Year 5 Curriculum Newsletter
Maths
This term Grade 5/6 will be learning to measure angles using protractors, as well as identifying and labelling the different types of angles. Students will embark on a Measurement unit relating to volume, capacity and mass where they will use concrete materials to explore each concept. We will be focussing on Statistics and Probability which will see the students collecting, graphing and analysing data. Our major focus of this term will be building the students understanding of the four processes (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) which will be achieved through a Maths Project. Students will enjoy being engaged and extended through this exciting approach.
Reading
This term the Grade 5 and 6s will explore figurative language and come to understand the difference between similes and metaphors and how they can be used to enhance description in a text. Students will build upon their understanding and application of a range of comprehension strategies such as summarising and synthesising. They will become increasingly familiar with text features and structures of narratives, biographies and poems. The students will learn how to interpret and understand information from a range of graphics such as maps, diagrams, charts and images. Together with the teacher, students will set new individual reading goals and have the opportunity and support to practise applying specific strategies in their independent and small group reading tasks.
Writing
During Term two we will link our Reading and Writing units closely as we explore fantasy narratives. Students will become familiar with unique elements of fantasy texts and compose their own narratives. A unit on poetry writing will see the students exploring a variety of poems such as rhyming, free verse, limericks and sonnets. The inclusion of figurative language, descriptive phrases and alliteration will enhance success with this genre. In the second half of the term students will learn skills of interviewing and will plan, draft and publish a biography. Student work samples will again be used to aid in the creation of individualised goals during teacher-student conferencing, and these goals will be monitored and evaluated throughout the term.
Inquiry
This term in Inquiry the students will be exploring Earth as part of a system of planets and celestial bodies that orbit the sun in our unit ‘Cosmic Connections’. They will learn to recognise that technologies developed to aid space exploration and have changed the way people live, work and communicate. Students will examine how different types of questions can be used to identify and clarify information, ideas and possibilities.
Wellbeing
We are looking forward to continuing to build upon our social and emotional skills through weekly Resilience Project sessions. Students will keep exploring the importance of gratitude, empathy and mindfulness through a series of carefully planned and targeted learning experiences and will be guided to apply a range of effective strategies to solve friendship issues. Targeted Respectful Relationships sessions will be implemented each week to support the students as they navigate their social landscape and develop positive gender relations.
Japanese
This term in Japanese, the Grade 5 students are developing their reading, writing, speaking and listening through a unit focusing on food. Students will learn to identify, say and write a variety of food names. They will build their speaking and listening skills through learning to say "I like/dislike ___.” Students will also learn about chopstick etiquette and Japanese vending machines.
They will continue to learn the three scripts of Japanese, with hiragana being the main focus. Students will have opportunities to continue to move through the Hiragana Karate belts this term.
They will also learn about cultural events in Japan such as Ohanami and Children’s Day.
Visual Arts
This term students in Year 5 will continue to explore new techniques and materials when creating their art. They will learn about ‘gelli printing’ as they make painted papers to use in a mixed media collage. They will create a 3-dimensional disco ball, using colours to create the illusion of depth and light. Students will be working along with a community artist as they create their own original canvas art for our upcoming Art Show. They will work towards being courageous artists who give new techniques a go and they will work safely in the art room. I look forward to exciting times this term in the Visual Arts room.
Performing Arts
In Term Two in Performing Arts, Grade Five students will proudly share their performances developed from ‘Aesop fables’ to an audience of younger students. This will complete the production process that they have been working on throughout the semester. Students will then move on to explore the concept of empathy when they created their own digital photo stories based on the themes of inclusion and exclusion.
Physical Education
In Grade 5 PE classes, students further develop their physical abilities through challenging activities and sports. In preparation for inter-school competitions students will learn, practise and master different game specific skills. Students continued to refine their skills in different Athletic events whilst having the opportunity to compete in these at Athletics Day. They refine techniques and strategies whilst developing sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork to best represent Kismet Park against other schools.