Specialist News

Italian News!

Prep

Over this term, the prep children have been learning about i stagoni (the seasons). They learnt the Italian words for the name of each season, how to express temperature and identified which items of clothing you would typically wear during each season. 

Children have also spent some time revisiting the name of italian vegetables while learning about the cultural importance of gardening and cooking. Through videos and songs they explored how a family used their home grown produce to cook sugo! 

The prep children have been especially busy creating an incredible season's inspired art piece for the art show. They have taken great pride in sharing their knowledge of the seasons through a creative medium.

Grade 1/2

This term, the Grade 1/2 children have been learning about the seasons. They have learnt how to name each season, express the temperature and weather features of each season and how to state their favourite and least favourite season.

They have also been developing their written communication skills by creating a brief paragraph about themselves Tutto su di me! (All about me!) In these paragraphs they have focused on using short sentences and a balance of familiar and new words to create a short biography of themselves. They focussed on introducing themselves and stating their hair and eye colour, where they live, the members of their family and what they enjoy doing.

Grade 3/4

The 3/4 children have been learning about the geographical and climate differences of the northern, central and southern regions of Italy. Through a deeper understanding of geography and climate they were able to identify which crops were cultivated in each region and explain the  impact of climate on crop choice and ways that foods are prepared

In pairs or groups of three, the children created an informative slideshow that outlined their new understanding. They then went on to select a region that interested them and focused on regional cuisine, common crops and ways that they are used in everyday cooking.

To further enrich their understanding of Italy’s geography, the children voted to learn about  Mount Vesuvius and its history. They drew parallels to Yellowstone which is a supervolcano (caldera) and asked many thought provoking questions.

Grade 5/6

In Grade 5/6, children have been exploring the regions of Italy. In pairs they chose a region that interested them and researched the following:

• Population
• Significant landmarks and their historical or cultural significance
• Any interesting facts that they felt would engage their audience
• Regional cuisine, with a focus on geography, climate and produce

In addition to this, children used their knowledge of the ‘are’ verbs to create a travel guide/blog outlining things that you could see and do on a trip to their chosen region.

The children have also spent some time learning about how ancient roman architecture influenced our modern day facilities such as how roads are built in layers, running water, latrines and heating systems. They also were very interested to learn about the city of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. Students practiced their note taking skills to record information.