3AH

Welcome to our class webpage where you can find out about our amazing learning journey. You will find information about our activities, examples of our work and comments from us! Please visit often to see our learning journey develop. 

Useful Class Information

We have indoor P.E on a Monday and outdoor P.E on a Wednesday - please ensure your child comes to school in their PE kit on these days. 

We now have our own class e-mail! Please fill in the form below to send us your comments and feedback. We are really excited to see what you think of all of our hard work and we will be checking our e-mail regularly! Thanks, 3AH

Term 6

Throughout Term 6, we will be carrying out a number of mini science enquiries.

To begin the Term, Year 3 will be doing a short enquiry investigating magnets. We will look at the properties of magnets and end up creating our own magnetic puppet show with moving characters.

During our rocks enquiry, we will be exploring different types of rocks, their texture and appearance, and how they have been formed and changed over millions of years, from the time that dinosaurs walked the planet. We will also be looking at how history has been preserved in the form of fossils.

Finally, in science we will also be looking at what plants need in order to survive and be healthy. We will be learning about the different parts of a plant and their functions. This will involve us planting our own sunflowers and each class will collectively plant a vegetable and observe what happens as it grows.

Alongside these mini science enquiries, in English, we will be reading the Spiderwick Chronicles and focusing on writing instructions, recounts and a narrative.

Woofty Day

Today we all came to school dressed as either a cat or a dog, the reason was to raise money for Bristol Dogs and Cats Home. Everyone looked amazing in their different costumes. Throughout the day we had cat and dog related activities- drwaing, quiz, mask making as well as the dog agility course- it was a little warm but we did have lots of fun!

Have a look below at a small sample of pictures covering the day.

Challenge!

To conclude our enquiry on plants, in small groups working collaboratively, we had to create a concept cartoon answering "How do plants survive?" In order to do this, we used our knowledge of how plants survive and also addressed some misconceptions that people may think.

Below are some examples!

WOW

Olympic Week

Road Safety 

Challenge

As the challenge for our forces enquiry, we created our own magnetic puppet shows using small magnets and their magnetic force to move our characters around. Working in small teams, we designed a setting and several characters, along with a script in order to perform the puppet show in front of the class.

Have a look below at some of the shows!

Using adverbs

We have looked at how adverbs can be used to develop the image for the reader. It was important to select the correct adverb to describe the verb being used. We used the text to help us write paragraphs describing different parts of the story.

We were also challenged to write using another of our targets this term, complex sentences. Have a look at some examples below.

Exploring magnets

We all had a fantastic time exploring how magnets work. In partners, we looked for items in the classroom that were attracted to our magnet and looked to see what material it was made from. It wasn’t long before realised that most metal objects were attracted to the magnet.  

Term 5

To finish the exciting enquiry, we worked collaboratively in small groups to design and make a castle that demonstrates different aspects of defence that has developed over the years. We used lots of junk and examples of Motte and Bailey, Stone Keep and Concentric Castles to help us make them.

Firstly we designed, then made and finally painted our models.

Have a look below at a few of the final creations and the making process.

After several weeks of developing the skills needed to write character and setting descriptions, descriptive phrases and the steps to success for an interesting adventure story, we have spent this week  writing our fantastic stories. Across the week we have split our stories into sections to ensure that we don't rush and include as much detail as possible. We are all very proud of our work and have loved learning all about Edward Tulane and his adventure. 

Have a read of some of our extracts below.

As part of our computing this term we used a program to produce a timeline of our own based on castle research. We had to add a date, a title and a short description to each part of our timeline. The program was quite straightforward to use and the finished results were really good. 

Have a look below at a few examples:

Research

We have been developing our computing skills by conducting research on the three main castle types- motte and bailey, stone keep castles and concentric castles. We learned how to effectively make a search using a safe search site- swiggle. 

We learned that what phrase you use to search with result in millions of hits, it is important to think about key words and trying to be as precise as possible. 

Fronted adverbials

In order to improve our writing further we wrote a setting description of the dump that Edward found himself on. We learnt that by using a fronted adverbial it develops the description further by adding extra detail and we avoid repeating sentence openers such as 'There is....' 

Fronted adverbials also help the reader picture where, when or how an event is happening. They really help to develop our writing and make it more interesting to read.

Reasoning

Today we continued with our reasoning skills by playing a game involving rolling dice. The aim of the first game was to make the biggest  four digit number that you could. We reasoned with our partner about where the best place to add the number was, we weren't allowed to move it once we had made our decision!

We then went on to find the smallest number and then to get nearest to a target number of 4500. 

Geometry with flags

We used our knowledge of 2d shapes, right angles, parallel and perpendicular lines and symmetry to identify these features on a selection of well know flags. We used different colours to highlight these geometric terms.

Year 3 Athletics

Today we practised some of our athletics skills with the help of Year 5 and the Schools Sport Partnership. We practised jumping, running, throwing, balancing and aim. Everyone had a great time.

