Autumn 2 Week 8 

Christmas performance

Class 3B performed The First Christmas by Marian Swinger. We discussed the meaning of each verse and the message of the poem. The class enjoyed performing this poem with emphasis and actions. Year 3 enjoyed working collaboratively with 3S and Year 4 to produce a Christmas performance for parents and carers to enjoy.

Behaviour Treat

Year 3 could not believe their luck when they arrived at school on Thursday! They were met with an array of nerf guns, obstacles, glasses and high-vis jackets. The children spent the morning running around the hall, shooting each other (and Miss Barnes) and working in teams. Year 3 have worked extremely hard this term and have truly earned their Nerf War behaviour treat. 

 

Today was the best day at school I have ever had! I could not believe that we got to have a nerf war. – Jonny

It was the best day ever because we got to spend time doing a fun activity with our friends and teachers. – Archie

 

Design Technology

Year 3 have been learning about different European dishes during this unit. They have researched Greece’s national dish, and we have decided to make a Greek salad. The class planned their product, created a poster to advertise it and made it. They spent the morning practising how to chop the ingredients safely and enjoyed making their Greek salads. The children evaluated their work and taste tested their products.

 

It was so exciting and fun to be able to cook at school – Rahel

I loved how we were able to make our own Greek salads, it was the first time I have made a salad. I liked tasting the tomatoes and cucumbers, but I didn’t like the olives. – Charlie

I enjoyed cutting the food, I tried to cut vegetables in small cubes so the salad would look appetising. – Shaheer

I was surprised I really liked the olives. I have never seen or tried one before – Arlo

 

Autumn 2 Week 7 

We have had a very busy and exciting week! Year 3 enjoyed a Christmas lunch sitting with their teachers, wearing Christmas jumpers. We also had a special visitor attend our stay and read session. Father Christmas read ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ to us by the fireplace, as we enjoyed hot chocolate and mince pies. The children showed their parents and carers books they have loved reading this term and read some aloud for others to enjoy.

I liked it when Santa and Mrs Blackledge read the stories to us. – Lana

I liked meeting Wordsworth from the library. He gave me a high five! – Charlie

I liked that we got to sit with our teachers for Christmas lunch, and we got to wear our jumpers, so I felt very Christmasy!

Me and Lyric sat next to each other, and it took us a few tries to open the cracker. I got a blue crown and Lyric got a red one. – Kashana

 

Religious Education 

Year 3 looked at a variety of paintings of the shepherds visiting the stable when Jesus was born. These were created by artists from all around the world, and we discussed the similarities and differences between them. We also explored how they made us feel and whether we believed the pictures reflected that they are in the presence of God.

In groups, the class looked at the painting, ‘The Adoration of the Shepherds’ by Guido Reni and recorded 4 things they noticed, and 5 things they thought, discussing questions they would like to ask.

I liked looking at the different pictures and describing how the shepherds must have felt. My group said we think the shepherd would be delighted that they had met the Newborn King. - Lyric

Some of the paintings were different because some had angels and some didn’t have any angels. Some paintings were similar because Jesus was a glowing light in each of them. I think the artists were trying to show that baby Jesus is the light of the world. – Brooke

Jesus is the Newborn King, but he does not wear a crown. – Isla

I think the shepherds felt special because they were chosen to be some of the first people to meet baby Jesus. – Daniel

 

Pantivity

This week, we paid a visit to Meadowhead Infants to watch a nativity performance. St Andrews church arranged for a production team to perform a pantivity, which the children loved! We watched the story play out from the lens of the innkeepers and learnt an important message of hope and forgiveness.

I would like to watch it again because I think the actors did a really good job and I found parts of it funny. – Lyric

Don’t refuse to help somebody when they need it. – Amelia

To show forgiveness. The innkeepers forgave the hotel inspector and gave her a room to stay when she needed it. – Harrison

God sent Jesus to the world, to help other people. – Jimmy

God sent Jesus to be the Newborn King and make the world a better place. – Harris

The birth of Baby Jesus is very important because he grows up to perform miracles and heal people – Layton

Jesus helped a blind person to see. – Jonny

3B Autumn 2 Week 6 

Pantomime

This week, Year 3 were very excited to visit Blackburn Empire Theatre to watch Jack and the Beanstalk. They absolutely loved joining in with all the dancing, singing and shouting out!

I enjoyed watching the characters and some were really funny. I was excited to spend time with my friends. – Lyric

I liked it when Daisy the cow danced along to the music. Arlo

The witch was funny, because she kept pointing to us. – Layton

 

Science

Today we were visited by somebody from Blackburn Museum, who brought our topic of fossils and palaeontology to life. The children learnt about different fossils and that there are more than just dinosaurs. They discovered that fossils can tell us about ancient worlds, and Year 3 got to see and handle real fossils for themselves.

The class learnt about Mary Anning and her discovery of a complete skeleton of a plesiosaurus in 1823 at the age of 12. The class enjoyed dressing up as people that were alive during this time and taking part in role play.

Year 3 also enjoyed looking at a range of different marine fossils, and sketched these individually to produce a seascape as a group and made their own model marine creatures.

