GILLESPIE SCHOOL MEDIUM TERM PLAN
TERM: Autumn
Topic Lead:
CLASS:
Starting point:
 Knowledge station! Asking questions for our question board
 Food chains introduction
( investigation of red boxes)
Key questions:
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What is a habitat?
How do food chains work?
What comparisons can be
made between urban &
rural habitats?
Why does the geography of
the world determine where
animals make their homes?
How do changes in the
environment pose dangers
to living things?
Classroom Question Board across
the term – child lead & feedback on
progress towards questions
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Islington Red box resources
Trips out
ENGLISH
Narrative
 Stories that raise issues and dilemmas – link to topic work
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-The diary of a killer Cat – Anne Fine
-The osprey mystery
Creating own animal diaries
Focus on the use of expressive/descriptive language
Comparisons of settings
Looking at how settings influence events/incident
Non Fiction
Where next? – Give children the
opportunity of asking further
questions that they would like to
explore around and about the topic
of ‘habitats’ …. Fortnightly feed into
LJ time
Local visits to ‘Gillespie Park’
National Wildlife of the year exhibition – Nat. History Museum
Core Resources:
Areas of Learning:
(English, science, maths, art, DT, history, geography, RE, PE, computing,
MFL)
Focus identified by children:
Trip/first-hand experiences:
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Science  Habitats!
YEAR 4
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Persuasive texts – making adverts/slogans
-preservation of habitats/conservation in action WWF, Green Peace & other ecofriendly advertising
Puns, jingles and alliteration
Designing own advert
Poetry
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Looking at form and techniques used
Replicating techniques of figurative language /understanding use of fig language in
poetry & prose
 Compare poetic phrasing with narrative/descriptive egs.
 Similes
 Class poetry anthology
 Poetry linked to topic/animal/habitat themed
SPAG – weekly timetabled & integrated into English work where appropriate. Key aim =
Use in written work across curriculum
MATHEMATICS:
 Following new NC & Islington scheme of work
(see weekly plans/units)
Outcomes/ Assessment :
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To understand the correlation between environment,
habitat & food chains
Class assembly presentation
Ability to compare urban and rural habitats
Understanding of key topographical features
Begin to gain an understanding of the impact of changes
in the world to animal life
 Teacher assessment of above outcomes
 Class assembly presentation
 Success Circle/ self & teacher assessment
 AFL - peer/self assess & weekly learning journey
 Termly target assessment/review
 End of topic key question map
Other Areas of Learning:
GEOGRAPHY
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Locating world’s countries
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Environmental regions
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Human/physical characteristics of regions in UK
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Key topographical features
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Identifying locations of habitats through specific position – longitude, latitude,
equator, N/S hemisphere
ART
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Focus on Steve Bloom
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Photography work
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Collage using photography
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Fine art – observational drawing
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Watercolour nature studies
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Camouflage
Computing
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Creating, using and reading branching databases
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Setting up a class BLOG online (topic linked)
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Geography linked research
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Art photography work/programs
SCIENCE
a) HABITATS/food chains
b) ANIMALS including humans – skeleton/nutrition
( see Science planner for detailed WALT’s)
Non Topic Learning:
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MUSIC first
P.E – See termly plans:
Games skills 1st half term.
gymnastics second half - (yellow folder)
R.E: Sikhism – Blocked unit
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PSHE: Ourselves – classroom rules
DATE – making healthy choices … ie tobacco/links to nutrition work
P.E: Arsenal football training 1st half of term
Swimming  every Monday (whole year)
Gymnastics 2nd half of term