At St Joseph’s, we are so grateful for the invaluable support that our parents and carers provide for our pupils. We know how well our families have been able to adapt to home learning so now that we can welcome all of our pupils back to school, we wanted to provide opportunities for our pupils to continue their learning at home, if they choose to. The homework given will prepare and support your child’s learning across the curriculum each half term. The homework tasks below are optional. If you would also like to read our homework policy, please follow the link below.

Please follow the links below to access our online learning platforms that are used for homework.

Resources to support optional homework tasks

Writing for Pleasure

To suggest some ideas for our aspiring authors for their next best chapter books, I included some links to fun picture prompts, story starter ideas and sentence challenges. Take on the challenge and see where a piece of paper, a pencil and your imagination takes you!

Maths

We know the importance of learning our times tables in Year 4.  We all know that we are expected to know all of our times tables by the end of the year.  Please use these links to help you learn your times tables online. Come up with some active ways to practise your times tables. Design a Burn2Learn activity to practise or learn some moves from the Super Movers. Super Movers Top Marks games Times tables online games Online and downloadable Oxford Owl activities

Here are some games you could download, print and play as a family too.

Try the Multiplication Tables Check activity that generates the 25 times tables questions randomly and the children have 6 seconds to type their answers in.

Multiplication Tables Check

Summer 2

To help you with your learning this half term, here are some optional homework tasks and resources/activities for you to complete. I can’t wait to see your work that you complete at home!

Art

The lettering used for any product’s name on the packaging is thought about carefully by artists. It has to be eye-catching, memorable unique and instantly recognisable. Explore different styles of graphic writing and create your own lettering for a new chocolate bar.

Read the information slides to find out more about why and how product packaging should be eye-catching and unique. Information Slides

Use the templates to get some ideas and create your own lettering artwork. Template

Give the challenge cards a go if you want to keep working on various different design options. Challenge Cards

Check out this video if you want to give bubble lettering a go!

DT

Many design aspects are important when it comes to packaging chocolate products: name, font, colour, shape, images and other information. Design your own appealing packaging for a new chocolate product.

Use the following template to come up with your own chocolate creation and design its packaging. Chocolate design template

The following templates have different styles that you can consider for your product. Wrapper templates

Give yourself a challenge with the following challenge cards. Can you design packaging for various audiences and chocolates? Challenge cards

Check out this video to give you some inspiration.

Geography

Cocoa trees like a tropical climate. Design a poster to explain where and how cocoa trees grow. You could include information about which continents and countries the cocoa trees grow in and how the pods grow and then get harvested.

Find out a bit more about cocoa trees by reading the following information text. Information text

Use the following template to design your poster. Poster template

Check these challenge cards to make sure you included all the relevant and important information on your poster. Challenge cards

Watch the video to learn more about cocoa trees.

History

Find out why cocoa is called the ‘food of the gods’, by reading the legend of Quetzalcoatl. After getting familiar with the legend, illustrate the story.

Read the ‘Legend of Quetzalcoatl’ here. Legend of Quetzalcoatl

Use the template to create a storyboard. Storyboard

Watch the video to find out more.

PSHE

The life of a cocoa farmer is often hard and they can face many problems. The Fairtrade Foundation’s main aims are to secure a better deal for farmers and workers. Find out more about the Fairtrade Foundation by reading more about it and playing a game of fair or not fair.

Read the information text about the Fairtrade Foundation. Fairtrade Foundation

Play a fun fair or not fair card game. Fair or not fair? game

Fancy a challenge? Create your own Fairtrade themed game to play.

Science

What happens to the temperature of a hot liquid if it was left for one hour? Heat travels from warmer to cooler places, so the temperature of the liquid will drop. Experiment to find a way to slow down the loss of heat by wrapping a good insulator around the drink container. What material will keep your hot chocolate warm for the longest?

Read the information slides to learn more about temperature and fair testing. Information slides

Use the template to record your findings. Science experiment record sheet