Year 3 Get Hands-On with Maths and Science

This week, Year 3 have been fully immersed in a range of practical maths and science activities, combining fun with fantastic learning both inside and outside the classroom.

The week began with a focus on right angle turns. Pupils headed out onto the playground to put their directional skills to the test, challenging one another with instructions such as: “Facing north, make three quarter turns clockwise, which direction are you facing now?” It was a great way to bring geometry to life through movement and teamwork!

In science, the children continued their topic on Light with an exciting shadow investigation. Each hour throughout the day, they returned to the same spot on the playground to carefully track and draw around their shadows. They were fascinated to observe how their shadows changed size shrinking through the morning and growing again after midday. They discovered that this happens because the sun is highest in the sky at noon, causing shadows to be shortest at that time. It was a brilliant example of scientific observation in action!

The week finished with a creative and slightly sweet challenge: a 3D shape investigation using mini gems and cocktail sticks. With impressive self-control (despite the temptation!), pupils constructed a variety of 3D shapes, exploring how many edges (cocktail sticks) and vertices (mini gems) were needed to build each one. They also explored the concept of nets, designing and testing different cube nets to see which ones folded correctly into a 3D cube.

It’s been a wonderful week of hands-on learning, and the children showed great curiosity, teamwork, and enthusiasm throughout. Well done, Year 3!