Maths: perimeter

In class we tried an interactive activity where we watched an ant crawl around the outside of a regular shape. The ant stopped part of the way round, and we had to estimate the perimeter of the shape. We became very good at it. At home, please do Abacus SDM page 15, questions 1 to 10 only. Do not do the area part, or the Explore. Enjoy doing your homework. Remember perimeter is measured in centimetres (cm).

Topic: migration

We began our lesson with a game of hangman, and we learned the word migration. 4H are too clever; they always beat me and I never manage to draw the whole hangman! Anyway, we learned that birds and other animals can travel thousands of kilometres; further than we travel when we go on holiday. They take many months to do this. It is called migration. The animals have very clever ways of knowing which direction to go, rather like a modern jet aircraft. If you want to try the online migration activity, click here.

Literacy: answering comprehension questions

We looked at our answers to last night's homework. We put all our answers together and came up with the ones on the board above. We had another interesting discussion about why the instructions need numbers. It certainly isn't to help us put them in sequence, because they would still be in sequence even if we covered the numbers. The numbers help us remember where we have reached in the list, if we have to go away from the list and then come back. We would do this if we were following the instructions for real.

Literacy: instructions comprehension

We read a set of instructions for making cheese on toast. We answered some questions about the instructions. My answers (except number 5, which was a different kind of question) are on the board. Why do instructions have numbers? At first we thought that the numbers helped us do the steps in the right order, but we soon realised that was not the answer. Even if the numbers were erased, we could still see the order of the steps. After thinking carefully, we hit upon the real answer. If we have to keep looking away from the list, and coming back to it, the numbers help us quickly find where we were up to, without having to count from the top of the list.

At home please do the sheet about washing your hands. Enjoy doing your homework, and think carefully about your answers.

Maths: measuring perimeter

After checking our measurement homework - which had been done very well by all those who listened carefully - we moved on to look at the perimeter of flat shapes. The perimeter means the distance all the way round the outside of the shape. If we were a tiny ant, we could start at one corner and crawl all the way along each side, back to the corner where we started. The distance we have crawled is the perimeter.

Finally we drew rectangles that had a perimeter of 20cm. We found five ways to do it using whole centimetres. Have fun explaining to your family why the green one is still a rectangle, even though it is also a square!

Maths: metres and centimetres

We looked again at estimating length. We chose the most sensible estimates for different lengths. After that we thought about what measuring tools we would use to measure small things and larger things.

We thought of a list of objects that could be measured in centimetres, and another list that could be measured in metres. Metres are used for larger objects.

At home please do the measuring sheet I gave you for homework. Measure the straight lines with your ruler. For the two bendy lines, you will need to use a piece of string, and then measure the string using your ruler. Have fun doing your homework.

Literacy: writing directions

Those of us who followed the homework directions carefully found that the party in Venice was at the Palace of the Swan. In class today we started to write another set of directions, to get from the Palace of the Swan to the Railway Station, visiting Rialto Bridge on the way. One possible set of directions can be found on the board above. Click to enlarge. Can you find other ways of getting to the same places?

Literacy: following directions

Today we finished our set of directions to get to the tuck shop. After that we looked at a map of the city of Venice (see below) where they have canals instead of streets. We started to follow the directions to the party (see above) but we did not have time to finish. At home, can you follow the directions all the way to the end, and find the party? Tomorrow we will see if we have found the right answer.

Maths: metres and centimetres

First we looked at our homework from yesterday. We were all able to match the correct measurements. Now we need to make sure we remember them, because they will be very useful to us all the way through school.

After that we had some experience of estimating measurements. Estimating does NOT mean guessing! Guesses are not based on anything. When we estimate, we use what we already know, and we think carefully. We estimated well today. Finally we looked at three different ways of writing the same measurements. You can see the ways on the board above. Click to enlarge, as usual. The decimals are easy because they all follow a pattern. Mo is the hardest, but the pattern is still the same.

Maths: measuring length

Today we revised metres and centimetres, which we already knew about from our Year 3 work. We used paper strips 25cm long (a quarter of a metre) to measure various objects around the classroom. We found that some were longer than a quarter of a metre, and some shorter.

At home please do the bottom part of page 91 (question 3). Write the lengths that are equal next to each other. You should have four pairs of answers.

Literacy: comprehension and writing directions

First we looked at our answers to the homework comprehension about bees. We had an interesting discussion about why the workers feed the queen bee. As the text says, the queen bee does not leave the hive. The workers leave the hive, come back and feed the queen. When looking for an answer we must find the best answer we can.

We had to read carefully to fit the right words into the blank spaces. Only one answer was possible for each blank space, without changing any of the other words in the sentences.

After that we began work on a set of directions for getting from our classroom to the tuck shop. We have yet to complete the shared writing activity. We will do so tomorrow, all being well.

Topic: adaptation

Today we looked at adaptation. That means special features of an animal's body to help it live in its habitat. An animal's habitat is where it lives. Camels are adapted to life in the desert. You can find the camel adaptation song here.

Literacy: story writing and comprehension

In class today we wrote a story, to check up on our story-writing skills. Don't worry if you were absent today. You can catch up when you come back to school.

