Welcome to the Year 4 class page. Mrs Green, Mrs Bimson and Miss Hooper will all be working in Year 4 this year. On this page you will find information about the curriculum and year group expectations in Year 4 as well as lots of photographs. Take a look at the updates each half term to see what the class have been getting up to.

Science

Year 4 have been looking at teeth and digestion in science this half term. We started off by looking at identifying the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions.

We gave the children disclosing tablets to chew. These stain plaque on the teeth a different colour.  This was done after lunch, so children could observe where plaque has built up on their teeth. They then used their toothbrushes that they brought in from home to see how well they clean their teeth and gums and whether they can remove the dye / plaque.

Year 4 looked at what the teeth are like in other animals. They found out which is the most important tooth for each of these animals and why? Lion, horse, elephant, panda, human. The children also watched video clips on types of teeth in different animals and answered questions such as... How does this give us information about what they eat?

Year 4  explored the effect of acidic drinks on our teeth, using 6 fresh, cooked eggs and leaving them for several days, 1 soaked in vinegar, 1 in sugary juice and another egg soaked in water to act as a control.  The other 3 eggs were coated in toothpaste before putting them in the same liquid to see if this would help protect the eggs.

The children also learnt about our digestive system, they conducted an experiment  to recreate the digestive system from food to faeces. This included a banana, weetabix (food), water (saliva), orange juice (stomach acid), blocks, forks and tweezers (teeth).  The food was then Swallowed’  by tipping it into a piping bag, this needs squeezing down the tube (oesophagus) to the stomach. We then allowed the ‘food’ to enter a re-sealable bag ‘stomach’. Here more digestive juices are added to the partially broken down food to help it break down further. These are not all ‘emptied’ in the stomach in the actual digestive system but this is a ‘near enough’ representation for the benefit of learning.  We acted out the churning of the stomach by squeezing and massaging the bag. The contents will look a little like sick! That is what sick is, partially digested food which has come from the stomach. Next, a valve (hole) is made to represent the valve in the bottom of the bag ‘stomach’ where the partially digested food enters the intestines. The intestines are represented by a pop sock (separate the lower part of the sock (large intestine) from the upper part (small intestine) using a bag clip, elastic band or a couple of clothes pegs. The small intestine is the place where nutrients will be absorbed into the bloodstream. Once the children put the food from the stomach into the small intestine they can observe some of the liquid flowing through the sides of the stocking material into the large plastic bowl. This represents nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) passing through the wall of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Avoid squeezing the pop sock at this stage. Nutrients are now in the blood stream.  From the small intestine, any undigested food (fibre) passes into the large intestine, where water is reabsorbed into the body. We then opened the peg and squeezed the stocking to remove the water and represent its reabsorption. What is left in the small intestine represents poo. 

Year 4 then illustrated the digestive system, detailing each part.

This term,  in Year 4, Sparks Might Fly as we investigate all things electrical through Science, DT and Music. We will be exploring electricity, identifying electrical appliances and how they work, its dangers and how we can conserve energy. We aim to make our own working product using our  newly acquired knowledge of circuits.

Year 4 Curriculum Plan

If you would like to discuss the curriculum content further, please contact the class teacher.