    

When we were learning about Mary Anning, we learnt that she used to pick shells from the sea and tried to sell them and a kind boy would paint the shells and give some of the money back to Mary – Lyric

Did you know during that time women were not allowed to work, so people would not buy the shells from Mary. – Skye

The famous tongue twister ‘she sells seashells on the sea shore’ was inspired by Mary Anning. – Shaheer

I loved dressing up and learning about Mary Anning. – Amelia

A fossil forms when an animal dies, the hard parts like the skeleton stay behind and it becomes buried by rock and sand. Layers and layers of it build on top and it turns to rock. – Brooke

 

Design Technology

This week we have discovered where in the world different fruits and vegetables come from. We used atlases to look at the world map and label the 7 continents. Then, we labelled some countries and identified which fruit or vegetable grew in which area, relating to the climate

3B Autumn 2 Week 5 

English

We have immersed ourselves in the Fox text once more, although this time we have a different writing purpose and outcome. In this unit, the purpose of our writing will be to inform, and our outcome will be an information report about foxes.

The class enjoyed listening to a woodland soundscape whilst we had a scavenger hunt around the classroom, looking for vocabulary words that could describe a fox in a positive or negative way. As a class, we discussed the meaning of each of these words and sorted them into the correct categories. During our lesson, a letter arrived! Year 3 were very excited to receive another letter, and we were surprised to discover, this time, it was from Fox. We read the letter and discussed whether we believed it was true that foxes are always represented as sly and unpleasant and explored examples in books and films where this has happened.

I enjoyed moving around the classroom during the scavenger hunt to find the words to describe a fox. A fox could be described as sly and devious, in a negative way. But it could also be described as graceful and playful, in a positive way. – Lyric

In book, foxes are described as sly and cunning like the fox in Peter Rabbit but in real life, foxes are just animals and not sly. I also liked being chosen to read the letter. I was very excited, and I loved seeing everybody’s reaction. – Kashana

In the gingerbread man story, the fox is also seen in a negative way because he tricks the gingerbread man to take a ride on his back across the river, but instead, he tries to throw him into the air and eat him. – Brooke

 

Year 3 has also learnt that there has been significant debate about foxes in the UK, with some people feeling that they should be labelled as vermin. While fox hunting is banned in the UK, some feel that this should be allowed again, as it was once traditionally a sport. Year 3 spent some time sharing their initial thoughts on this. We also discussed if we believe whether foxes are dangerous to humans. As part of a drama opportunity, the children took on roles of various members of the public, such as farmers, gardeners and animal protection officers. The children enjoyed creating a debate about these issues, taking turns to verbalise the facts they have learnt to support the different sides of the argument.

I enjoyed debating and acting in the role of somebody who might think differently to us and have different opinions. We enjoyed it so much that me and Kashana carried on debating about foxes on the yard at break time.  – Charlie

 

Maths

This week we have started our new unit, Time. We have practised counting in 5s with actions to mirror a clock turning clockwise. We also turned the minute hand and hour hand on analogue clocks to show o’clock and half past times.

I liked changing the clocks to different times. – Arlo

I like standing up and doing the actions to counting in 5s. – Brooke

 

 

Science

Year 3 have been working like scientists by investigating the properties of rocks this week. They conducted a scratch test to assess the hardness of each rock by determining whether a fingernail, nail or other rock would leave a scratch on its surface. They then ordered slate, marble, basalt, chalk and sandstone from softest to hardest. We discussed whether these rocks were sedimentary, metamorphic or igneous and what they could be used for.

I liked that we were able to investigate how hard each rock was. – Shaheer

I knew when a rock was soft because it would break off, like chalk. – Amelia

 

 

3B Autumn 2 Week 4 

Phonics

This week we have been practising phase 5 sounds, and we have been reading a non-fiction book called ‘Beetles around the World’. The class enjoyed recalling GPCs, words and tricky words. They have been decoding the words in the book, reading with prosody and using their comprehension skills to recall facts.

When you use prosody, the reader can make what they are saying more exciting, which is more interesting for the people who are listening. – Kashana

I have learnt that the male Oddest Beetles use their necks to fight. – Charlie

I have learnt that Deadly Beetles get the poison from the plants they eat . – Shaheer

 

Science

This week we have been exploring how different rocks are formed, and the children enjoyed learning about which types of rock are igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary. The class touched different types of rocks and described their qualities. They then compared the different types of rocks as part of a scientific investigation.

I was very interested in how different rocks are formed and how they are used. – Charlie

I like touching and feeling the rocks, it helped me learn what each rock was called and how they looked and felt. – Brooke

I enjoyed looking at granite as I recognised that rock because I have a granite worktop in my kitchen. – Amelia

The word metamorphic is very similar to metamorphosis. Metamorphic means when rocks change into different types of rocks because they have been put under a lot of heat and pressure and metamorphosis is when a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. They both mean when something changes into something else. – Daniel

 

English

This week has been writing week! The children have enjoyed exploring our new book Fox and have been writing their own fables using their plans. Miss Barnes and Mrs Rawlings have been blown away with the children’s use of exciting adjectives, similes and alliteration to describe the setting and main characters. We have also been impressed with the accurate punctuation being used.

3B Autumn 2 Week 3 

 

Children In Need

We enjoyed dressing in yellow and spots and made some donations to Children In Need today! The class loved learning all about the amazing things this charity does for people across the UK and, of course, Year 3 enjoyed speaking about Pudsey!

