Year 3

Ahoy there crew!

We can't wait for pirate time to begin next week. Hope you have some props at the ready team 3.  We will all make fine buccaneers. It's going to be a blast!

HISTORY OF WELWYN GARDEN CITY

Year 3 were fortunate to have a visit from Tony Skottowe, Director and Trustee of The Welwyn Garden City Heritage Trust, who told them all about the history of Welwyn Garden City. They were shown some fascinating photographs of Welwyn Garden City being built and we look forward to looking at some of them in a lot more detail in our history lessons.

As always Year 3 listened beautifully and showed great respect towards our visitor.

TIMES TABLES

Year 3 have taken the challenge to learn all of their times tables very seriously and the results of their hard work are beginning to shine through. I was so happy with the results this week I danced with joy!

Keeeeeeeeep calculating!

HOW TO BE HORRID

Year 3 have frightened the life out of their teachers this week in English. It turns out they have far too many ideas for how they could be horrid. The staff are keeping everything crossed that they don't execute any of their horrid instructions in school or at home!

We very much enjoyed their Horrid Henry names. Here are a few they came up with...

Marvellous Max

Rock and Roll Roxine

Terrific Tabitha

Lovely Leo

Jolly Jake

Clever Chloe

Amazing Amalia

Super Sophie

What name would you create for yourself?

HORRID HENRY AND MOODY MARGARET

We are using and writing instructions this week with the help of Horrid Henry and Moody Margaret. I wonder how creative they will be in writing instructions on how to make 'glop' and how to be horrid?

CARNIVORE, HERBIVORE OR OMNIVORE?

In science this week the class have been learning about carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. They researched which animals fitted into these groups and the diets of these animals. Ask them for examples - they will blow you away with their knowledge!

ANDY GOLDSWORTHY

During our art topic we are learning about Andy Goldsworthy.  He inspired us to use materials from our local school environment to create some amazing designs.  We are really looking forward to using different natural materials to design our own master pieces.

YEAR 3 INDEPENDENCE

We learnt how to change our own reading books today. Year 3 are becoming more independent every day. Superb!

READY, STEADY...GO!

Year 3 have had a wonderful first day back at Harwood Hill. 

They have started to learn about 'recounts' in English and 'place value' in maths. During their first science lesson they learnt what their bodies need to keep healthy and what a balanced diet looks like. Look out for pictures of our balanced diet mobiles which they will be making this week.

They have an exciting year ahead - their brains are going to grow so much!

ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-2016

Ancient Egyptian Day

Year 3 were hurled back in time on Tuesday 26^th April to experience life as an Ancient Egyptian.

In the morning we experienced the market place where we tried a range of exciting ancient Egyptian crafts including soap carving, ink making and tomb painting.  Some of us designed and made our own canopic jars and even tried mummification!

Whilst we worked the Masters employed some of us as slaves and the Secret Police.

The fun continued into the afternoon where we had the chance to create and perform plays, songs and dances for our Ancient Egyptian royalty.   We were served a delicious banquet by our hard working salves.

Thank you to our helpers on the day and to our parents for making such a great effort with all of the superb costumes! 

Year 3 visit the Barn Theatre

On Tuesday 23^rd February 2016 Year 3 visited the Barn Theatre.

Mr Gill showed us a really interesting presentation that explained how the Barn Theatre has changed over time.  Did you know that it used to be a dairy farm? We visited the auditorium to see where the cows were kept. 

We learnt lots about how it is used as a theatre nowadays.  Mr Gill showed us pictures of actors preparing for a show and then we stood on the stage and imaged ourselves as actors.

After that we visited a room where lots of kind volunteers from the Barn Theatre had set out props for us to investigate.  We tried on lots of funny wigs and costumes, we saw set models and thought about what it would be like to be a famous actor or actress!

Then we moved on to explore where the sets are made and stored.

Our trip finished off with a visit to see the silo (where the cow feed would have been stored) and to see the door where the milkmen’s horses would have lived.

Everyone in Year 3 would like to thank Mr Gill and all of the volunteers at the Barn Theatre for making this a really exciting learning experience!  Thank you to Mrs Simpson for organising the trip and for helping us on the day.

Year 3 WGC Walk

Thursday 21st January 2016

On this very frosty morning Year 3 took in the sights and sounds of Welwyn Garden City. 

We started at the Campus roundabout which is where huts were placed for the earliest WGC builders to stay whilst they worked.  Then we made our way down Bridge Road.  Here we were able to see the oldest cottage in WGC.  Mrs Simpson also showed us pictures of a well that used to be situated there.  The well was where WGC first got their water supply from.

From there we turned left into Handside Lane.  Here we saw a house that had been renovated after being hit by a bomb in the war.  It has different windows from other houses in the street.  We also saw a street that was designed so that each side was symmetrical.  Then we were given the opportunity to see houses built by Fred Palmer and his builders.  The owners allowed us to walk into their gardens to have a closer look.  It was fascinating!

