Learning and Curriculum Primary - Stage 3

Year 5 Geography 

This term, students have undertaken a unit titled ‘The Great Aussie Road Trip’ and have explored the book Are we there yet? by Alison Lester. Students have been learning about cities, towns, and communities and how they are organised using geographical information. Using class time for their assessment task, students will design their own ‘Great Aussie Road Trip.’ They have been asked to start at a capital city, cover a distance of at least 1,500 kilometres (maximum 2,000 kilometres), visit an urban, regional and remote place, provide a detailed description of each place they visit and include the Aboriginal Country the places are located on, the language of the area and some places of local Aboriginal significance. We look forward to their final products which they will present to each other in small groups during a mini ‘Travel Expo’ at the end of the term.  

Year 6 History  

This term, students have undertaken a unit titled ‘Your Say Matters: Democracy in Action’. Students have been learning about how Australia’s government works and the importance of democracy. They will explore the origins and values of Australia’s two-house parliamentary system and understand the principle that everyone is equal under the law. Students have learnt how laws are made in Federal Parliament and the roles of the three levels of government in Australia. Ultimately students will learn about the various ways people can participate in democracy.  

Using class time for their assessment task and their knowledge about informative writing from English, students will research what voting rights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and women had and how these voting rights were obtained in Australia. Students will produce an informative text with the inclusion of a dual timeline to sequence key events. Throughout the unit, students will improve their writing, using evidence from sources to support their points. This unit aims to help students understand how democracy works and their role as active citizens. We look forward to their final products as they continue their learning of Australian history. 

Interim Reports  

By the end of Week 8 this term, families will receive an Interim Report, using the vocabulary scale of Consistently, Usually, Satisfactorily, Occasionally and Rarely. At St Patrick’s College we value the following student attributes: 

1. Application: A student’s degree of readiness to find purpose in his own learning, readiness to work independently, and ability to direct his own academic growth. 

    

2. Commitment to Study: A student’s diligence in the completion of classwork, assignments, homework, revision, and/or assigned study. 

    

3. Conduct: The degree to which a student is cooperative and polite towards the teacher and his peers, demonstrating courtesy and respect.

    

4. Engagement: The level to which a student actively participates in class activities and asks and responds to questions. 

    

5. Responsibility: The extent to which a student is punctual, prepared and organised for lessons. 

Daniel Fields                                                              Sarah Tatola

Head of Curriculum (Stage 3)                                Head of Teaching and Learning - Stage 3