Key Stage 3 Curriculum: Year 7
Projects
Autumn Term
About Me
Autumn Term
Black History
My New School: Who & Where:
What’s around the room their new learning environment.
Take a tour of school taking photos of key people & places.
Link to class timetable and plan of school Create Staff Id Cards.
Myself: Measures of me (including Maths baseline assessments)
Measure height, hand span, feet size, weight (if want to) and create bar graphs and pictograms of
results. Create Block graphs and pie charts on hair colour, eye colour, birthdays.
Solve a given problem by organising and interpreting numerical data using tally charts
Myself: My Home:
Discuss local area around school & where you live.
Look at Google Earth / maps to find our school and where we are in relation to primary schools and
homes.
Take a short walk around local area – from school include Garratt Lane, Earlsfield Library, Earlsfield
Station, school allotment, taking photos of key areas.
Draw a basic map of local area based on walk.
Write name and address on a postcard. Send postcard home to describe your first week.
Brainstorm / mind map on “My Home”.
Write about my home using writing frame and drawings.
Myself: My Ideas:
Draw your local area – picture or map.
Identify 3 things you like; 3 things you would like to change.
Describe your Ideal classroom.
Maps and plans – what are the key features?
In small groups, find the ‘treasure’ – use a plan of the school to follow directions to find clues.
What ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ mean – use dictionaries to find out; using google maps, identify rural and
urban areas.
‘My Ideal Location’ plan which will be made into a model.
Myself: My Favourites:
Create acrostic poem using your own name as a starting point.
Create a list or mind-map of ‘my favourite things’ – identifying any hobbies, activities, foods, etc. you
like to do outside school.
Write lists of texts used at home / outside school.
Complete a short piece of writing about ‘Myself’. Create a picture of individual’s chosen design to
represent ‘myself’.
Identify a range of materials and discuss which would be most appropriate for your design e.g.
considering flexibility, colour, texture etc.
Apply design to binca material, selecting appropriate threads or create clay model
Myself: My Family:
Who lives at home?
Draw simple family tree indicating parents, siblings, other relatives if known.
Who is important to me? Discuss and identify 5 key people (refer back to hands drawn on induction
day to name 5 people in school, now 5 people at home.
My timeline: Place pictures of famous events / life cycle in order from oldest to newest.
What is your earliest memory?
What was your family like before you were born? What has changed since?
What events do you remember most clearly?
Write a brief personal timeline showing key details from your past; draw images to support writing;
share with group if happy to; why is it important to understand what happened in the past?
Why is it important to learn about the past? Place cards in order to illustrate that there are different
periods of time that things happen in sequence; that what happened in the past affects us now
History word-link
Who has relations from other parts of the world? Where from? Show on large world map
What do we know of black history? Any famous people or events known?
Black History project to focus on key elements – People & key events in civil rights; compare to current
situations .
Share some Black History heroes – who are they? What have they achieved? Why/how could they be a
positive role model? Examples: Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Mary
Seacole, etc. Are there any current Black History heroes? Musicians, film stars, politicians, sports
people…
Research on one of these black heroes – what, why, who, how, when, & where then begin to create
poster to show the importance of their lives and what they achieved. Complete research with
presentations.
African Culture and traditions.
Africa Mind-map – what do you know about Africa? Countries, features, people, animals, music,
events past or present etc.
African continent paper jigsaw, each piece a country
Explore different African traditions: tribes, patterns, musical instruments (e.g. djembe)
Make an Afri-can drum or djembe
Perform an African song using homemade drums, djembe & conga from music room
Using inspiration from traditional clothing – make Tessellation patterns
Discussion:
Do racism, discrimination and stereotyping still exist? Examples including Stephen Lawrence case with
Doreen Lawrence still fighting for equality
Write your own ‘I have a Dream’ speech
Introduce Unicef’s Convention on the Rights of the Child
How do we as a school support this? Rights Respecting school, the School Charter.
