinating facts about their daily life.  Throughout the project, we will be making links to our project question and analysing where power can be seen in the Roman Empire.  We will also be using these concepts to make cross-curricular links in Geography, Art and design, Design Technology, RE and Science.  By the end of the autumn term, your child will be a critical-thinking historian who will be able to impart key knowledge to amaze you and all the family!

Y3 Autumn Parents' Leaflet

Y3 Autumn Homework (First half term) 

Y3 Autumn Homework (Second half term)

Spring

Explore Project (Geography Driver)

"Do we truly appreciate what we have?"

Our project for this term is linked to rainforests. We will be discussing four key concepts which are care, community, responsibility and community. Your children will be discussing and debating what impact of our actions on the local community as well as the impact we are having on the Amazon rainforest. We will be debating how we can care for our environment within our local community and the wider world and the responsibility we have towards this. As good geographers we will be improving our locational knowledge by being able to locate South American countries on a map; identify key human and physical characteristics of the Amazon rainforest and analyse its change over time. Not only this, but we will be comparing this region to our own and identifying similarities and differences and we will also be learning about different time zones around the world. We will be looking at the climate of South America and finding out how the land is used and what impact the economy has on the region.

 Throughout the project, we will be making links to our project question and analysing whether we do appreciate what we’ve got. We will also be using these concepts to make cross-curricular links in Art and design, Design Technology, RE and Science. By the end of the Spring term, your child will be a critical-thinking geographer who will be able to impart key knowledge on different locations and dazzle you with a wealth of knowledge!

Y3 Spring Parents' Leaflet

Y3 Spring Homework (First half term)

Y3 Spring Homework (Second half term)

Summer

Create Project (Arts Driver)

"How can we celebrate our differences?"

Our project for this term is linked to relationships, diversity and artists of the past and present.  We will be discussing four key concepts which are diversity, tradition, fairness and individuality. We will be discussing and debating what it means to be a good friend and how we can show this to each other. We will look at a variety of artists including Robert Indiana, Barbara Hepworth and others to analyse how they show these concepts in their own work. We will use a variety of art media such as sketching, painting, photography and charcoal to produce their own incredible artwork.  As emerging artists and musicians the children will begin to use key technical skills and reflect on these and make improvements just like all good artists! 

Throughout the project, we will be making links to our project question and analysing how we celebrate our differences.  We will also be using these concepts to make cross-curricular links in Art and Design, Design Technology, Computing, RE and Science. 

By the end of the summer term, your child will be a reflective artist who will be able to impart key knowledge on different artists and impress you with wonderful pieces of art work worthy of an exhibition. 

Y3 Summer Parents' Leaflet

Y3 Summer Homework

Reading

Shared Reading: Reading is vital and underpins all areas of education.  As well as reading 1:1, we will also read as a class. Through these sessions the pupils will begin to develop their literal and inferential skills as they study a variety of texts and genres where invaluable discussions and examples of reading skills can be shared.  We will also have a class reader which we will read every day to the children to celebrate and foster a love of books.