History

This term we have been exploring our new unit of the Stone Age. Year 3 have been learning about cave paintings and flutings. The class learnt that these pieces of artwork would usually be of animals or hunters painted with natural colours from mineral pigments. The children created their own artwork inspired by these cave paintings and flutings using charcoal.

Year 3 explored how people in Britain would get food by hunting and gathering during the Mesolithic Stone Age. The class looked at some food that would have been available to find during this time, such as berries, mushrooms, eggs, roots, nuts and seeds. The class also researched what species of animals would have been alive during this time, to hunt.  They then created their own stone age menus, describing meals that would have been eaten during this period.

I am going to draw a warrior, hunting for a mammoth. – Arlo

I am going to draw some handprint stencils, like they did. – Isla

I think the archaeologists could tell how old the children’s flutings were by the size of their finger markings. – Charlie

I don’t think I would find living in the stone age because I bet you could get fresh honey from bee hives, and I could have honey on berries for my breakfast. -  Ivy

 

Religious Education

We have begun our Christmas unit this term and this week, the children walked into the classroom and were met with a baby in a crib. This caused lots of excitement and sparked some interesting conversations. We discussed who the baby could be representing from our learning, and the meaning of presence. We also discussed that when someone special is going to be with us, in our classroom, school, home or town, preparations are made. We shared our ideas about what these could be.

Mary and Joseph might have had to prepare for Jesus by making a crib out of hay to make him comfortable. – Kashana

They could not prepare because they had to rush to the barn to have the baby. – Charlie

They would feel happy that Jesus was born because he has come to save the world. – Daniel

 

This week we have focused on the idea of Jesus’ arrival by reading the nativity story. We have explored the idea that Christians believe that Jesus is God here on earth. We discussed that Mary knew Jesus was coming, but the world did not. The angels told the shepherds, and they rushed down from the hills to visit the baby. We played a role-play game called ‘Hot Seat’ were some children acted in the role of a shepherd and answered questions from the rest of the class.

 

  

3B Autumn 2 Week 2 

English

During an English lesson this week, Year 3 stepped into some illustrations of the woodland setting from the book Fox. The children imagined they were inside the forest and described what they could see, hear or feel within the setting, as if they were exploring the setting for themselves. The groups then imagined that there was a sly fox hiding, watching Magpie from the shadows. The class shared words and phrases to describe the fox, including some fantastic similes. We collected all these words and phrases, ready to write our setting descriptions tomorrow.

We stepped into the forest and told our friends how it felt. I said I found it spooky and could hear the wind whistling through the trees. – Amelia

I could see the wind tearing through the forest like a tornado. – Charlie

I think the Fox has devious thoughts. – Arlo

I think there will be a smoky smell from the charred, burnt trees. - Brooke

 

Maths

During our multiplication unit, we have been focusing on the relationship between arrays and repeated addition. The class have been calculating the answers to 3 and 4 multiplication tables, using arrays. They did this by repeatedly adding in 3s and 4s. The children enjoyed using beadstrings to represent and calculate the repeated addition. These concrete number lines allowed the children to record their calculations on pictorial number lines in their books.

In maths, we have been learning our 3 and 4 times tables. We have used counters, arrays, beadstrings and number lines to help us. -  Lyric

 

Science

Year 3 have started their new unit in science and have been learning all about rocks. We explored our school environment to spot any materials we could see, made from rock. We sketched and labelled the items we spotted and touched them. We described how they felt and what they looked like using adjectives.

We did a rock hunt around school and looked for different types of rocks that we could see. Some have been used to build things and some have not. – Amelia

3B Autumn 2 Week 1 

English

We have been looking at clues this week to find out what our new book will be about. We explored vocabulary and objects to help create our own predictions. Year 3 guessed correctly that they thought the book will be about a fox. They then wrote their own simile poems about a fox and performed them to the class.

I liked being a clue detective, trying to discover what the book would be about. – Lyric

Art

Year 3 have sketched the Iron Man on to card, using Chris Mould’s illustrations as inspiration. They then shaded their characters to create definition and cut out each body part before connecting them back together using split pins. They then used knitting needles to control the movements of their characters. They used their dark, gloomy backgrounds to set the scene and performed a puppet show for their friends and present their artwork to others.

I enjoyed painting the background. I used dark colours like brown and dark blue to make the mountains dark and the sky look like nighttime, just like in the Iron Man book. – Archie

I liked it when I worked with a partner, using great teamwork to move the arms and the legs, at the same time during my puppet performance. – Kashana

 

Blackburn Rovers Anti Racism Workshop

We welcomed a visitor from Blackburn Rovers who spoke to Year 3 about bullying and racism. The children worked in groups to discuss their own feelings about these issues and shared them with the class. We learnt how we could be an ally and work towards preventing racism.

Something that I learnt is that I should tell a trusted adult if I witness anybody bullying or being racist to somebody else. – Isla

I liked writing about our emotions and our own experiences. – Charlie

 

Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, Year 3 have been learning about Serena Williams and her influence in our culture today. The class enjoyed learning facts about her successful tennis career and her charity work. They then created their own collages and poems about the inspirational black woman.