Discuss the ‘Right to be Treated Fairly’ with reference to current issues and project work already done.
Create a Class Charter
Autumn / Spring Term
Festivals and
Celebrations
Charity.
Discuss fundraising and why it is important. School’s fundraising supporting Unicef charities.
Share ideas of fundraising activities, thinking ahead for Christmas Market.
Describe the best day of your life.
What is a celebration? Why do we celebrate different things?
Different types of celebration:
Birthdays, national holidays, Halloween, Bonfire night, New Year leading into religious festivals –
Diwali, Ramadan / Eid, Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur, etc.
Design your ideal celebration – what, why, how, where, when etc, Include invitations to the event.
Halloween, Guy Fawkes – what do these celebrations mean and involve?
Halloween stories, traditions, costumes etc.
Cloze passages, acrostic poems, short stories, mask making – range of Halloween activities available
(depending on timing of half term around Halloween).
Multi-cultural Societies: Exploring religions: Signs and Symbols.
Mind-map known / main religions.
Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism.
Identify selection of signs and symbols – what do they represent?
Signs and symbols picture matching game.
Are we a multicultural school?
Why do people follow different styles? Answer thought-provoking questions – ‘would you rather’ /
‘how do you know’ to start discussions and understand that different people believe different things.
Survey where people come from and which religion they follow (class, year group, whole school).
Create tally chart and bar graph (referring back to skills used with height measures etc. in About Me
project). Discuss known differences between religions and cultures – are any prejudices or stereotypes
formed? Discuss impact of these assumptions
Hinduism: the main ideas, scriptures, Gods, people, places, festivals, themes, practices, signs &
symbols. Why so many ‘Gods’? What do they represent? Where in the world is this religion most
popular?
Diwali: the story of Rama and Sita .
Discuss main themes of what happened and idea of good over evil which runs through many beliefs;
Selection of images to colour for display including some Hindu gods, Rama & Sita, rangoli patterns;
students can also create their own rangoli patterns – good work can go up on display
Outline Festival of Holi,discuss what Karma is and how it affects us. Draw and act out good and bad
karma sequences.
Visit to a temple to recognize major features
Islam:
How does it compare to what you do/believe? To other religions?
Islam: Festivals And Celebrations: what are the main practices and features for Muslims?
Hajj, Ramadan, Eid, five pillars, fasting, charity; complete chart to show key features
Visit to a Mosque to recognize major features.
Explore the five pillars of Islam - Pupils to explore their meaning through various mean e.g. role-play
Ramadan.
Explore the Islamic calendar and how it is different from the Christian one.
Pupils discuss why people fast for a month - lead onto pupils thinking about what they would give up.
Also discuss who is going hungry in the world.
Make Happy Eid cards.
Judaism:
Visit to a synagogue to recognize major features
Main Festivals and Celebrations: Yom Kippur; Chanukah. The story of Chanukah
Driedhel - pupils understand what the Hebrew letters mean and construct a Driedhel.
Make a menorah
Christianity:
Outline different strands of Christianity including Catholic, Anglican, Pentecost, Methodist.
Visit to a church to recognize major features.
Main Festivals and Celebrations: Christmas, Lent, Easter. Outline the Christmas Story, how and why it’s
celebrated. How has the idea of ‘Christmas’ changed – commercial influences and new traditions e.g.
cards, trees, decorations, ‘Santa’
Buddhism, Sikhism.
Review.
Discuss common themes throughout all religions, including respect, thinking of others, faith, charity
Discuss how we support charities in school – supporting Unicef;
Plan and prepare for Christmas Market stall through mini-enterprise style project
Maths:
- Recognise all coins. Find totals and which coins to use.
- Choose and use appropriate operations to solve word problems.
- Check with an equivalent calculation.
- Choose and use appropriate operations to solve problems involving money.