For homework we took an easy comprehension exercise about bees. You can find it on pages 4 and 5 of the textbook I gave you. In your literacy book, do sections A and B at the top of the page, and just section A at the bottom. (Don't do section B at the bottom.) Enjoy doing your homework.

Maths: practising our subtraction skills

At the end of our week's work on subtraction, we practised on some larger numbers. We thought of two numbers that used the same three digits. I chose 3, 2 and 7. Then we subtracted the smaller number from the larger one. We noticed that the digits of the answer always add up to a number in the 9x table. Try it for yourself at home!

Maths: subtraction

Today's maths homework is sheet 22. First, take away 7p from the price of each of the plants at the top of the sheet. Remember to put p in your answers as they are money.

In question 2, you need to write the answer in the Number left box. Then you write the whole sum, with the answer, in the Subtraction story box. The first one has been done for you, so you can follow the example.

In question 3, fill in the missing numbers. Remember the way I showed you. Write an easy subtraction, like 3 - 2 = 1. Then cover up whichever number is missing, and see how to get it back using the other two numbers.

Science: keeping an ice cube

Before second break we set up an experiment. You can see what we used, what we did and what we found out on the board above. Click to enlarge. The bubble wrap is a good insulator. That means it keeps the heat out of the ice cube, so it melts more slowly. Bubble wrap is a good insulator because it has air trapped inside it.

Literacy: improving a set of instructions

Well done all those students who had finished the Ice Lolly instructions that we started in class yesterday. We had worked together on the instructions for an hour, explaining carefully and sharing the task, so we all knew exactly what to do if we had been listening. Well done also to those students who wrote down their homework carefully in their homework diaries.

Today we looked at a set of instructions for making chocolate cornflakes. We improved the instructions by adding adverbs and time connectives. You can see one possible set of answers on the board above. Your answers may be slightly different, but every bit as good.

Literacy: writing our own set of instructions

In our lessons over the past week we have looked at sets of instructions that have already been written. Today we made our first attempt to write a set of instructions ourselves. We started with a flowchart based on Raghad's way of making ice lollies. The flowchart has notes to tell us what to do. Our task was to make the notes into a proper set of instructions, with imperative verbs, adverbs and time connectives.

After we had worked on the task individually for a few minutes, we talked together and came up with the set of instructions on the board above. Click to enlarge. At home please look carefully at your set of instructions and make sure they are finished. Underline all the imperative verbs, adverbs and time connectives. I hope your instructions are not exactly the same as mine! Enjoy doing your homework. I look forward to reading some splendid instructions tomorrow.

Maths: addition and subtraction

Today we looked at the connection between addition and subtraction. We took the sums above from page 27 of the NHM book. We noticed that, for each of the students, all four sums use the same numbers.

Maths: subtraction

Today we moved away from addition and started to look at subtraction. We practised mental methods of subtraction. Mental methods are different from written methods. When subtracting mentally, we can subtract the tens first, and then the units. For example, to subtract 19 from 44, we can subtract 10 first. That leaves us with 34. Then we can subtract 9, which leaves 25. Another method is to subtract 20, which leaves 24, and then add 1, which makes 25. Yet another way is shown on the board above. The way on the board is really good for numbers that are not too far apart. Never try to do a written method (columns of units and tens) in your head. Always use a mental method for mental maths. It is much quicker and you are less likely to make a mistake.

At home please do page 26 questions 1 and 2 only. Enjoy doing your homework. Do not rush. Check your answers.

Literacy: putting adverbs into instructions

We looked together at our homework on adverbs from yesterday. We had thought of some really good adverbs to put into the instructions for making Karah Parshad. On the board above there are some suggestions. The adverbs are in blue and the verbs are in red. Some words, such as solid, are usually adjectives. However, in instruction 4, the word solid is working as an adverb. It is linked to the verb set.

We looked at the printed sheet with the recipe for coconut sweets. We underlined all the verbs in red and the adverbs in blue. We found ten adverbs, and we found the verbs they were linked to. It was quite hard to find all of them.

Literacy: adverbs

This morning we studied adverbs and used them in instructions. We started some classwork on instructions to make food. We added adverbs to the instructions to improve them. Remember: an adverb tells us how, when or where a verb is done. There are some suggestions for adverbs on the board above. You can also use your own adverbs if you like. Remember to underline the verbs in one colour, and the adverbs in another colour.

Maths: more addition

Remember it is a good idea to know lots of different ways of doing addition; not just the written way using columns. Today we practised a good mental way once again. Its proper name is redistribution. We move a few from one number to another, to make the addition easier.

Topic: what is special about animals?

This afternoon we thought about how animals are different from plants. The important difference is on the board above. Click to enlarge. Before anyone starts panicking, you do not need to learn the words autotrophic and heterotrophic! They are senior school words. We included them in our lesson because young people like to know the correct words for things, even if they are hard words. It makes us all feel more grown up.

Maths: addition

We did further addition practice today. At home please finish page 16. After finishing, please check that all your answers are correct. Anyone can make a mistake. Good students (and teachers) look carefully through their work, try to find all the mistakes, and put them right. Enjoy doing your homework and have a good weekend.

