Middle School
Grades 3 and 4
Runt
Runt by Marion Dane Bauer tells the story of Annie, a unique young girl living in the drought-stricken Australian town of Upson Downs. With her family struggling to save their farm, Annie tries to solve their problems in two ways: by attempting to use her grandfather's invention to make it rain, and by entering a stray dog named Runt into an agility competition. The challenge is that Runt will only perform when no one is watching, but with help from her brother Max, Annie manages to win the competition. The story is full of quirky, humorous characters and names that lighten the mood while also weaving in important life lessons. Themes such as the value of individuality, the folly of materialism, and the importance of following one's passion are explored in a way that is entertaining rather than preachy. Overall, Runt is a heartwarming and thought-provoking tale about resilience, family, and finding your own path.
The Grade 3/4 students really enjoyed reading Runt, finding the quirky characters and Annie's determination both funny and inspiring. When comparing the novel to the film, they noticed how the characters looked and moved on screen, and how some parts of the story were different, which made them think about how books and movies can tell the same story in unique ways.
Watching Runt
Watching Runt
Maths Money
Grade 3/4 have enjoyed finishing off their maths money unit by completing their online maths wallet activities containing a range of problems involving adding and subtracting money, calculating change and solving money related worded problems, with and without the use of digital technolgies. Students have also been able to use their hard earned cash to purchase a range of activities in the classroom and have been very creative with pooling their funds together to ensure that they could maximise their purchasing power!
Here are some of the rewards that they were able to buy with their play money. Students have loved this maths unit and really enjoyed the real life connection of being able to earn and spend money.
