Year 2 - Seacole Class and Kahlo Class

STEAM

This term our STEAM focus is Art. We will be focusing on the question ‘Can I create a piece of art based on a period of history?’. We will be exploring the curriculum areas of Art and History in detail, focusing on the Queen. We will learn that the Queen is our monarch, the Head of State for countries in the Commonwealth and a member of the royal family in Britain. Year 2 will learn that the Queen represents our country and works with the Prime Minister. In addition, we will investigate when Queen Elizabeth was born and the members of her family. Within Art, we will explore Pop Art and how this art movement emerged in the 1950s and flourished in the 1960s in America and Britain due to commercial culture. Year 2 will investigate key artists who become famous due to their Pop Art paintings, including Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. At the end of our project, the children will produce a piece of artwork in the style of Pop Art with a focus on symbolism.

Maths

Our maths topics will allow us to explore the concept of division. We will begin by explaining that objects can be grouped equally and also start to identify and explain when objects cannot be grouped equally. The children will then be able to explain the relationship between division expressions and division stories, calculating the number of equal groups in a division story. Additionally, they will learn how to apply their knowledge of skip counting and division to solve problems relating to measure. After this, the children will explore how to use skip counting using the divisor to find the quotient and use this knowledge to solve division problems.

Then, Year 2 will be developing their knowledge of addition and subtraction by considering how to add and subtract two two-digit numbers. They will be applying their known strategies of adding and subtracting multiples of ten to two single-digit numbers before adding and subtracting through the method of partitioning numbers into tens and ones.

Writing

Our writing this term will focus on three different text types. The first will enable us to learn about character descriptions. We will be describing a variety of characters from books we have read this year (e.g. Mrs Noah, The Journey) and some new texts including Katie and the Mona Lisa. The children will be developing their vocabulary choices, conjunctions and use of sentences to convey meaning to the audience. orientate around the book ‘Journey’ by Aaron Becker. After this, Year 2 will be developing their letter writing skills by writing a letter from Paddington to Aunt Lucy about the places that he visits. During this unit of work, the children will have the opportunity to watch snippets from the film and use this to inform Aunt Lucy about his travels. The children will be focusing on exclamation sentences, using commas appropriately and following a coherence structure. Finally, the children will record a recount of a key event that links to our STEAM session. Within this unit, the children will be exploring time conjunctions, sequencing and using the past tense.

Computing

This term we will be looking at pictograms. This unit introduces the children to the term ‘data’. Year 2 will begin to understand what data means and how this can be collected in the form of a tally chart. They will learn the term ‘attribute’ and use this to help them organise data. Also, they will then progress onto presenting data in the form of pictograms and finally block diagrams. Kahlo and Seacole will use the data presented to answer questions. By the end of the project, the children will be able:

• To recognise that we can count and compare objects using tally charts 
• To recognise that objects can be represented as pictures 
• To create a pictogram 
• To select objects by attribute and make comparisons 
• To recognise that people can be described by attributes 
• To explain that we can present information using a computer 

HRE

Within our HRE this term the children will be exploring 2 topics: safe relationships and respecting self and others. As part of this, the children will spend time exploring how people may behave differently online and how to respond. They will learn how to recognise and respond to personal boundaries and know what to do if they feel unsafe. Additionally, Year 2 will learn about how to treat themselves and others with respect and how to appropriately share their opinions. To finish, the children will learn how to recognise how they are feeling which is similar or different to others.  

Music

Our music this term is linked to a topic called ‘Zootime’. The children will be exploring the key musical terminology including: pulse, rhythm, pitch through singing and playing instruments. Zootime is a Reggae piece of music created by Joanna Mangona.

PE

Our outdoor PE sessions will be focused on object control – we will be applying our skills to both tennis and cricket during the term and achieving the following objectives:

• I can show control when using a racket / bat. 
• I can balance a ball on a racket / bat. 
• I can pat the ball using the bat / racket. 
• I can aim the ball towards a target. 
• I can control different sized balls. 

During our inside PE sessions, we will be exploring gymnastics and trying to create a basis sequence using different elements. The children will be exploring the following objectives:

• I can roll, travel, jump and balance.   
• I can learn and perform basic sequences on floor – 4 – 6 different elements.  
• I can comment on what we like and how to improve work.

RE

Across the school this term, we will be exploring the big question: “Is it always wrong to lie?” within our RE assemblies. As part of our RE lessons in class, we will be investigating different religious practices linked to Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.

The children will be focusing on the following objectives:

• Explain the importance of pilgrimage within Islam
• Explain the importance of bathing within Hinduism
• Explain the importance of the Holy Communion within Christianity