Prep Specialist News - Term 3

Visual Art

The Term 3 Unit of Inquiry is called ‘Architecture of Many Nations’, which integrates with the Transdisciplinary theme- ‘How the World Works’. The Unit focuses on the different architecture across the world, paying particular attention to the unique differences in the design of homes in varying climates and the materials that are used. We explore the work of architects/artists Hundertwasser, Gaudi and Jan Sensberg. 

Students Create

• Continuous Line drawing, keeping the pen to the page capturing a detailed city.  
• Multi-media collage and colouring, inspired by the architecture of Hundertwasser and Gaudi, adding detail and pattern to the Continuous Line drawing city. 
• Construction using cardboard tubes to create an imaginative and decorated Skyscraper. 
• Melbourne City Landscape drawings inspired by the works of Jan Sensberg’s city scapes. 
• Clay African hut. Looking at the diversity of traditional architecture in Africa to capture shape and pattern. 

Language - Japanese

Term Focus & Topics

•  Japanese Houses and Family  

PYP Transdisciplinary Theme

'How The World Works'

CLIMATE AND THE TYPE OF MATERIALS AVAILABLE DETERMINES THE STRUCTURES THAT CAN BE BUILT.  

Concepts: Form, Function, Perspective   

Lines of Inquiry   

• The different materials used to build structures.  
• The way these materials influence the design of the buildings and structures.  

Students Will Be Able To  

• Say and spell “HOUSE” in Japanese.  
• Say and spell “BIG” and “SMALL” in Japanese.  
• Describe a house with the adjectives (big and small).  
• Explain what Japanese houses are like and tell similarities and differences between houses in Australia. 
• Spot differences between old and new houses of Japan.  
• Tell what kind of rooms a typical Japanese house has.  
• Make an ORIGAMI house and label it in Japanese characters.   
• Say and spell family words such as Mum and Dad in Japanese. 

Physical Education

The term three unit we are focusing on is, 'How the World Works'. 

Focus - Athletics

Athletic type activities incorporating running, vertical jump and leaping and throwing. Use these skills in races, relays and minor games. We will also run a Mini Athletics carnival where students get to interact across junior year levels with one another as athletes do from different countries whilst competing at the Commonwealth Games.  

Motor Skills in Organised Games- revise the basic skills of throwing, catching and bouncing. Concentrate on skills covered in Semester One through interactive game play. 

• Concepts - Form – understanding how athletes interact with one another no matter where they are from or how different people are. 

Learner Profile Attributes

• Risk Taker and Knowledgeable 

Music

Prep students will continue to use their voice and instruments in creative ways. They will explore how the different music elements work together and learn to understand, read and write, symbols of music. Through songs and activities, students are gaining confidence in making and creating music. 

Students Will

• Demonstrate an understanding of both beat and rhythm. 
• Be introduced to graphic notation and have opportunity to use this as they write their own informal percussion scores to perform. Students are understanding that one function of the written score, is to include others in playing along. 
• Read the score to ‘Count the Beat’ and practice it for a class performance, using the percussion instruments. Students will be encouraged to recognise the form of the music they play along to. 
• Learn to listen to instructions and work cooperatively in performance groups.  
• Play Chime Bars and learn correct technique.  
• Make their own maraca for use in a ‘sound effects’ story. They will discuss their choice of materials and reflect on the effectiveness of their sound and design.   
• Dance two Australian folk dances accompanied by an ‘Aussie lagerphone’. They will also discuss the materials used and design of the lagerphone, to enrich their class UOI into ‘materials and structures’. 
• View a live performance called ‘Two Wheeled Time Machine’. Students will reflect on their learning and experience and incorporate their ideas into their class activities.  
• Form a connection and understanding of remote communities, as they work towards a whole school performance, to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. 
• Sing songs relating to the Unit of Inquiry. 

Library

Students Will

• Continue to revise parts of the book- title, author, illustrator, spine, barcode and endpapers 
• Continue to discuss care and handling of the books and shelving them correctly in Picture fiction. 
• Revise sections of the library in a library walk and game 
• Introduce Children’s Book Week, read the shortlisted books for Early Childhood over six weeks prior to Book Week, discuss and decide which we like best. 
• Read and discuss texts related to UOI How the World Works, Building and Structures. 
• Read and discuss books about Dad for Fathers’ Day.