It would fantastic to find someone who could go to the 2024 Olympics!

Our new enquiry 'How did castle defence develop over time?' will involve learning about the three main types of castle- motte and bailey, stone keep and concentric. We will be looking at the advantages and disadvantages of each design and learn about how and why castle design developed and changed over time.

At the end of the enquiry the children will design and build their own castle that will reflect the different and varied defensive aspects that a castle should have. This will be completed in small groups with the end designs being displayed. 

WOW at Cardiff Castle

It may have taken a while to get to Cardiff but it was well worth it! Our new enquiry is about how castle defence developed over time.  

We had a fantastic tour of the main, newer castle. This involved some amazing rooms, there were many 'wows' from the children as they moved from room to room.

We even got to have lunch outside!

We also had a session in the education room which involved trying on replica helmets, chain mail and handling some weapons. This was a great session as we all saw how armour changed during the Norman times.

Finally, we took a steep climb up to the top of the Norman stone keep. It was amazing to view the whole castle complex from on high. You could also see the Welsh national rugby stadium in the distance!

Term 4

Challenge:

Making a food dish including a range of food groups

To finish off our enquiry about where food comes from we worked collaboratively to create a food dish. We had to make sure we included a range of the different food groups that we have been learning about. First of all we planned the dish before making it on paper plates with some different materials. We used felt, paper and glossy paper in some cases.

We then wrote an explanation about the different food groups and said which of our ingredients belonged to which food group.

Some examples of our amazing work are below!

Capacity

This week we have been learning about capacity and the units of measurement that we use to measure the capacity of an object. We went outside to measure different amounts of water. Before we started we had to find the interval that our container went up in, we also used some syringes to see what 1 ml was like.

Reasoning

The end of the week we all developed our maths reasoning skills. We wanted to find the answer initially but learnt that it is how we got there that was the important thing. We used lots of sentence starters to help us...I think this because.....  If this is true....  This can't work because.....  We all worked with our learning partners to develop our skills.

Story Mapping

As we come towards the end of our writing focus this term we created story maps for the book 'Gregory Cool'. We orally rehearsed the story with our learning partners before we drew small pictures to show the different stages of the story. We will use them next week to write our recounts.

Where does food come from?

This term we will be looking at where food comes from. This will involve us exploring all of the different ways food is produced or grown and how the food gets to the tables we eat from! Throughout the enquiry, we will also be looking at different countries in the world and where these are in relation to where we live, whilst looking at what foods are grown in those countries.

WOW

For our WOW, we all tried a range of new, different and exciting foods! Some of these were bread, tuna, mango, pineapple, pomegranate, cheese and lots more! We found a range of them delicious and were surprised about how they tasted. Some of us thought that we wouldn't like a few of them but were amazed when we actually ate some of the new foods.  Throughout the afternoon, we discussed where we thought these foods might have come from.

Book week

Story Teller

Today we welcomed Martin Maudsley to Year 3. He told us a range of stories set in a haunted house and a forest. He also used his ukulele to support his story telling- we were all really enthralled by his stories. We also found out what ukulele meant- small flea, not 'you cool lady' as Ellie thought!

World Book Day 2016

Today we all dressed up as dragons, knights, princes and princesses. We looked wonderful in our costumes. Agent Green from DCHQ- Dragon Conservation HQ worked with the whole school throughout the day. In year 3 we learnt how to care for a dragon egg and a new hatchling.

During the day we started off our class dragonology- a book all about dragons. We started to write a set of instructions on how to care for an egg and a new born dragon. We included some top tips- if dragons eat too many green vegetables they fill up with gas, oven gloves are very helpful when handling a freshly laid egg.  

Dragonology

Here are just a few of our pages for our class Dragonology. Everyone wrote a set of instructions as well as drawing a picture of their dragon. 

Term 3

Challenge!

This term our challenge was to create a documentary about what the Ancient Egyptians believed. We worked in groups to produce a documentary full of facts that we have learnt during the term. When we were filming the documentaries, we used 'green screening' to make it look as though we were actually in Egypt! We were all very excited and impressed....especially Mr Hamlen!

Class 3AH assembly

On Thursday we shared our learning this term with the whole school and many members of our families. We had a guest appearance from Tutankhmun, Howard Carter, Lord Cararvon and a Pharaoh. We shared instructions on how to make a cup of tea, how to mummify a dead body as well as some imperative verbs, sand pictures and the odd joke at the expense of Mr Hamlen!

Well done 3AH!

Sand art pictures

We learnt about where Egypt is, we looked into what the weather might be like there and the different kind of landscapes that we might have seen during Ancient Egypt times. Using sand, paints and our very beautiful sketches, we have created sand pictures that show an Ancient Egyptian landscape.

Fractions

We have been looking at fractions this week and the key language that should be used when learning about fractions. These are: whole, part. unit fractions, non unit fractions, numerator, denominator and ordering. We used items around the classroom to practically identify different parts of the whole.

