Year 2 Curriculum Newsletter Autumn Term 2007

LITERACY

We will be looking at fiction and a variety of poems with familiar settings. We will also be focussing on the author Martin Waddell. We will be sequencing events in the stories and paying particular attention to punctuation. Later on in the term the focus will be on non-fiction and writing instructions.

NUMERACY

We will be describing simple number sequences and counting on and back in tens. We will learn what each digit in a two digit number represents and use the knowledge that addition can be done in any order. We will be estimating, measuring and comparing lengths using standard units. We will be learning the multiplication facts for the two and ten times tables and will use multiplication as repeated addition. We will learn the names for common 2D and 3D shapes.

SCIENCE

We will be looking at grouping and changing materials. We will be identifying materials and describing what happens when certain materials are heated and cooled. After half term we will be learning about electricity. We will identify common appliances which use electricity and will look at the dangers associated with mains electricity. We will also be constructing and drawing an electrical circuit.

ART

We will be focussing on drawing and sketching and will be using simple view finders and a variety of sketching pencils.

DT

We will be exploring ways of making a finger puppet which will involve simple joining and finishing techniques.

HISTORY

We will be learning about The Great Fire of London and Samuel Pepys. We will look at the causes of the fire and its effects. We will also look at the ways in which the events were recorded.

GEOGRAPHY

We will look at life on the Isle of Struay and compare it to life where we live. We will use the internet and the Katie Morag books to learn about the island.

MUSIC

We will be looking at pitch this term. We will learn to control the pitch of voices and instruments. We will also be creating simple melodic patterns.

PE

We will be focussing on the skills of throwing and catching. We will learn simple team games involving throwing and catching.

ICT

We will be using a computer graphics package to create pictures.

PSHE

Our topic for this term is relationships. We will be looking at special people in our lives and what makes a special relationship.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

We will be learning Spanish and concentrating on counting, introductions and simple vocabulary.

RE

We will be following the ‘Here I Am’ RE scheme as recommended by the archdiocese of Liverpool. We will be looking at three topics this term:

Homes and Families

We will be looking at ways in which homes and families are different. The children will learn about the uniqueness of each family. We will learn about God loving everyone like parents love their children and about the church’s teaching about God as father and mother of every family. Finally we will celebrate what we have learned.

Signs and symbols

We will look at how we use signs and symbols in our lives and learn about the symbols experienced at Baptism and their importance. We will learn the difference between signs and symbols and will finally celebrate what we have learned.

Visitors

We will look at the different ways of preparing to welcome a visitor and how these preparations show love and care. We will learn about preparations made during the four weeks of Advent to welcome Jesus at Christmas. We will learn about how the Christmas stories speak of the coming of Jesus and of many visits and visitors. Finally, we will celebrate what we have learned.

You may like to visit the library or use the internet to support your child’s learning.

The BBC education website is also a useful resource for all curriculum areas.