Year 1 Bulletin
INVESTIGATIONS
Grade 1 Term 2
Bulletin Investigations
The Learning Experience:
Investigations is the perfect vehicle to help our students develop a variety of important skills including communication and vocabulary skills, social and emotional skills, presentation skills, self-expression, confidence, critical thinking and problem solving.
As a Focus Child, Reporter or Photographer, the students practice their language skills whilst building their confidence and self-esteem, through sharing something that is meaningful and interesting to them. We use the 5W questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and how, to support the children to organise their thoughts and ideas to explain their object or idea with a purpose.
Term 2 Provocations
Our Term 2 provocations include the Game Zone, Mathematical Minds, Vet, Sensory Habitat, Mini Makers, Inspiring Writers, Yoga Studio, Sketching Scientists, Lego Masters, Ninja Course and Fancy Fingers.
Each provocation has a Learning Intention that is linked directly to our curriculum and learning outcomes. The students are encouraged to choose a variety areas to explore throughout the term, as well as those of personal interest. The groups are organised across the three classes enabling the students to mix and work with different children, every session.
Our small group provocations are especially beneficial because they mimic real-life scenarios and encourage collaboration and teamwork. Within these groups, the children develop their many skills as they collaborate to design, create, build, roleplay, take turns and solve problems.
| Social and Emotional Development | Collaboration and Teamwork |
· Building friendships · Managing emotions/recognising disagreements · Finding solutions · Waiting for turns · Developing confidence · Practising understanding and empathy · Valuing cooperation over competition | · Sharing responsibilities and materials · Negotiating roles within the group · Respecting different perspectives · Supporting peers and working toward a common goal |
| Problem-Solving Skills | Critical Thinking |
· Identifying problems and brainstorming solutions · Evaluating options together · Negotiating and compromising to make decisions | · Making connections between ideas · Justifying choices with reasoning · Analysing and forming opinions |
Wednesday 18th June
Whole Class Teaching Point:
A teaching point is chosen as the focus for a 5 -10 minute exploration. The learning experience reinforces what we have been learning in the classroom. On Mondays we Focus on English, Wednesdays Maths and Fridays Wellbeing.
This week the students have been Maths detectives and had to find the missing addend. They have been using counting on to find a missing number. Some of the tools we use to help us include, using their fingers, counters, unifix cubes and number lines.
For example,
We began our session revising our understandings and practising some on the board. Our learning focus is always linked to our reporter and photographer role.
Reporter Focus: My answer is 12. What numbers could I have added together?
The students gave a variety of answers which the Reporter shared with their class during the whole class sharing at the end of Investigations.
Photographer Focus: Take a photo of the children making different groups. Groups of 2, 3, 4 or more
Some of the photos taken included…
How to support your child:
Please check the Focus Child Timetable regularly to check which day your child will be Focus Child, Reporter and photographer.
Help your child choose an item to bring to share with their class. Guide them to prepare for their presentation by asking them the 5W and how questions.
Items can include a favourite book/toy/game, family photo, travel souvenirs, a musical instrument, items collected from nature etc.
Kind regards,
Stef, Jarryd and Rosanna
The Year 1 Team
stephanie.lampard@education.vic.gov.au
rosanna.caruso@education.vic.gov.au
jarryd.lamb@education.vic.gov.au