Year 4 Curriculum Newsletter
Welcome to our first grade 4 curriculum newsletter. Term One will be an opportunity for our Grade 4 students to challenge themselves, learn new skills and routines and access new classroom resources such as our BYOD iPad program. We’re looking forward to climbing into the “Learning Pit” together.
Reading
In reading, We will be looking at a range of comprehension strategies, to build up our ability to think, reflect, interpret and respond to high quality texts. We will be starting with visualisation strategies, making predictions, connecting with the text and using inferred information from a text to respond to questions and conversations about what we are reading. Students will be working in reading groups as well as working on their own reading goals whilst working with high quality chapter books.
Writing
In the writing domain, students will engage in the persuasive writing genre. Students will first be looking at the structure of a persuasive writing text, constructing persuasive paragraphs and using persuasive language techniques. This will involve the students writing across a variety of text types such as letters, speeches, formal and informal persuasive texts.
Maths
In our mathematics curriculum, we will focus on two key areas during this term: measurement and place value. Our place value unit will focus on building skills that relate to interpreting place value within numbers up to tens of thousands, and using place value knowledge to solve problems involving these numbers. We will also be looking at algebra and counting patterns, solving problems that involve analogue and digital time and calculating and labelling angles.
Inquiry
In Term 1 Students will be looking at two different topics for their Inquiry based learning; Civics and Citizenship and Sustainability. Students will learn about Australian laws, levels of Government as well as how human activity can impact different environments and ecosystems.
We are thrilled about the upcoming term and look forward to partnering with you to ensure a successful and rewarding learning journey for our Grade 4 students.
Japanese
This term in Japanese, the Grade 4 students will be explicitly taught hiragana, the first Japanese alphabet. Students will learn to read a hiragana chart and how to use the chart to identify and say each character. They will sing the hiragana rap to help memorise the order of the alphabet. Students will participate in whole class, small group and individual activities to apply their knowledge of the alphabet. They will complete a hiragana booklet to practise writing each character with correct stroke order and reading and writing simple Japanese words and sentences.
Visual Arts
This term students investigate the tools of drawing, creating artworks using pencils, markers, crayons, and oil pastels. Students will continue to learn about the elements of art – line, shape, and colour. They will learn that lines can be combined and repeated in patterns and that imaginary shapes are called abstract shapes. Students will explore making marks for texture, shape, and colour; and drawing with rubbings for texture and shape. When learning about colour, students will identify primary and secondary colours and they will discover that images might be coloured realistically or in an imaginative way.
Performing Arts
During Term One in Performing Arts, Grade Four students will be learning the basics of reading music, including notes that sit ‘on the line’ and ‘in the space’ on a musical stave when playing ‘The Ribbon Game’. Students will explore the length of different notes when learning about full, half and quarter notes. By the end of the term, students will be able to read enough sheet music to begin playing the recorder and keyboard.
Physical Education
In Grade 4 PE classes, students continue to develop their fundamental movement skills while exploring more challenging games and sports. They refine their techniques and strategies, focusing on fair play and teamwork. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their physical abilities in events such as House Athletics and Cross Country. Social skills are emphasised through cooperative play and team sports, fostering empathy and leadership abilities.
