Curriculum News, Year 5
Term 2, 2024

We have an exciting term ahead, continuing our investigations into how significant events have shaped the present time and our future and preparing for our ‘How the world works’ unit of inquiry showcase of learning. This showcase will provide our Year 5 students with the opportunity to share their newly acquired knowledge and expertise about specific natural disasters from around the world, how this impacts a particular region and explain their innovative design of a solution to help the community and environment.

Specific details about our Year 5 Showcase will be provided in the coming weeks via Compass.

Unit of Inquiry

Transdisciplinary Theme:

Where we are in place and time

Central Idea:

Past events shape the present and the future.

Lines of inquiry:

European settlement in Australia
Asian migration in Australia
Impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Transdisciplinary Theme:

How the world works

Central Idea:

Changes to the Earth’s surface and natural environment can impact communities.

Lines of inquiry:

Sudden geological changes
Extreme weather conditions
Impact on human lives
Impact on the environment

Reminders:

5/6 Sport Program

Students are to arrive at school no later than 8:30am on Fridays and meet their coaches in the designated area for roll call prior to departure. Any student that arrives after the buses have departed are to proceed to the main office for further instructions.

Students are required to wear their sport polo shirt and bring any additional items/equipment (ie. mouth guard, shin pads, etc) for their particular sport. During wet weather, students are to bring a wet weather jacket, and pack a spare pair of clean, dry socks and/or runners for comfort after their activity. Details about the weekly sports activities will be posted on Compass.

Homework and Student Diaries

Homework tasks are distributed on Monday and students are expected to complete all tasks and return their Homework book and signed Student Diary to school each Friday. Students are expected to inform their class teacher of any incomplete homework before Friday. Homework catch-up sessions will be offered during lunch times on Fridays for any students who choose not to complete the required tasks. We remind parents to regularly check in with their child’s progress at home and initial their child’s diary regularly.

Literacy

Reading

We will continue to build on the students’ knowledge and application of the C.A.F.E. reading strategies throughout Term 2. More specifically, we will look at ‘Tuning into interesting words’ to expand vocabulary, and ‘Making a mental image’ to study how authors use imagery, in the form of figurative language, in their texts (metaphor, personification and simile).

There will be a continued focus on building reading stamina through ‘Read to Self’ and broadening students’ reading interests through exposure to a variety of text types. We will be introducing regular ‘Read to Someone’ sessions where the students read to their prep buddy. This is an opportunity to share the joy of literature, as well as practice specific reading skills.

It is an expectation that students continue to read regularly at home, a minimum of three times per week.

Writing

This term students explore the writing trait of Sentence Fluency using mentor texts. We will be examining how sentences flow, sentence beginnings, types of sentences (ie. compound and complex) and sentence length. Students will demonstrate their understanding of different sentences by applying their knowledge when writing more interestingly for their audience.

Students will continue to develop their own writing ideas and style using their Writer's Notebook. The correct use of punctuation, word choice and accurate spelling will be identified and targeted throughout writing lessons.

Spelling

Students will continue to review the correct spelling of words using the SMART Spelling weekly focus. They will also identify personal spelling errors in their own writing, known as 'Back of Book' words, explore patterns within word lists and expand their vocabulary linking spelling to our units of inquiry.

Students will be provided with opportunities for extension by identifying unfamiliar words in when reading and using their dictionary to find words that relate to the weekly spelling focus.

Speaking and Listening

This term students will be further developing their 'Speaking and Listening' skills by collaboratively working in groups to completing research projects, and planning and developing a Year 5 Showcase presentation to share their acquired knowledge with their peers, teachers and the school community.

Numeracy

Number

Students will continue to revise and build on their understanding of place value, applying their knowledge of the four processes (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). We will look at the interpretation, comparisons and order of decimal numbers and common fractions, and determine the divisibility of a number depending on their factors and multiples.

Through problem solving investigations, students will be provided with opportunities to independently or with a partner, demonstrate their understanding of numeracy applications in open ended, challenging questions.

Algebra

In algebra, students will learn to recognise and explain the connection between multiplication and division as inverse operations and create number facts using their knowledge to find the unknown values in numerical equations.

Measurement

Students will be exploring and comparing 12-24 hour time systems, solving practical problems involving the conversion between them and will choose appropriate metric units when measuring length, mass and capacity. We will also be investigating angles using protractors to estimate, construct and measure angles in degrees.

Statistics

Students will acquire, validate and represent data distributions and discuss these distributions in terms of highest frequency (mode).

Probability

Year 5 students will explore possible outcomes and describe the likelihood and probability of an event occurring using the practical application of hands-on games and chance experiments.

Inclusive Approaches

Term 2 will be an opportunity for students to explore, through lessons within the Resilience Project and Cyber Safety programs, the ongoing importance of respectful relationships, emotional literacy and empathy.

Whole-school Focus on PYP Learner Profile

April and May - Reflective

We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

June - Communicators

We express ourselves confidently and creatively. We are grateful, expressing a deep feeling of appreciation. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.