Year 5/6
English
Reading
In reading this term the grade 5/6 students will be building on their understanding of summarising a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. The students will practise giving oral and written summaries, demonstrating their understanding of the important details in a text. Grade 5 /6 students utilised a variety of strategies to summarise a variety of non-fiction and fiction based texts. Students learnt how to unpack the important details of texts through the beginning, middle and end strategy, 5W’s and 1H strategy, SQ3R strategy and SWBST strategy. Our sole focus in reading is to extend our students' abilities to provide clear and concise summaries by using the 5 nouns and verbs strategy. This encouraged students to create summaries of different texts to capture their gists. Furthermore, this extended on their ability to sequence the important events in fiction based texts in their summaries efficiently.
Writing
This term the Grade 5/6 students wrote an information report on a topic they were interested in. They followed the writing process which involved researching information to support their idea development, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. The students worked on building their understanding of the structure that is essential to information reports (introduction, description and concluding paragraph). They incorporated many text features to make their information reports interesting, such as a contents page, diagrams, captions, a glossary page and a bibliography. Throughout the unit, students also had the opportunity to extend their vocabulary through the use of subject specific vocabulary and the use of adjectives that are factual and precise. They worked on building the detail and supporting evidence in their information reports by using the TEEL structure. This helped the students add more detail to their paragraphs by including a topic sentence, an explanation, evidence and a linking sentence that helped their paragraphs link together. The students enjoyed writing on a range of topics that interested them.
Mathematics
This term in mathematics the grade 5/6 students had a major focus on ‘Fractions and Decimals’ and ‘Addition and subtraction’. Throughout the first major unit, the students began the term building on their knowledge of decimals, visualising them and representing them using materials. They worked on comparing and ordering fractions and decimals to thousandths and exploring equivalent, improper fractions and mixed numerals. Each week, throughout the major units, the students had a couple lessons a week with a focus on their minor units. The first minor unit was around ‘Data’, where students built on their understanding of the difference between numerical and categorical data. They explored a range of graph types and chose an appropriate graph type to represent their data. The students practised interpreting real world data and provided statements relating to the information they discovered. The cohort then moved onto their next major unit focus around adding and subtracting using a range of mental and written strategies such as empty number lines and vertical algorithms. While building their knowledge on addition and subtraction, the students focused on a minor unit on Geometry, where they explored the features, properties and nets of 3D shapes. The students then finished the term with a focus on ‘Length’, using their knowledge of length for finding a shape’s perimeter. They then investigated and converted between units of length and compared these to the decimal system.
Inquiry
In Inquiry this term, the Grade 5/6 students have explored the inquiry unit ‘Law and Order’. The students have developed an understanding of how Australia’s legal system aims to promote equal opportunity and justice for all. They have investigated how laws are developed and enforced in Australia, what it means to be an Australian citizen and how the Australian legal system compares to the legal systems in other countries.
Science
During Term 2, our Grade 5/6 students have been exploring Earth being part of a system of planets orbiting around a star called the Sun. Students have enjoyed learning information about the planets in our solar system through fact hunts, videos, research and hands-on activities. They have investigated the distance of the planets from the Sun, using the mnemonic My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Noodles and created detailed labelled diagrams of the solar system. Students navigated their way through NASA’s real time footage of the planets to order and compare the sizes of the planets. In groups, students have worked collaboratively to research each planet and create a 3D model of the solar system, called an orrery. They have achieved this by painting foam balls and connecting them with wires according to their distances from the Sun.
LOTE
During this term, Grade 56’s learned about Auslan being a signed language using the hands, with no voice, which is used by the Deaf Community. They learned the Auslan Alphabet, and frequently used signs associated with Colours, Family, School, Farm Animals, and Describing Animals. Grade 56’s also learned to sign Numbers in Auslan using their dominant (writing) hand. This learning was introduced through explicit sign teaching videos, games, stories, and group practice. Learning Auslan involved both expressive (signing) and receptive understanding skills (reading back what others’ sign), hence activities were designed to develop these skills. Students were encouraged to participate in lesson related activities and shared their learning and understanding with their peers and teacher. At this level, along with increased expectation regarding non-voicing, students were taught to respond and ask questions in Auslan. They were encouraged to work more independently, in some activities with a partner and learned to comprehend Auslan in stories developing their receptive/’reading back’ skills.
Art
During term 2 the grade 5 and 6 students have learnt about Monochromatic art, and its use of variations of just one colour. Throughout these lessons the students have explored how they can create different tones and shades by mixing different amounts of black or white to their base colour, they then used this knowledge to create their own Monochromatic art pieces by mixing paint to create their own shades and tints of their chosen base colour. The students then explored different art pieces by Edvard Munch, focusing on the painting “The Scream” and learning about the story behind it. After learning about Edvard Munch and the story behind “The Scream” the students used their prior knowledge on how to mix colours to create different shades and tones to create their very own “The Scream” picture.
P.E.
This was another busy term for the grade 5/6 students with a heap of interschool sport for those students lucky enough to represent the school. In this term we had students represent the school in cross-country running, netball, tee-ball, and soccer. A massive thankyou to all staff who have helped by taking students to these events, coaching teams, and supporting our school in the district competitions. Our school community should be proud of our students and how they represent our school at these events.
During lessons this term, the students in 5/6 worked on the sports of soccer and athletics. Students continued to develop the required skills for soccer which included kicking to pass and kicking to score. Students then moved towards a games-based approach for this sport playing in small-sided games. Each 5/6 class engaged in a class tournament which allowed everyone to follow rules and participate in a competition-based program. This was well received and enjoyed by everyone. It gave the students a sense of purpose and responsibility in managing a competition. In addition to this the whole school participated in a five-week dance program facilitated by stomp dance academy. This was enjoyed by all and was a source of excitement and fun for every student. In the final week of term, the whole school took part in athletics week. All students enjoyed this and it was great to see such high levels of school spirit throughout the week. Thank you to the house captains, and teachers for the support to run the weeks’ worth of events. Well-done on the effort so far grade 5/6 students, keep up the wonderful job into the second half of the year.
Music
During term 2, the students consolidated their understanding of rhythm notation. They explored pitch (high and low), including the C Major scale, with tuned percussion instruments and learnt to create and play simple melodies. The students investigated harmony through experimenting with tuned percussion and singing a two-part harmonising song. The students extended their experience of dynamics (soft and loud sounds) by expressively adjusting the volume of their voices when singing and by creating expressive soundscapes for a picture. They also learnt some of the associated musical symbols and terminology for dynamics, that show the musician how to play. The students developed their understanding of tempo (speed) through identifying and demonstrating tempo changes when making music. They listened to how composers combine the elements of music for effect and to communicate ideas.
