Year 5/6 NEWS

In Year 5/6 we have had a very busy term. We have been learning all about Chemical and Biological Science, Fractions, Time, Information Reports, Prayer and much more! Read our newsletter to see all the wonderful things we have been doing!!

English

Literature Circles

In Term Two and Three in Year 5/6 we complete Literature Circles for our Reading. Everyone gets given a book to read throughout the term, each week we meet in our groups to discuss the book and share our thoughts and ideas on what might be happening. It is a great way for us to learn to think deeply about what is happening in a text and why. 

Writing

In Writing this term we have been learning to write Information Reports. We have been writing information reports about animals and their adaptations.

We are using the information we are researching  to make websites about different animal and plant adaptations. 

Maths

In Maths this term we have learnt about Measurement, finding the area and perimeter of compound shapes, fractions and time.

We have learnt how to add and subtract fractions with the same and different denominators, locate and place fractions on a number line and solve problems involving fractions.

When learning about time, we learnt about 24-hour time and 12-hour time and how to convert between the two. 

We have also started learning about elapsed time and how to calculate elapsed time. Elapsed time is the time which is taken by an event from the start to the finish. 

Religion

This is a term we have been learning about prayer. We have learnt different types of prayers and other ways to speak and communicate with God, and connecting with the Holy Spirit.

Some ways we have learnt to pray include Meditation, Mantras, Scripture, Art, Song and formal prayer such as the Our Father and Hail Mary. 

We also made rock with a word that stood out to us after we read different scriptures from the bible that we can use during medative prayer, and we created our own art based on the Our Father Prayer.

We have all enjoyed learning more about prayer and talking with God and praying in many different ways.                                              

Interschool Sport

On Friday afternoons, the Year 5/6 students participate in Interschool Sport. Each week we play against a different school in both Netball and Football getting ready for the Lightning Premiership in Week 9. Both the netballers and footballers have had some wins and losses, and we are enjoying getting to play sport each week and learn new skills.

Integrated

In Integrated this term, we have been learning about Chemical Science and Biological Science.

Chemical Science

We have learnt that most things can be classified as one of the three main states of matter, solid, liquid or gas. We have also learnt about chemical and physical changes to the state, as well as that these changes can be reversible or irreversible.

In Week 5 we were lucky enough to participate in a science incursion where we learnt all about these changes. We mixed substances to create chemical and physical changes and got to create our own rockets using chemical changes.

Biological Science

We have also been learning about Biological Science and the ways animals and plants adapt to their environment. 

Adaptations are when an animal has a special ability to protect themselves and hunt other animals. There are three main types of adaptations: Behavioural, Structural, and Physiological.

Behavioural Adaptations are when an animal does something to protect themselves these include migrating, travelling in groups, being active at night, and hibernating. 

Structural Adaptations are when animals have a structural feature to defend from other animals, or help them survive, such sharp teeth or big eyes. 

Physiological Adaptations are when an animal has a feature internal inside their body which helps them survive just like how a snake has venom to inject to their prey. 

As part of our Adaptations unit, we visited the Melbourne Zoo to learn more about animal adaptations and observe the animals in something similar to their natural environment. With one of the zoo teachers we got to look at different bones from animals and worked out what physical, behavioral and physiological adaptations they would have had.

Mel Norton, Marie Casey & Linda Di Camillo

5/6 Teachers