- Sort and match coins
- Find equivalent amounts for coins
- Solve word problems involving numbers in ‘real life’, money and measures, using one or more steps
Spring Term
1066 and castles
Making decisions, checking results
- Christmas shopping lists/costs etc.
- Check with equivalent calculation
1066 Introduction: Stepping back in time
Identify different sources of information: books, drawings, stories, word of mouth, internet, personal
experiences, diaries, photographs etc.
What was life like in 1066?
Who should be king?
What would you do if you were King or Queen?
Share ideas & identify the top 3 characteristics needed for a good leader.
The Royal Family tree .
King Edward’s death, opportunities for a new.
William of Normandy , Harold of Wessex and Harald Hardrada of Norway.
Use interactive ‘blind date’ style quiz for students to select who they think should be King out of these
candidates.
1066: events leading up to Battle of Hastings
Act out the main battles at Stamford Bridge and Hastings.
William the Conqueror.
Bayeux tapestry.
Create battle scene of 1066 for display in style of Bayeux Tapestry – draw / sew tapestry design.
William in Control?
William the Conqueror.
How William kept control - William’s journey to London, overcoming difficulties; plans to keep control.
Feudal system & Domesday Book:
Feudal system pyramid worksheet – compare to school structure;
Domesday book – what is it, how, who, why; worksheets, role play activities.
Spring / Summer Term
Witches and Wizards
Castles:
Where would you build a castle?
Compare different styles, strength, method of attack & defence.
Build model castles.
Defence and weapons: what was used, how and why.
Castle life: what were castles used for apart from defence? Explore lifestyles involved in castle life .
Design own shield and prepare to explain what your shield symbols represent.
Castles: The Tower of London.
The Tower of London: The White Tower built by William the Conqueror.
Visit Tower of London (link to London Project in Summer Term).
Explore stories and legends surrounding Castle Life (in preparation for next project ‘Witches and
Wizards’).
Discuss story books with scary creatures
Create a word link using as many nouns and adjectives as possible linked to the theme (final letter of
one word become initial letter of next e.g. witch-hat-terrifying-ghoul-…etc.
Creative writing: write a short story using a witch or wizard as the central character - link back to mind
map and word link for ideas; link back to Castles project as a potential setting for the story (e.g. Merlin
in Camelot); use VCOP format.
Draw a picture to show one of the scenes in your story (hand drawn, cartoon strip, or use paint on
computer to create image).
Class text: The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy (continuing throughout project)
In pairs or groups, list the main points of Miss Cackle’s speech in Chapter 5, using bullet points. Class
discussion of the different lists.
Reinforcement of question marks and exclamation marks. Reinforce spellings of who, what, where,
which.
Read Chapter 6 a paragraph at a time. Verbalise questions that could be asked of the texts at the end
of each paragraph. Write down a selection of questions. Swap questions and write answers.
Write diary entries for Mildred for any three events. Explain her feelings, thoughts, hopes and fears.
Prepare by discussion, grids for events and feelings, bullet points, mind maps etc.
Write a letter to Mildred’s parents explaining her heroics.
Write Mildred’s school report for the end of the year. (using a grid with grades etc.) and discuss and
argue for the grades they have given.
Discuss what they like about the story. Is it better than Harry Potter? Why? Why not?
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Read and then watch selected excerpts from the Harry Potter films and compare to the books.
Do the scenes match up? Discuss how films and books differ.
Look at examples of reviews and then write their own.
Discuss what made Harry Potter such a success
Harry Potter anti-bullying play. Share ideas to make a short film showing what Harry would do when
bullied. Create props and scripts (link Anti-Bullying week in November and Fame Project)
The BFG by Roald Dahl (read whole book or just excerpts depending on time frame).
Extract from The BFG: The Giants and comprehension questions for writing or discussion. Overt
reinforcement of comprehension strategies
Write a story: Giant Juice as a mini-saga (less than 50 words).
Lists of names of giants in The BFG.
Complete a Giants’ gallery for display, including drawings and descriptions.
