Autumn 1
Why is creation a gift and how do we honour that gift?

This half term in Year 4, our learning is rooted in the Catholic Social Teaching theme of Stewardship of God’s Creation, guided by the question: “Why is creation a gift and how do we honour this gift?” Throughout the term, we will reflect on the beauty and richness of God’s creation and consider the responsibility we have to care for the world around us. Through prayer, discussion and our learning across the curriculum, we will explore how our choices can show gratitude for creation and help protect it for future generations.

As historians, the children will explore the unit ‘The Anglo-Saxons’. They will develop their understanding of how Britain changed following the end of Roman rule and investigate who the Anglo-Saxons were, why they settled in Britain and what life was like in their communities. Children will use historical sources and archaeological evidence to explore Anglo-Saxon homes, farming, settlements, beliefs and daily life, developing skills in chronology, historical enquiry, interpreting evidence, and understanding change and continuity.

The study of the Anglo-Saxons provides an opportunity to consider how people have always depended upon and interacted with the natural world. Children will explore how Anglo-Saxon communities relied on land, animals, forests, rivers and natural resources for food, shelter and survival. This will encourage them to reflect on how we use the Earth’s resources today and how our responsibility as Christians is to care for God’s creation rather than take it for granted.

By the end of the term, children will be able to explain why creation is understood as a gift from God and how the Anglo-Saxons depended on and cared for the natural environment. They will consider how we can honour this gift through responsible choices, reducing waste, respecting living things and protecting our environment for future generations. This learning journey will help children make meaningful connections between the past and their responsibility as stewards of God’s creation today.