I liked writing a poem about her and I think all girls should be proud of Serena Williams. – Kashana

 

Maths 

Year 3 has started their new unit of multiplication. During our first lesson, we recapped our multiplication facts for the 10, 2 and 5 multiplication tables. We used concrete materials and lots of games and activities to consolidate our learning.

I liked using the unifix cubes to sort them into 3 groups of 2, it brings the calculation to life so we can see it right in front of us. – Charlie

I liked it when we stood up to count in tens. I like it when we move around in the lesson. – Crystal

3B Autumn 1 Week 7

Behaviour Treat

Year 3 could barely contain their excitement on Wednesday morning as we heard the inflatable assault course pumping up in the hall! They had so much fun racing each other and cheering on their friends! 

We have never been able to do this before, this is the best day ever! – Shaun  

Science  

As part of our science unit, focusing on nutrition, Year 3 made their own healthy balanced meals. Incorporating all the different food groups, they were able to make their own sandwiches and added crisps, fruit and vegetables to their plates. They were able to confidently name each food group and describe what nutrients they provide and how they help us.  

 

Eating healthy balanced meals helps you have energy all day for exercise, which also keeps you healthy. – Charlie  

Eating lots of nutrients helps you not to get ill. – Daniel  

Being healthy makes you strong and happy. – Grayson  

 

Geography

Before heading out the classroom, we looked at ariel photographs of our school using google earth and maps of the surrounding area. Year 3 then used their geographical skills to observe their local environment and plot the street names, classroom and school features on these photographs as they explored the outdoor area. They then created their own maps of the school and labelled what they had observed outside.  

 

 

I spotted the car park straight away, I know where I am going to draw that on my map – Jonny  

I have added the trim trial, shelter and red zone to my map, I know exactly where they will go! – Grayson  

 

Art

We have been creating moody, spooky settings for our Iron Man animations using watercolour paints. Year 3 first looked at some images from their setting descriptions in their English work and decided what they wanted their backgrounds to look like. They then sketched them and brought them to life by adding dark, dramatic colours.  

 

I love painting, it makes me feel calm. – Ivy  

I have used a dry brush after the wet on to blend the colours together. – Amelia 

I have used a thin and thick brush to create different lines and mixed my own blue colour so it’s very dark and creepy. – Arlo  

3B Autumn 1 Week 6 

Hello Yellow

We have been learning about Young Minds, a charity set up to promote good mental health for young people. We discussed the importance of talking about our own wellbeing and recognised how we can feel different emotions. Wearing yellow accessories on this day really brightened the mood around school. As part of an activity, we wrote all the wonderful things we love about each other on yellow post-It notes on each other’s backs and at the end we revealed all the amazing things people like about us!

I have really enjoyed doing the Hello Yellow games today. I liked writing on peoples back and keeping what I wrote a secret. – Isla

Seeing everybody wearing yellow makes me feel happy. – Kashana

It made me feel proud when I read all the things people thought about me! – Charlie

 

Gymnastics 

During our gymnastics lessons, Year 3 have been building strength in their arms and core as they work towards being able to do a cartwheel. They even had a competition to see who could keep their body weight off the bench for the longest. Charlie was our champion!

I am getting much better at balancing and I can almost do a forward roll now! - Shaun

I think I am getting stronger. I can balance and hold it for longer and I think I am going to be able to climb to the top of the rope soon. – Arlo

I wish we did gymnastics every day! – Harris

During the gymnastics club after school, Catherine had the idea of creating a formation, and I was chosen to balance on the top and catch somebody else's legs as they did a handstand. Mrs Livesy was really impressed when she saw us and we all got dojos! - Lyric 

 

Music 

Year 3 have been enjoying using the keyboards during their music lessons this week. The class learnt that a Drone is the easiest accompanying note played for a long time to play over harmonies. In pairs, the children experimented with different sounds, note lengths and even mixed their own melodies.

  

 

3B Autumn 1 Week 5 

English 

We received an exciting letter this week from the town mayor, asking for our help to trap the Iron Man. Year 3 have risen to the challenge and were very excited to design their own traps. After brainstorming ideas individually, the children worked in groups to come up with a design to present to other groups, acting as members of the council. The class came up with some amazing and imaginative ideas and explained how the features of their traps worked in detail, using some fantastic language!

It is so exciting that we have received a letter from the Mayor, that means the Iron Man must be real! – Layton

My design has two rockets to lift the Iron Man because he is so heavy! – Grayson

I enjoyed working as apart of a team and going into the hall to draw our designs, its fun to get to move around and stretch whilst working. – Charlie

 

Maths 

The children have been learning all about perimeter this week. They have used counting to calculate the perimeter of a polygon drawn on squared paper. They have been able to name 2D shapes, recognise the length of each square and then use the squares to decide what step size to count in, to work out the perimeter.

 

I have enjoyed learning all about perimeter this week. I like learning about different shapes. – Archie

I know that 10mm is equal to 1cm - Daniel

I have been improving in my maths lessons! – Arlo

 

Art 

During our Animation unit, Year 3 have been exploring the work of illustrator Chris Mould and had fun sketching their own Iron Man, inspired by his work.

   

My favourite part of my learning this week has been learning how to draw the Iron Man. I cant wait until next week when we are going to make his eyes move! – Brooke

3B Autumn 1 Week 4 

Maths 

Year 3 have started their new unit of work, length and perimeter. They had the chance to create 2D shapes on geoboards with right-angle and side properties. The class have also practised drawing 2D shapes using isometric paper.