Define and practice sentences
Write a story about a giant. Use storyboard, mind maps, bullet points etc.
Alphabetical order: giants’ names, students’ names, names of local streets, names of shops, names of
towns they know, football clubs etc.
Summer Term
Fame
What is Fame & Celebrity?
Discuss what fame is and what it means to be a celebrity
Identify famous faces – how do you know who they are? What do you know about them?
Discuss whether it is good or bad to be famous?
Include aspects of
- body image,
- media attention,
- wealth,
- fact or opinion,
- impact of lifestyles,
- sense of self,
- the effect of fame on some celebrities
Would you like to be famous? What would you be famous for?
Research
Individual research on a famous person – who, when, where, what, why, how.
Produce a profile about chosen celebrity – power point presentation including as many details as
possible – who, where they are from, why they are famous, what do they do, how do they present
themselves, why did you choose them etc
Create their own celebrity and write a story about their rise to fame.
Celebrities and charity
Why do celebrities front different charities?
Which do we know about? Who are Patrons of well-known charities?
Examples: Comic relief; Sports relief – what do they do to raise money?
What can we do to raise money?
Magazines
In small groups look at a selection of magazines and identify key features
- what does it look like,
- what sort of information is inside,
- what else is included to make it interesting to readers?
- How is advertising used?
- who is it aimed at,
- what do you like about it/not like etc;
Each group to share their findings with the class
Design a new magazine:
Who should it be aimed at – adult, teenage, children? What should be included?
Work individually or in a pair to focus on one aspect of the magazine and to develop their news stories
(include previous famous people research if appropriate)
Each student to have a distinct role in production of magazine: editor, photo editor; layout; stories;
activities; advertising; marketing.
Review
Survey most popular TV shows or films and record results in a graph or pictogram
Suggest reasons for the most popular choices – what is it about these programmes that people enjoy?
Write a review about your favorite TV show or film. Use ICT to insert images or clips from the film (if
possible/appropriate).
Create (Creative Studies joint Y7 Project)
Develop a script for a short play or pantomime (link with other Y7 groups and Creative Studies)
Create scenery, props, costumes
Perform to an audience and record on video camera to show parents at Social Afternoon
Promote
Design posters for an activity in which students are involved (for example, a programme for the
performance of their script).
Famous Authors
Research famous authors
- look at style of writing,
- who is the target audience,
- explore famous titles by the author
Present research to the class.
Summer Term
London
Famous Places Where in the world: identify famous places from the landmarks – show a range of
photographs of places around the world – students to identify as many as possible
Discuss different places they have been to
Where do we live?
What is London Famous for?
Continents, Countries, Cities
What’s the difference between a Continent, Country, City?
Use globe or World Map to identify the Continents
Identify as many countries as possible in each Continent
Focus on Europe: How many Countries can you name?
Where are we? Find the UK, name the Countries; What is our flag called? How is it made up?
Name some cities in the UK; which are the capital cities of each country?
Find London - what do you know about it?
Describe the location of London using compass points
Co-ordinates challenges – finding directions using compass and grid references
History of London
Introduce project with a brief overview of the History of London – named by Romans as Londinium,
only one bridge at point of London Bridge (show old maps and compare), key events that affected
London (e.g. fire, plague – brief detail as covered in Year 8, images of bombing St Paul’s during WWII –
again brief as covered in Y9), key people etc.
Explore the River Thames – how long is it, where does it go, how many bridges does it have, how does
the Thames Barrier work, how many different boats use it etc.
London Landmarks.
What is London famous for today?
Name as many London Landmarks as possible from the images shown – include Westminster (Big
Ben), Tower of London (already visited), Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, St Paul’s
Cathedral, Wembley Stadium, Olympic Park, Canary Wharf, River Thames, Gherkin, etc.
Locate the landmarks on a map of London.
(Use google maps as well as printed maps).
London Transport
Name as many different types of transport as can think of, include what students currently use –
mind-map or word-link.
