Year 3/4–Celebrating Learning

Science! 

Over the past two weeks in Science, the grade ¾ students have been investigating bridges and how they are designed and built to be stable and strong structures. We have designed two separate bridges in groups, firstly based on students’ own ideas and perceptions, and then another after learning more about the strength of the triangle. Together, we tested these bridges using weights and competed to see who’s bridge would hold the most. Some got up to 12.1kg of weight without breaking!

Maths!

In Maths we are continuing to look at fractions and measurement. The 3/4s have been starting to explore equivalent fractions and different ways to represent fractions through shapes, patterns, diagrams and more. We have also been trying some tricky fraction problems, like figuring out the fraction of a small triangle within an origami flower. For measurement, we have been practising our estimation skills and guessing whether containers will hold more or less liquid than others. Some lucky classes got to test this out with actual water, which made a bit of a mess but was great fun!

English!

In Reading, students are continuing to develop their summarising and note-taking skills. We have investigated some interesting, topical articles and focused on their main ideas to share with one another. We are also looking out for interesting techniques that journalists and authors might use to keep readers interested. 

In Writing, the grade 3/4s are continuing to explore paragraphing. Now that we have worked on dialogue, we are looking at paragraphing when there is a change in time or place in a narrative. It’s a challenging skill to learn, but the ¾ teachers have seen some excellent pieces of writing amongst the cohort that demonstrate some serious determination and effort.