Grade 4 Community News
English Update
From the Coorong to the Wild
Celebrating our Storm Boy learning and beginning a new journey with The Wild Robot
Celebrating Storm Boy
Last week, students completed a range of assessments based on their learning throughout our Storm Boy unit. We were delighted to see their growing confidence in using language effectively and in communicating their understanding of the ideas and concepts explored through the text.
As a special conclusion to the unit, students also watched the film adaptation of Storm Boy. They were completely engrossed in the storyline and particularly interested to discover that a film does not always follow a book exactly. This prompted valuable discussion about how directors interpret an author's work and make choices about characters, events and details when bringing a story to the screen.
Our new text: The Wild Robot
We have now begun reading Peter Brown's The Wild Robot, and students are already enjoying the beginning of Roz's remarkable journey. Through this engaging text, they will explore big questions about the relationship between people, technology and the natural world: Are humans separate from, or part of, nature? How do animals depend on their environments? What happens when environments change or are damaged? And do technology and nature always have to be opposites?
The novel will also provide a rich vehicle for developing students' language and writing skills. Students will build their understanding of subordinating conjunctions, practise expanding sentences with purposeful detail, develop detailed Single Paragraph Outlines, and use this planning to create their own persuasive texts.
Persuasive writing is an important skill in Grade 4 because it teaches students to form a clear opinion, support ideas with relevant reasons and evidence, organise their thinking logically, and choose language that can influence an audience. These skills strengthen not only writing, but also critical thinking, speaking and the ability to communicate ideas confidently across the curriculum.
We look forward to sharing Roz's journey and seeing where this exciting new unit takes our learners!
MATHS UPDATE
Leaping into Mathematical Success
Looking Forward in Maths
Over the next two weeks, students will continue strengthening their understanding of number, measurement, and problem-solving.
In Mathematics, students will continue to participate in a daily two-minute fluency practice to build their speed, accuracy, and confidence with number facts while developing their focus and concentration.
Students will also focus on solving vertical multiplication calculations with regrouping as well as expand their knowledge on number patterns through the introduction of branching.
Teachers will regularly monitor student understanding through ongoing formative assessments, while catch-up and extension sessions will provide opportunities to reinforce key concepts, address learning gaps, and extend students' thinking.
HUMANITIES UPDATE
Colonisation of Australia
Over the next two weeks, students will explore the arrival of the First Fleet and the beginning of British colonisation in Australia. Students will investigate the relationships between First Nations Australians and the British colonists during and following the establishment of the colony.
Through class discussions and engaging activities, students will develop their understanding of how significant events following the arrival of the First Fleet affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and the land.