Define words related to transport.
Survey different forms of transport on Garratt Lane and record results in a chart/graph/pictogram;
extend to work out averages/estimates/probabilities of particular types of transport going past.
Brief history of how London transport has developed; look at maps on TfL to show connections across
London.
Complete challenges to get from one station to another in shortest time using underground map
Comprehension work on types of transport.
Write instructions on how to use public transport i.e. how to use an oyster card, safely use a bus, tram,
train, tube etc.
Read train timetable and answer problems.
London taxi focus - what questions would you ask a taxi driver? Meet a taxi driver and ask then write
up answers. (see Dave Avern).
Visit the London Transport Museum
Write about their experience there and the different types of transport they have seen.
Design a new form of transport and create instructions on how to use it. Storyboard a journey
London Tourism.
Name as many tourist destinations as possible .
Use a tourist map to help to identify most popular places to visit (see TFL website).
Discuss the impact of tourism on an area.
Create a board game to reflect London ( include landmarks, tourism and transport) and write
instructions for how to play it.
Research.
Students to choose an area to focus on and carry out independent research - choose from
History of London
The River
Landmarks
Transport
Tourism
Home
Make a class book about London.
Presentation
Students to present their research in a formal presentation setting giving self- and peer- assessments
on clarity, interest, presentation.
Trips
To support this project, several trips can be undertaken throughout, including:
London Transport Museum.
Museum of London.
Walking Tour 1: Waterloo, London, Eye, South Bank, Westminster Bridge, Parliament Square,
Whitehall, St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square.
Walking Tour 2: Waterloo, London Eye, South Bank, Waterloo Bridge, Covent Garden, Leicester
Square, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square.
Other chosen Landmarks.
Summer Term
Sports
Introduction
How many sports can you name? Mind-map / word-link / alphabetical list of as many sports as
possible.
Which of these are Olympic sports? Which are televised? Which would you like to see more of?
Sports in school – what have you played? What would like to try?
Research
Students to select from a range of options and carry out their own research on the aspects of sport
that interest them most:
- select a sport or a sports personality to research
- write an Interview for a sporting legend
- Research an Olympic event, people, places
- Fact files on most popular sports
- Create an athlete
- Design a mascot
- create a set of Top trumps showing sporting legends
Rules of the game – write your own rules for a well-known game for others to try and work out what
it is.
Teamwork. Good sportsmanship and Olympic values – why are there rules on sports and expectations
around the behavior of the athletes? Discuss the impact of not following rules in sports – refer to
Rights & Responsibilities
Link to current events / recent cases of match fixing / drug taking / steroids etc
Create a sports Magazine
Advertising – how are sports promoted? Create a suitable advert (can include all forms of media) for a
sports event / clothing / personality.
Creative writing – write a story of being at a major sporting event such as the Olympics, as an athlete
or spectator – could develop into whole class story.
Question of sport quiz – set questions for another team.
What happened next – show video clip/picture as starting point for S&L task or creative writing.
Participate
What can you do in 1 minute?
Mini-Olympics activities using measuring, time, speed, accuracy
Try a new sport. Show a talent or skill to others.
The Olympics and Global Sports
Which countries are involved in the Olympics? Summer and Winter. Fact files on host countries.
Compare the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Compare previous to current venues.
Design next venue with case for / against.
Effect on tourism and local areas.
Sport around the world – what are the most popular sports in different countries? Why?
Science
Trips
Local sporting venues.
Bowling (data challenge).
Wandle Walk (sponsored walk).
Autumn Term
Lab safety rules; hazard signs; introduction to basic lab equipment
1.Staying Alive
Cells: living and growing; seeing cells; what makes a cell.
Cells: how do we grow; all shapes and sizes; cooking up a cell; building blocks; teamwork.
4. Be reactive!
Acids & Alkalis
Spring term
3. What are things made of?
A world of tiny particles; a gritty problem; what’s the solution?.
