Welcome to Topaz Class - Yr 3/4
Dear all Topaz page visitors,
Welcome to our class webpage! Here you will find information about our latest topic, links to useful websites, interesting facts about what we learn about, and much more!
If you need to contact me, you can email me at dboorman@netherfield.e-sussex.sch.uk or message me directly on ClassDojo.
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DICE Topic Term 1 - Misty Mountain, Winding River!
The first DICE topic of the year is 'Misty Mountain, Winding River' which is driven by Geography lessons. We will be learning about the features and characteristics of rivers and mountains throughout the world and the interesting and diverse ecosystems that surround these geographical features - including animal habitats and the water cycle!
So pack your suitcases as we will be taking a trip around the world to the towering mountain ranges of the Himalayas in Asia to the Alps in Europe while studying the meandering rivers of the Amazon in South America and the Nile in Africa. Closer to home, we will investigate the River Thames and River Trent before the children get the opportunity to imagine they work for the Lake District National Park!
Get your hiking boots and canoes ready for this adventurous topic to start off the year!
Useful Websites
We use a variety of online resources to help support what we do in school that your children can access at home if they wish. These include the following:
PurpleMash - a platform which has various games, apps, topics, and projects included to support both the Computing and wider curriculum.
Letterjoin - a website to support children with their handwriting, including a range of online and printable resouces.
Fitter Futures - a physical activity website with tons of indoor and outdoor workouts for children to try if they wish.
Your child should have their own personal logins for both PurpleMash and Fitter Futures. The school login for Letterjoin has been shared previously. If you need it, please do not hesitate to email me. The same can be arranged if your child does not know their PurpleMash or Fitter Futures login.
Please click on the pictures to be taken to any of these websites.
DICE Topic Websites
These websites are related to our DICE topic, which is called 'Misty Mountain, Winding River' and focuses on the features and characteristics of mountains and rivers.
As always, although these websites have been checked by staff, it is recommended you look at them first before you share them with children to ensure you are happy with their content.
DKfindout! - How are mountains formed?
Fun Facts
Mountains make up about one-fifth of the world's landscape, and provide homes to at least one-tenth of the world's people.
Heights of mountains are generally given as heights above sea level.
The world's highest peak on land is Mount Everest in the Himalayas. It is 8,850.1728 m (29,036 ft) tall.
Ben Nevis is also the highest mountain in Great Britain.
The tallest known mountain in the solar system is Olympus Mons, located on Mars.
There are mountains under the surface of the sea!
Mountains occur more often in oceans than on land; some islands are the peaks of mountains coming out of the water.
About 80 per cent of our planet's fresh water originates in the mountains.
All mountain ecosystems have one major characteristic in common - rapid changes in altitude, climate, soil, and vegetation over very short distances.
Plants that may be found on mountains include conifers, oak, chestnut, maple, junipers, stonecrops, campions, mosses, ferns and climbers.
The highest 14 mountains in the world are all found in the Himalayas.
In some mountainous areas the rivers are permanently frozen. These are called glaciers.
A river is a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river.
Rivers normally contain freshwater.
Rivers are found on every continent and on nearly every kind of land.
A river begins at a source (or more often several sources), follows a path called a course, and ends at a mouth or mouths.
The passage where the river flows is called the river bed and the earth on each side is called a river bank.
The movement of water in a river is called a current. The current is usually strongest near the river’s source.
Rivers can flow down mountains, through valleys or along plains, and can create canyons or gorges.