Literacy: imperative verbs and connectives

We revised imperative verbs again today. We also looked at connectives. We sorted a set of instructions, for using a public telephone, into the correct order. We then highlighted the imperative verbs and the connectives.

Topic: amphibians

We learned about mammals, birds, fish, insects and reptiles last lesson. Today we thought about amphibians. Frogs are amphibians. Toads and salamanders are also amphibians. Amphibians lay their eggs in water, but when they grow up they live on land. You can see the life cycle of a frog on the board above. Click to enlarge as usual.

Literacy: imperative verbs

We began our literacy lesson by reading a set of instructions for cooking a pizza. We sorted the instructions into a sensible order. There are other ways we could have done it. We could have made the instruction about switching on the oven the first in the list. That would have given the oven more time to reach its temperature while we were doing the other steps. When we had written the instructions we highlighted the imperative verbs. Remember: imperative verbs give commands.

At home please look at the printed paper I gave you. Copy the instructions into your literacy book and underline the imperative verb. There might be more than one imperative verb in an instruction, so look carefully! Enjoy doing your homework.

Maths: more addition practice

We did some addition with money. We added up the total in pence first, and then we changed it to pounds and pence using a decimal point and a pound sign.

Science: measuring the temperature of iced water and warm water

This afternoon we used thermometers again. Each group had a beaker containing a mixture of ice and water, and another beaker containing warm water. We compared the temperature of the beakers. We noticed that the warm water slowly cooled down, but the ice-water mixture stayed at the same temperature all the time. It did not start to warm up until all the ice had melted.

Maths: addition

We practised addition again today. We added up lists of numbers. We saw how important it is to read questions carefully and check our answers. Anyone, including grown up people, can make a mistake. We need to find our mistakes and put them right ourselves.

At home please do questions 1 and 2 on page 14. We looked carefully at the questions in class. We did question 1 together so it should be easy for you to do again at home. Remember we also read through questions 2 together. I have done one of the questions on the board above. Click to enlarge, as usual. Enjoy doing your homework.

Literacy: finding imperative verbs

This afternoon we learned about imperative verbs. In Year 3 we had already learned that verbs are action words or doing words. Imperative verbs are special verbs that are used in instructions. Imperative verbs give commands. They tell you what to do. On the board above, imperative verbs are in red.

Literacy: putting sets of instructions in order

We read a set of instructions for making a moving cat from card. We noticed that the instructions were all in the wrong order. By reading carefully we were able to find the correct order. We looked for the clues: First shows that the instruction comes at the beginning, and Finally shows that it comes at the end. For the two other instructions, we saw that the cat's legs must be drawn and cut out before they can be fixed to the rest of the cat. Later this week, in our art lesson, we will try making the cats from card.

At home, please read the instructions I gave you on a small sheet of paper. They are in the wrong order. Copy the instructions into your literacy book in the correct order. If you have done your homework properly, you have followed the instructions well!

Maths: adding pairs of numbers to make 100

We used our mental addition skills to find missing numbers. We were given one number, and we had to find another number to add to it, to make a total of 100. Addition is all about taking care and checking our work; never rushing and never guessing.

Maths: clever ways to add two numbers

We practised mental addition today. We moved one from the first number to the second number. That means the total stays the same but it makes the adding much easier to do. At home please do sheet 11. Fill in the missing numbers. We will check our answers tomorrow.

Literacy: instruction writing

This morning we began our first unit of literacy for Y4, on instruction writing. Our first assignment was to make a spinner from card, by following a series of instructions. We have taken our spinners home to show to our families. After we had made the spinners we read some questions and answered them together. Our answers are on the board above. As usual, click to enlarge.

Topic: different types of animals

Last week we learned that animals are one big group of living things. Today we divided the animals group into smaller groups. We thought of an example for each group.

Topic: putting living things into groups

This afternoon we began our first topic of the school year, on Animals and their Habitats. We started by thinking of different living things. We found some living things that are not animals (plants, fungi and germs), and we found different kinds of animals (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and insects). We had an interesting discussion about the differences between animals and non-animals. Can you remember any of them? Next time we will learn more about living things.

Maths: setting out work properly

Today we practised setting out our work properly when we add numbers in our books. We must remember:

• one number goes in each square, and


• units go under units; tens go under tens.

Those of us who listened carefully were able to do a lovely neat page of addition sums. A few of us need to look again at our work, and at the examples on the board above, and see how we can improve our neatness. Make it a target to do the neatest, clearest work you possibly can in your maths book.

Science: measuring temperature

This afternoon we started our first science unit, all about keeping warm and keeping cool. We used thermometers to measure the temperature of the air and the temperature of some warm water. We found that the air was about 25 degrees Celsius, and the water was about 40 degrees Celsius. We noticed that the water cooled down slowly.

First day activities: Sudoku

We spent some time on first day activities today while we got to know each other. We solved a Sudoku puzzle. You can see it on the board above. Click to enlarge it. We were pleased that we had not given up. Well done, 4H!