Escape From Pompeii - Learning Objectives

The learning objectives for Year 4's Autumn Term 1 focus on a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating a core text titled "Escape From Pompeii" by Christina Balit. This engaging story serves as a springboard for exploring various subjects, including History, where students delve into the Roman era, and Science, where they investigate the states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. The unit's written outcomes are designed to encourage students to write in role as characters from the story, such as Tranio or Livia, providing them with opportunities to recount events vividly and to create information texts on both Roman life and the scientific topic of matter.

Reading objectives are centered around the core text and supplementary non-fiction materials about the Romans, enhancing students' understanding of the historical, cultural, and social settings depicted in the literature. Students are also expected to develop their spoken language, reading, and writing skills, with a focus on composition and grammar. They will learn to give opinions using Standard English, identify unfamiliar words and their meanings, and empathise with characters by inferring their thoughts and motives. Writing objectives include making informed vocabulary choices, understanding the structure of paragraphs, planning and drafting narratives, and using prepositional and expanded noun phrases to add detail to their writing. Additionally, students will practice using fronted adverbials for effect and learn to avoid repetitive noun usage by employing pronouns effectively.