WOW

As part of our WOW to introduce our enquiry based on the Ancient Egyptians, we all dressed up as a range of people that would have been seen during this time. We had a range of Pharoahs and explorers. and even Cleopatra!

We were very lucky to have an Egyptologist visit us to teach us all about the Ancient Epyptians! She remained with us throughout the day and helped us learn about this exciting new enquiry.

Chinese dumplings

This week we made Chinese dumplings with Miss Li. She prepared the dough and the mixture which contained spring onions, mushroom, soya sauce and grated ginger. First we had to roll out the dough and cut it into small lumps. Next we carefully used the palm of our hands to press down each lump to create a flat disc. Once we had placed some filling into the centre of the dough we had to pinch the edges together to form a little parcel.

Once they had been cooked we were able to taste them, it is fair to say that many of us were quite surprised about how great they were.

Thank you Miss Li

Headings and subheadings

Today we were developing our learning about writing instructions by looking at headings and subheadings. We had to sort different parts of instructions and give them an appropriate heading and subheading. They ranged from how to wash your car to how to bake a cake!

Term 2

Where is your place between?

This term our enquiry will be based around the story of Leon and the Place Between by Angela McAllister. In the story the main character, Leon, goes on an imaginary adventure full of mystery and wonder! For their challenge, the children will be writing their own adventure story set in an imaginary world. 

Challenge: Our Own Imaginary Stories

As part of our challenge we wrote our own imaginary stories based on Leon and the Place Between. We kept most of the story the same and then innovated our own place between and character. We based the place between on the ones we made during the term. We really enjoyed writing our stories and even turned them into books with their own front covers and illustrations! 

Story Front Covers

As part of our challenge, we made our own front covers for our stories. We had to think carefully about where we put the title and how clear it was. it was also great to get to write our own names as the authors of the book!

Fronted Adverbials

We have been learning how to use fronted adverbials in our writing to make it more interesting for the reader. They go at the start of a sentence to show where, when or how something is happening. Have a look at some examples below.

Mandarin Learning

On Monday afternoon Miss Lee joins us for a Mandarin lesson. We have looked at how to greet the teacher in Mandarin, begin a lesson and say good bye. We have also played games to help us remember the correct pronunciation. We are all really keen to learn this new language.

Freeze framing

We have been continuing our learning using the story 'Leon and the place between'. We picked different parts of the story and in small groups created a freeze frame that reflected that part of the story. We also had to think about how the characters were feeling and what emotion we could show on our faces.

Term 1

How are shadows formed?

On the last two days of term we conducted a mini investigation. We looked at how shadows are formed and used this information to create a shadow pupet show. Shadows are made when light is blocked by an opaque object, we also learnt that light travels in straight lines.

Have a look at some of our puppet shows below.

Robbie said 'We can see because light travels in straight lines'

Ben said 'A shadow is formed when the light source is blocked'

'If you look into the sun it will damage your eyes', Evie explained.

Ellie said 'If an object is opaque it will block the light'

Autumn Poetry

During weeks 6 and 7, we began to learn about poetry. We learnt about alliteration, similes and onomatopoeia. We then wrote our own autumn poems using all of these figurative devices! Have a look at some of our poems below.

In order to answer out enquiry question, we created posters to present the information that we have learned. We did this in small groups and took time to plan and decide how to present the facts. 

Autumn walk- what did we find?

As part of our new writing topic- autumn poetry, we went outside, despite the rain, and observed what was happening. We then returned to the classroom to share what we saw. We then started looking at alliteration- 'ten tall trees', 'slippery, slimy snakes'.

Don't Gossip - Our Value of Trust

In collective worship we have been think about our value of trust. We thought about how this linked to friendship and then made some posters about not gossiping about our friends. There are 4 things we need to think about; is it true?, is it about me?, is it kind? and is it helpful?

Below are some of our posters.

Writing compound sentences

Today in our writing session we looked at how to join two simple sentences together by using but, and and so. We started off by looking at sentences from the story 'Leon and Bob'. We then put some of these simple sentences together to create a compound sentence using and, but or so. 

• Wow!

  To start our enquiry we examined some x-rays of different bones. As scientists, we looked at each of these and tried to determine where they are located on the body and their names. Some we easier than others!

   

  Here are some of our thoughts about where we thought each bone belongs on the human body.

  Ben said 'Bones help you move, in adults there are 206 bones'

  Belle and Dylan said 'This is your chest bone'  (Rib cage)

  Lots of us were able to say that the skull protects your brain and that the spine is your back. The spine also helps us to sit up properly!

We also wrote a class prayer based around responsibility. We all contributed with our ideas and suggestions.

Dear God,

Thank you for our families who are responsible for us and keep us safe.

We are sorry for the times that we don’t do our chores, or forget when we need to look after our pets.

Sorry for the times that we have not done the responsible thing or making the right choice.

Please help us to take care of our pets, friends and brothers and sisters.

Thank you God