Year 2 - Term 4

​This term our unit of inquiry is ‘Transport systems are created to meet our needs’. We will be following different lines of inquiry to help us discover:

• Which materials have properties suitable for different modes of transport?
• How has transport changed and which significant individuals have influenced this?
• Looking at Monet’s transport paintings, which techniques did he use in his art?

We are going to find out when different modes of transport were invented and whilst doing so find out about the significant individuals who invented them. We will inquire about the roles these modes of transport played in significant historical events. When finding out how transport has changed, we will be learning about how the first aeroplane flight changed history and who the Wright Brothers are. By working scientifically, we are going to investigate different materials and their properties, including if they can be squashed, squeezed and twisted.  We will use our findings to understand why different types of transport are made out of the materials they are. This term in art, we will be studying the work of Claude Monet and will be using the techniques he used to create our very own transport themed paintings. 

In English, we will be reading ‘Lost and Found’ by Oliver Jeffers.  After reading the book in parts, we will use role play and hot seating to help us to understand the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the book.  After story mapping and retelling the story using actions, we will be adapting the story to create our very own version of ‘Lost and Found’ by changing the animal who knocks on the boy’s door, their journey home and where they come from.  Throughout the term we will also be looking at and reading other texts by Oliver Jeffers, as well as studying ‘Mrs Armitage on Wheels’ by Quentin Blake.

​In maths, for the first part of this term, we will be developing our understanding of shape.  We will begin by naming and recognising the features of both 2D and 3D shapes.  We will use our knowledge of 2D shapes to help us to describe the faces of 3D shapes, including their edges and vertices.  We will explore different ways to sort both 2D and 3D shapes and will be creating patterns with them also.  As well as this, we will learn about symmetry, what it is and how to identify both horizontal and vertical lines of symmetry in 2D shapes.   Further on in the term, we will learn about fractions.  We will begin by dividing into equal groups before recognising half and finding half of an amount.  We will also learn how to write, recognise and find ¼, 1/3 and ¾ of shapes and an amount of objects.  When the children are secure in their understanding of fractions, we will explore equivalent fractions and will count in fractions also (for example, 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 1, 1 and 1/4, 1 and 2/4, 1 and3/4, 2).