I love maths! This has been my favourite lesson so far! I like it when we get to use the maths equipment! - Isla 

English 

We are in the writing stage of our English unit this week and the class have enjoyed writing their own Approaching Threat Narratives. Our classroom is full of exciting vocabulary, pictures to inspire us, and plenty of writing! We can't wait to finish our stories and put them on display in Base 3! 

I like using the purple polishing pens to edit my work. It helps me look for where I need to improve. - Lyric 

 

 

Gymnastics

Year 3 have enjoyed practising their gymnastics by completing a variety of balancing activities. The class is becoming much more confident with these movements and balances each week.

Achievements 

Grayson won the Achievement Award this week for working extremely hard in both English and Maths and becoming much more independent each week. 

Alice won the Values Award this week for demonstrating the value of ambition! She has shown great determination in her gymnastics lessons each week. 

3B Autumn 1 Week 3 

English

Year 3 have enjoyed acting in the role of the characters from The Iron Man. They worked in small groups to create freeze frames that displayed the moment that the Iron Man is first seen at the top of the cliff, looming down over the fields, showing their reactions to seeing the giant. The children described what the Iron Man looked like and how they were feeling about seeing him. As a class, we gathered ideas and wrote down words and phrases, ready for our character description.

               

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

I enjoyed acting out the roles because it’s always fun to play a different character and it helps you get into the mind of that character. – Paisley

I had fun spending some of the lesson outside and pretending to be Hogarth. – Charlie

 

Computing

Year 3 have enjoyed their computing lesson during Junior Jam this week. We have been learning the main elements of the drum, cymbal, snare and kick for our music production instrumentation.

I love school on Mondays, we have Junior Jam. It’s the best! – Charlie

I like the drumming sound. It reminds me of the infant school because we have heard something like that there. – Kashana  

 

Gymnastics

The class practised a sequence and even had a chance to test their strength by climbing the ropes.

     

Geography

In our Geography lessons, we looked at two maps of Blackburn. One was from 100 years ago and one is a present-day map. We looked for symbols we recognised and compared the two maps and spotted similarities and differences.

       

I enjoyed looking at the old and new maps of Blackburn and comparing them. – Jimmy

I liked that we got to spot the differences between the two maps of Blackburn and find the symbols on both. – Brooke

I liked finding places that I recognised and have visited on the Blackburn map. – Amelia

 

Achievements 

Jimmy won our achievement award this week for making great effort to contribute ideas during class discussions and is growing in confidence each week.

Brooke won our values award this week for demonstrating the value of friendship. She is always helpful and kind to others in class.

3B Autumn 1 Week 2 

This week we have been learning about democracy. We learnt about the different political parties in the UK and where our Prime Minister, Keir Starmer lives. We discussed how a ballot system works and even had a chance to practise this, as we voted for our Value Committee members. 

During our English lessons, the children discovered our class novel this term will be The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. We have been reading the story and collecting words and phrases we could use to describe the Iron Man. The class have written their own kenning poems, which were brilliant! 

During our immerse lessons, we were given many clues and I guessed the book was the Iron Man. But it's not the same Iron Man from Marvel! - Harris 

Year 3 had their first gymnastics lesson this week and loved it! The class worked on their balancing techniques and began to practise many gymnastic movements, such as straddle, pike, tuck and front support. The children began sequencing the movements together and even tried a log roll and forward roll! 

I love gymnastics! I am going to practise every week at home, so I can get even better! - Lyric

This week was our first Junior Jam Monday! During the music lesson, the class enjoyed using keyboards to create a tune. Year 3 learnt about scales, major scales and root notes. 

I didn't like it ...I loved it! - Charlie

As part of the computing lesson, Year 3 discussed different types of instruments, beats and producing music. They used the app GarageBand and encouraged and supported each other as they all took turns to create and listen to each other's beats. 

3B Autumn 1 Week 1

We have had an amazing first week in year 3! Both classes have settled in wonderfully and have been demonstrating our school values each day. We have been very impressed of how well the pupils have familiarised themselves with the new class routine.

In our English lessons this week, we have been writing recounts of our summer break. We looked at various recounts and identified the key features of this genre of writing. Year 3 planned and wrote their own recounts including all the wonderful memories they have made this summer!

This week, I have learnt that recounts must be in chronological order and written in the past tense. - Charlie

We wrote about what we got up to over the summer holidays in first person. I liked drawing pictures in my plan to remind me what to write about. – Kashana

During our Maths lessons, we have been practising our ten times tables. As you can see the class enjoyed getting up and active to practise these and remained excited and engaged.   

We have been learning our 10 times tables. I enjoyed getting to move around, I thought it was fun. – Sky

We have been working on Number and Place Value this week, focusing on exchanging 10 ones for 1 ten and exchanging 10 tens for 1 hundred. We have been exploring this using concrete materials. The class enjoyed working in pairs to consolidate their learning

I enjoyed using base tens and ones and playing a game with my partner. – Daniel

 

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In school we have undertaken an Anti-Racism week, an important initiative aimed at reinforcing our school values and addressing race equality within our diverse community. Year 3 have engaged in meaningful discussions and created their own posters.

