Year 4 News
Welcome Back
What a fantastic start to the term! Congratulations to all our Year 4 students for the positive and mature way they have approached what has been a very busy first few weeks.
Students have settled quickly into their new learning spaces and classes, showing flexibility, resilience and enthusiasm. Our teachers have been especially impressed with the independence and maturity demonstrated throughout the swimming program.
And wow — what amazing swimmers we have in Year 4! We are very much looking forward to the upcoming Swimming Carnival — an exciting first for our Year 4 students.
Unit of Inquiry
Transdisciplinary Theme
Sharing the Planet
Central Idea
All children have rights regardless of who they are.
Lines of Inquiry:
The rights that all children should have
The similarities and difference between a right and responsibility
Whether these rights differ throughout the world
Students have been exploring the concept of rights through video clips, class discussions, books and collaborative group activities. They were fascinated to learn about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and engaged thoughtfully in discussions about the many rights children have around the world.
As part of their learning, students selected a right they felt particularly passionate about and explained why it is so important. We have been incredibly proud of the depth of thinking, empathy and insight they have shown.
We look forward to continuing this important learning journey together.
Maths
This term in Maths, Year 4 students have been revising their understanding of place value — learning that the value of a digit depends on its position within a number. They have built on this knowledge by exploring the place value of decimal numbers.
Students have been representing tenths and hundredths in a variety of ways, including using visual models, place value charts, and number lines to strengthen their understanding. They are now applying this knowledge to add and subtract decimal numbers, using the area model to help them solve problems clearly and confidently.
It has been wonderful to see students developing their accuracy, confidence, and mathematical reasoning skills.
Text Study
Our first text study for the year explores the fascinating world of Greek myths. Students are reading Greek Myths: Three Heroic Tales by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden, discovering exciting stories filled with heroes, monsters and adventures.
This week, students have been learning to:
identify Greek myths as a type of fiction
explain the importance and role Greek myths played in Ancient Greece
analyse the characters in Greek myths and describe their traits
Throughout the term, students will explore how these myths are structured and will practise analysing, interpreting and evaluating the texts in greater depth.
Our first featured myth is the well-known tale of Theseus and the Minotaur, where students will follow the hero’s journey and examine the challenges he faces.
We look forward to sharing more of our learning as we continue our mythological adventures!
Here is what some of the students have to say about our Text Study:
I am enjoying the text study. I think the book is really enjoyable even though it is just a myth.
Ineke
I like learning about the new cultures and what people used to believe.
Emily
I’m enjoying our text study. I like learning about Greek Myths because it is something new.
Owen
I like learning about new cultures and Greek Mythology is something that Greek people believe in. I love learning about it in Art too for example we learnt about Indian culture.
Zoe
I like learning about Greek Mythology because I think the mythical creatures are cool and the stories are good.
Bjorn
I like learning about lots of different cultures and what people believe in. I like being creative and Greek Mythology is something new.
Jessie