Go with the flow; alien science teacher; mind the gap.
Building bridges; stinky stinks; growing in the heat; all change!
2. Why are we different?
Digging up the past; the same but different; sort it out; spineless; vertebrates; putting plants in their
place.
All alone; home sweet home; what a difference a day makes; the changing seasons.
Best behaviour; fit for purpose?; who eats what?
Summer Term
5. How things move
Feel the force; a weighty problem; friction: friend and foe!
Battle of the forces; speeding up and slowing down; investigating falling objects.
6. Using energy.
Wind and sunshine; energy everywhere; food, glorious food; our friend the sun.
Heating up the earth; different countries different solutions.
Art
Food Technology
7. Earth, space and beyond
The personal robot; robots and phones; blowing a fuse; circuits; lightning strike; electricity from the
humble spud!
To the planet and beyond; in a spin; all about the moon; winter and summer; alien life; life he universe
and what is outside.
Autumn Term
Pop Art: the portraits of Andy Warhol.
Drawing faces.
Autumn Colours.
Primary colours; secondary mixing.
Spring term
Egyptian Art.
Tomb art, hieroglyphs, making a model of a mummy
Summer Term
Autumn Term
Safety & Hygiene
Bread: Pizza Baguette, dough making, scones, bread pudding, cheese straws, shortbread , biscuits,
fairy cakes healthy sandwiches, hot drinks.
Food Groups
PE
Social and
Communication Skills
Creative Studies:
Music
Creative Studies: Drama
Spring term
Breakfasts: French toast, working with eggs.
Discussion on Methods: poached, fried, scrambled and boiled. Spanish Omelette.
Muesli & Fresh Fruit.
Breakfast muffins, corn fritters, pancakes.
Snacks Make a healthy cereal bar. Make a club sandwich. Stuffed omelette. Croque Monsieur. Make
pita bread with Salad and jacket potato with filling.
Summer Term
Cakes & Biscuits :oat biscuits, shortbread biscuits, flapjacks, choc chip cookies, plain biscuits to coat.
Victoria sponge, banana cake, butterfly cakes, Swiss roll, rock cakes, mini carrot cakes, marble cake.
Autumn Term
Gymnastics
Swimming
Basketball
Invasion games
Orienteering
Spring term
Swimming
Athletics
Basketball
Orienteering
Tennis
Summer Term
Cricket
Hockey
Golf
Rounders
What is good listening?
Focus listening
Eye contact
What is good talking?
Muddles and Crystals at Home programme
Muddles and Crystal Day Out programme
Autumn: Taster session Overview:
Basics of Music:
 Using ‘myself’ as an instrument
 Pulse; Body percussion
 Voice basics Karaoke
 Intro to instrument skills
Spring term
Music of the past:
 History of composers
 Influence in today’s songs/styles
Keyboards:
 Basic notation
 Keyboard functions
Practical keyboard skills
Instrument families:
 Identification
 Choosing sounds
 Groups and effects
 Create an ensemble
Summer Term
Y7 Production (link ‘Fame’ project):
 Creating a score to support production
Performance
Music & Media: Advertising (link ‘Sport’ project)
 Where is music heard?
 Adverts – examples
 Adverts – creating an advert / jingle
Autumn: Taster session Overview:
• Games,
Creative Studies: Craft
• groupwork,
• open & close,
• storytelling,
• role play,
• mime,
• imagination
Spring term
Creating a character:
 Using hats
 Role on the wall
 Hot seating
 Physical and vocal characterisation
 Status
Silent Film
 Film genres
 Body language
 Facial expressions
 Acting to music
Summer Term
Y7 Production (Fame project):
 Characterisation
 Script work
 Performance
Autumn: Taster session Overview:
Basic skills, design, prepare for Christmas market
Spring term
Creating a character
Costume design; shields (link 1066 & Castles project )
Summer Term
Y7 Production (Fame project):
Costumes & scenery to support production