We have been learning about racism and important people who can be celebrated during black history month and every month. – Amelia

We have made anti-racism posters and watched some videos about premier league footballers who said we should give racism the red card. – Carter

In school we have undertaken an Anti-Racism week, an important initiative aimed at reinforcing our school values and addressing race equality within our diverse community. Year 3 have engaged in meaningful discussions and created their own posters.

We have been learning about racism and important people who can be celebrated during black history month and every month. – Amelia

We have made anti-racism posters and watched some videos about premier league footballers who said we should give racism the red card. – Carter

                           

 

3S Autumn 2 Week 8

Our RE topic this term has been Christmas. We have been learning why Christmas is important to Christians and what it means to them. This week, we looked at different paintings of Jesus being born and talked about what they might mean and represent. 

         

 

“Christmas is a time for welcoming and giving.” - Adunola 
“I celebrate Christmas and I love spending time with my family for it.” - Eduard 

 

During DT, we have worked on researching and designing a Greek Salad. This week we got to make it. First we planned what we wanted our product to look like, then we used the skills we had learned in previous lesson to chop up the food we wanted to use before putting it all together. Lastly, we tasted and tried our food before evaluating it at the end. 

     

“I wouldn’t have peppers in mine next time.” - Sirraj 
“I quite liked it.” - Allanah 

 

On Tuesday 17th December, we performed our carol concert. We had been practicing really hard and had learnt a poem and some songs. All of our grown ups came to watch us perform after school. We had so much fun and it was lovely to show everyone what we had been working hard on! 

We also had our behaviour treat this week. For all our hard work and good behaviour, we got to take part in a Nerf War! It was so much fun and an amazing treat for the end of term. 

      

3S Autumn 2 Week 7

During Junior Jam in our Music lessons, we have been learning about composition. We got to make up our own melody from a set of notes and then play it on the keyboards or xylophones. We have also looked at harmonies and how they can change the way that music sounds. 

          

“I love being able to play my own music.” - Teddy 
“I really liked using the keyboard.” - Bryan 

 

In our Junior Jam sessions in Computing, we have been learning about instructions. We used the iPads to make a set of instructions and learnt about how different variables will change them. 

    

“Using the ipad makes writing instructions a lot easier.” - Khodi 

“It was interesting to see how my instructions would change.” - Natalia 

 

We got to have a lot of fun on Thursday as it was Christmas jumper day, Christmas dinner AND we got to go and see a pant-ivity at the Infant school. It was such a fun day and lovely to see our old teachers again! 

    

3S Autumn 2 Week 6

During English, we have learnt that there has been a significant debate about foxes in the UK, with some people feeling that they should be labelled as vermin. We spent some time to share their initial thoughts on this. We also discussed if we believe if foxes are dangerous to humans. We enjoyed creating a debate about these issues, taking turns to verbalise the facts they have learnt to support different sides of the argument.

 

     

“Some people think foxes are vicous but they are actually really intelligent.” - Rose
"Some people think foxes are pests and a nuisance." - Sirraj

 

We had an amazing time in Science this week. We were very lucky to have a rock and fossil workshop delivered by Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery. We got to dress up as Victorian detectives looking for and discovering fossils. We then got to make and colour our own Stegosaurus to take home. 

 

          

 

“I really liked dressing up as a Victorian.” - Alexa 

“I learnt so much about fossils." - Noah

 

On Monday 2nd December, we went to Blackburn Empire theatre to see a pantomime. This year it was Jack and the Beanstalk. The show was really good and we had lots of fun shouting back at the characters (even though some of us got sprayed with water or had cream put on our faces!). We can’t wait to go again next year! 

 

“I thought it was going to be scary but it was actually really fun.” - Nadia

3S Autumn 2 Week 5

We have been really enjoying our Science this term. We have been learning about different rocks and this week we got to experiment with them. We tested how hard different rocks were by using different methods of scratching and seeing if it left a mark. It has also inspired some of us to look closer at rocks we find outside. 

 

      

“It was really fun but scratching it with my fingernail felt weird.” - Hollie 

“I’ve picked up some rocks on the way home and I want to know which ones they are” - Ava 

 

In PE, we are practicing our throwing skills using different types of throwing. We also had a go at using as few jumps as possible to reach a goal as well as competing in relay races. 

       

“You have to make sure to high five the next person before they can run.” - Noah 

“You can throw underarm and overarm.” - Sirraj 

 

We are still focusing on Fox by Magaret Wild in English, but we are now beginning to explore writing an information report. We started this by going on a scavenger hunt for different descriptive words for a fox. We then discussed as a class what these words mean and whether they are a positive or negative description. 

             

“Cunning is another word for sly which is negative.” - Eduard 

“I learnt lots of different words that can describe a fox.” - Nadia 

3S Autumn 2 Week 4

During our DT lessons, we are learning about food from other countries. This week we learned that not all food is grown in our country but from all over. We explored where different fruits and vegetables are grown and added them to our own map. 

 

 

     

“I didn’t know how far away the food is grown.” - Bronagh 

“Broccoli is grown in the UK.” - Sirraj 

 

During Music with Junior Jam, we used keyboards and boom-whackers. It was great fun and we really enjoyed being creative. 