Then we headed further down Handside Lane until we came to the Barn Theatre and we saw some of the oldest trees in WGC.

We finished our walk by travelling up Barlycroft Road and onto Parkway.    On Parkway we stopped to see the Ebenezer Howard memorial coin.

We would like to say a big ‘thank-you’ to Mr Scottowe and Mrs Simpson for guiding us and sharing with us your historical knowledge.

Wednesday 25^th September 2015

Year 3 trip to Celtic Harmony Camp.

We met Bronwyn at the gate to Celtic Harmony camp.  We were then held at arrow-point by two terrifying Gate Keepers! When they were sure we came in peace they allowed us to enter.  We ran through the gates shouting ‘HARWOOD HILL!!!’ which catapulted us over 5000 years back in time to the Stone Age.

Our first task for the day was fire making.  We tried to make fire by rubbing two sticks together.  But as Bronwyn demonstrated, it’s a little harder than that! 

Then we went foraging in the woods for food and made up recipes with our loot.  Did you know that people in the Stone Age ate hedgehogs and insects? Yuck!

When we had finished gathering, we became savage hunters! We practised sneaking up on our prey.  When we found a wild boar we threw spears at it.  If our spear hit the boar we all cheered!

After all of the hunting and gathering we needed to create some shelter.  We headed further into the woods where we built dens out of logs and branches.  Then we furnished them.  One den had a soft grass carpet and a rather comfy looking log sofa!

Then it was time for lunch and a play in the meadow.

After lunch Bronwyn showed us a whole range of deadly looking Stone Age tools and weapons.  We created our own arrow heads out of soap using a Stone Age technique called pressure napping.

For the final part of the day we visited the Iron Age.  We explored inside an Iron Age roundhouse where Bronwyn told us a gripping Stone Age tale.  What was your favourite part of the story?

What an exciting day!

Year 3 Spring Term 2015

Our Spring term topic ‘There’s no Place like Home’ has started well.  We have spent some time learning about the first buildings in Welwyn Garden City.  We used collage to design a Fred Palmer inspired brick mosaic!

Year 3 Autumn Term 2014

Autumn term was extremely exciting for Year 3.  We started the year with our Stone Age to Iron Age topic, which meant we had lots of historical learning to do!

Some of the highlights of the term included a science visit to Monks Walk School where we learnt about electricity, a trip to the Natural History Museum to see an Ice Age Mammoth exhibition.  We even got to handle real artefacts when Eleanor from Hertford Museum visited us.

Barn Theatre Visit

On Thursday 13^th March year 3 went for a stroll in the sunshine to the Barn Theatre.  Whilst we were there we were treated to a talk about the history of the barn and then we went searching for clues about the past of the building.  We found lots of interesting features including old original doors and evidence of a light railway track from when the Barn was a dairy farm in the 1920s.  

We even visited the auditorium where the cows used to be kept when it was a dairy farm.  It was funny to think that the area where people now sit to enjoy shows used to be full of cows!

On the way back to school we stopped off to see the Sir Ebenezer Howard memorial in the town centre.  It was great to see it in real life!

Ancient Egyptian Day

Year 3 jumped back in time on Tuesday 5^th November to experience what life was like for Ancient Egyptians.

In the morning we tried lots of exciting (and sometimes messy!) ancient Egyptian crafts including bread making, soap carving, ink making and hieroglyphic writing.  Some of us designed and made our own canopic jars and oil lamps from clay.  We even tried mummification!

Whilst we worked the Masters employed some of us as slaves, rat catchers and even crocodile hunters!

The fun continued into the afternoon where we had the chance to create and perform plays, songs and dances for our Ancient Egyptian royalty.   We were served a delicious banquet by our hard working salves.

Thank you to our helpers on the day and to our parents for making such a great effort with all of the superb costumes. 

A fantastically gruesome day was had by all!

Year 3 trip: The British Museum

On Thursday 3^rd October 2013 year 3 went to The British Museum in London.  We had a fantastic time.  I think the best bit was looking around the Greeks. 

We saw magnificent sculptures, beautiful jewellery and dirty old bits and bobs.  It was an interesting place.  I hope next years year 3 class gets to go!

Ruby, year 3

A Long, Long Time Ago… Year 3 Ancient Greek Launch Day

Year 3 got to sample some of the finer (and more fun) parts of Ancient Greek life on Monday 9^th September. 

We started the day pretending to be Ancient Greek mosaic and fresco artists.  We then created our own olive leaf wreaths to wear and designed a piece of Ancient Greek pottery.

In the afternoon we all took to the theatre creating, rehearsing and performing Greek mythical stories.  Medusa was the most popular character!

We finished our exciting day with a Greek feast.  Some of us were enlisted to be slaves and had to serve our wealthy ancient Greek classmates their food first.  We ate bread, dates and cake drizzled with honey.  Ancient Greeks drank lots of wine, we drank blackcurrant juice.  It was delicious!

We can’t wait to learn more about Ancient Greece!