Grade 5/6

Numeracy

BIG IDEA STATEMENT: 

THE BASE TEN NUMERATION SYSTEM - The base ten numeration system is a scheme for recording numbers using digits 0-9, groups of ten, and place value.

Our students are focusing on decimals, multiples, factors, adding and subtracting decimals and multiplying and dividing by the power of 10. 

Some of the concepts will focus on estimation and rounding to help us create a rough answer quicker. Place value and the language of tenths, hundredths and thousandths has been a primary focus which will be used in our future fraction work.

In fluency, students are learning their 12 times tables, using the strategies of using our 10s and 2s or our 11s then adding one more. 

Literacy 

In Literacy, we have started our unit on our mentor text 'Rivet Boy', throughout this unit, students will be connecting the text to their own life, the world and other texts. We have also been learning about the conjunctions; because, but and so and when to use each of them.

Students have written their introduction and first paragraph of their persuasive. Their topic is based off Rivet Boy, a 12-year-old boy who had to leave school and work for his family. He has to be the breadwinner for his family in order to survive. 

Our students are learning about child labour and its negative effects this has on the child, their families, their lives and countries. A huge disadvantage they have learnt about is the millions of children who miss out on an education, especially girls all around the globe. Their persuasive piece in based on how child labour is wrong. 

Here are some snippets of some students draft work. 

Benji - What are we doing sitting around with a good school to go to and wishing we did not have to go, while there are kids begging for what we have, this needs to stop. 

Maeve - Kids not getting an education is a threat and if they are in poverty now, it will follow them to adulthood. 

Amelia - So even though you might not have everything, be grateful that you don't live a appalling life of poverty like these poor children.

Connor - The facts about this is despicable. Cruel crime are the children that don't have a bright upbringing because of the lack of learning and skills. 

Integrated Studies

In Integrated Studies, this term out topic is 'The Journey to Discovery'. 

Students will further develop their science inquiry skills and ability to make discoveries by investigating the answers to scientific questions. They will learn about electrical circuits, light pollution and refraction, the seasons and states of matter. Students will conduct experiments by taking fair testing and safety into consideration.

Over the past 2 weeks, students have learnt about light pollution.

Animals use natural light signals from the sun, moon and stars to time their behaviour and life processes, such as :

• patterns of rest and activity,
• growth, reproduction and migration, and
• navigation over short and long distances.

Light pollution can mimic, mask or confuse natural light signals used by wildlife. 

We have also touched on our seasons and over the next week, this week exploring the impacts and how long our days are in each month of the year.  This week, we will be diving more into what makes our Earth special.

Harry's and Ava's table and graph of daylight hours of their chosen place.