 

 

                      

 

“I really like playing with the boom-whackers!” -  Daniel B

“I look forward to playing music every week.” -  Kaima

In our French lessons, we have learnt our colours and animal names. We even did a quiz at the end to see how many we could remember. 

 

  

“I got all of them right!” -  Alexa

“I liked colouring in to show my colours in French.” -  Leen

 

3S Autumn 2 Week 3

This week in Maths we have started Multiplication. We learnt how to use multiplication squares which has helped us when doing multiplications that need partitioning into smaller numbers. This will then build into the grid method. 

     

 

“I really like using the muliplication squares.” - Ikhlas  

“This will help me learn my times tables.” - Ava 

 

Tuesday 12th November was Anti-bullying day. We got to come to school in odd sock to show that everyone is different. We focused on what respect means to us and how we can show this around school. We then drew spider diagrams and filled them with words and drawing of how to show respect to one another. 

   

 

“You should treat people how you want to be treated.” - Abi 

“If you are mean to someone then they might be mean back so you should be nice to everyone.” - Eduard 

 

Friday 15th November was Children in Need Day. We were allowed to come into school in non-uniform but specifically wearing yellow or wearing spots. Everyone looked amazing! 

     

 

"I thought everyonw looked really lovely!" - Hollie
"My whole outfit was yellow." - Noah

3S Autumn 2 Week 2

Our new topic in Science this term is Rocks. We talked about what properties rocks can have before going outside to find as many things made from rocks as we could find. We then drew these and used adjectives to describe the type of rocks that were used to make those things. 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

“The rock-climbing wall is made of wood, but the holds are rock.” - Bryan 

“The school is made from brick which is rock.” - Noah 

 

During PE, we have started practicing our throwing. We learnt how to throw over-arm and used this skill to throw as far as possible but also accurately into hoops to try and score points. 

 

    

“I threw my beanbag really far!” - Allannah 

“I didn’t want to miss the furthest hoop so I played it safe and scored 2 points in the middle hoop.” - Sirraj

 

In History, we are looking at the Stone Age. We explored pictures of caves where Stone Age people lived and looked at the cave paintings. This included drawings as well as handprints left on the cave walls. We then got to design and draw our own.  

 

     

“I wonder what they used to paint on the walls.” - Issac 

“The handprints look really cool.” - Adara 

3S Autumn 2 Week 1 

We have started a new book this week in English. We don’t know what it is yet but have been given some clues and made some predictions. We saw some words and pictures that are used in the book to help us guess what our book might be about. We shared our ideas on post-it notes around the words and pictures. 

 

     

 

“I think the eyes look like a wolf.” - Issac 

“Deceit means telling lies.” - Daniel B 

 

In Maths, we consolidated our learning from before half-term. This included using the column method for addition and subtraction. We revisited how to know when we need to exchange and how to show that in our working. 

 

   

“You always start with the ones column.” - Sirraj 

“We exchange one 10 for ten 1s.” - Adunola 

 

On Wednesday 30th October, we completed some work about anti-racism. We had a workshop delivered to us by Blackburn Rovers about racism and the experiences that some footballers have had. We were shown that we shouldn’t judge people by how they look and we should be kind to everyone no matter their skin colour or religion. 

 

       

“Some of the pictures were the same person and we didn’t know. It showed that we shouldn’t judge people for how they look.” - Eduard 

“If someone was mean to me it would make me feel emotional.” - Teddy 

 

During October, we have learnt about Black History Month. We have been shown lots of different influential black people to understand why we celebrate them and their work during October. 
As part of this, we learnt about Serena and Venus Williams. We made collages and wrote poems about their lives and achievements in tennis. 

 

   

“They are very talented sisters!” - Nadia 

“They have won lots of medals and trophies!” - Noah 

 

3S Autumn 1 Week 7

Our final Geography lesson was completing our fieldwork. We went outside to look at the playground and surrounding areas. We then used this time outside to help us draw our own maps of our playground and school. We found out what street we are on and discovered all the different parts of our school. 

 

           

 

“I didn’t know we had a car park!” - Issac 
“I could see all the equipment on the playground.” - Abi 

 

In Science, we have been learning about nutrition and how to make a balanced meal. This week, we had lots of yummy food to choose from to show what a balanced meal can look like. We also got to eat it!

 

            

 

“The ham in my meal is the protein.” - Hollie 
“The grapes and tomatoes are fruits and vegetables.” - Allanah 

 

In PSHE, we pretended that a new student was about to start in our class. We discussed how it would feel to be new and what we could do to make them feel welcome. We then designed a card in our books that would welcome a new student into our class. 

 

 

      

 

“I would be scared if I had to start a new class.” - Whitney 

“I would want to feel welcome in a new class.” - Sirraj 

 

3S have now finished their first half term in the Juniors and I am so proud of them for all their hard work. I hope everyone has plenty of rest over the half term! 

 

3S Autumn 1 Week 6

In French this week, we learnt how to ask and answer the question “Where are you from?” 

 

        

 

“I really enjoy the songs in French.” - Eduard 
"It's fun learning a new language." - Ava

 

On Thursday 10th October, we celebrated World Mental Health day. We were allowed to come into school wearing yellow to spread some happiness. We also used post-it notes and wrote nice things about our friends on their backs. It was a nice surprise when we got to read them! 

 

       

 

“It was nice to see the lovely things people thought of me.” - Nadia 
“My friends are very kind.” - Bryan 

 

We have also been doing some Iron Man work in Art. We drew our own Iron Man but his eyes could change colours! This is part of our animation unit. 

        
“Mine changed from red to green.” - Allanah 
“Mine had 3 different coloured eyes.” - Natalia 

3S Autumn 1 Week 5

In Computing, we used Ipads to make a song. We put together all the different sounds to create our own music. 

 

              

“I really enjoy making music on the Ipads.” - Daniel 
“I had so much fun!” - Bailey 

 

In Geography, we discussed why a population might increase or decrease. We acted out each scenario to show how this will change a population. These included more/less jobs, having children/not having children and illnesses/good healthcare. 

 

 

         

“Population would decrease if there was a war.” - Issac 
“People might move to somewhere safer if there was an earthquake.” - Rose 

 

In English, we have been designing a trap that could be used to catch the Iron Man. We acted out how our traps would work and what would happen to the Iron Man when he got trapped. 

 

 

          

“The Iron Man wouldn’t be able to escape my trap.” - Natalia 
“My trap would use quicksand so then the Iron Man can’t get out.” - Adara 

3S Autumn 1 Week 4

This week in Maths, we have been looking at adding and subtracting 2-digit numbers together. We did this by splitting one of the numbers into 10s and 1s, adding the 10s first and then adding the 1s. We used a number line to help our learning. 

 

        

“This made it easier for me to add and subtract bigger numbers.” - Noah 

“This was easier than counting on my fingers.” - Nadia 

 

In Science, our topic this term is Animals including humans, with a focus on nutrition. We have explored the main food groups and how each nutrient helps our body. We have also identified which foods belong to each food group. 

 

 

                   

“Sweet things taste really good, but you shouldn’t have a lot of them.” - Hollie 

 

In Art, our topic is making animated drawings. This week, we looked at animation made by Andrew Fox and Steve Kirby and we drew our own versions of the animals that they used. We then drew our own version of the Iron Man from a video by the Illustrator, Chris Mould. 

 

 

              

 

 

“I thought the crab was really funny.” - Eduard 

“The stag looked beautiful.” - Aadiya 

3S Autumn 1 Week 3

In our PE lessons this week, we continued our gymnastics. Last week, we started by learning some gymnastics movements such as the pike, straddle and tuck. This week, we practised those skills again and moved onto climbing up the ropes! 

 

                    

“We had to do log rolls which was rolling without our head or legs touching the ground.” - Issac 

“I got all the way to the top!” - Sirraj 

 

In RE, we have been learning about the harvest festival. We talked about what we think it is and why it is an important celebration for some people. We discussed the foods that we are grateful for. 

 

“Harvest is giving thanks for our food.” - Adunola 

“I am grateful for the food that God gives us.” - Bryan 

 

In English, we have continued our Iron Man story. We went outside and pretended we could see the Iron Man on a cliff, like it says in the story. We later discussed what it would be like to be our main character Hogarth and how we would feel if we saw the mysterious figure standing on a cliff. 

 

             

“I would be curious if I saw the Iron Man.” - Issac 

“I would wonder if he was nice or mean.” - Nadia 

3S Autumn 1 Week 2

In our English lessons this week, we were given clues about our class story. We have then been predicting what we think it will be about. We looked at different pictures from the book and wrote our predictions. Later in the week, we found out that the book is The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. We used words and phrases that describe the Iron Man to write our own Kenning poems.

I found the pictures strange because I didn’t know what the story was going to be. – Rose 

I thought the pictures looked like the olden days. - Allanah 

         

In Geography, we have been looking at different types of maps. We found out about the counties of England and that we live in the county of Lancashire. We learnt how to use an Atlas and a compass to find lots of different places, including where our school is. 

This week, we learnt about all different types of maps. – Adara 

I learnt how to remember the directions on a compass. - Hollie 

         

During our first French lesson, we learnt how to introduce ourselves. We also learnt our numbers by playing a game. 

I liked learning greetings and my numbers. – Leen 

We counted in French using a song. – Adara 

The song uses French and then in English, so you understand what it means. - Eduard 

3S Autumn 1 Week 1  

We have had an amazing first week in year 3! Both classes have settled in wonderfully and have been demonstrating our school values each day. We have been very impressed with how well the pupils have familiarised themselves with the new class routine.   

In our English lessons this week, we have been writing recounts of our summer break. We looked at various recounts and identified the key features of this genre of writing. Year 3 planned and wrote their own recounts including all the wonderful memories they have made this summer! 

I learnt that recounts are in the past tense. - Adunola 

An introduction always goes at the beginning. - Aadiya 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During our Maths lessons, we have been practising our ten times tables. We have also been working on Number and Place Value this week, focusing on exchanging 10 ones for 1 ten and exchanging 10 tens for 1 hundred. We have been exploring this using concrete materials. The class enjoyed working in pairs to consolidate their learning. 

In school we have undertaken an Anti-Racism week, an important initiative aimed at reinforcing our school values and addressing race equality within our diverse community. Year 3 have engaged in meaningful discussions about how we can treat everybody fairly. 

I will help people when they are sad. - Daniel I 

I will tell the teacher if someone is being mean. - Issac