Years 5 & 6

We have been so busy over the past few weeks with the performance, Fleece and Flower Show and Camp that we all feel like we haven't been in the classroom!

We have attempted, in between these activities and end of year assessments, to actually do some learning....

LITERACY

We continue to focus on our class novel "War Horse" by Michael Murporgo. The students have become quite invested in the story, some having already finished the book so they could find out what happened in the end!

We use this novel to improve our comprehension, fluency and vocabulary. There are some complex words within the text, and this is helping open our eyes to new and interesting words.

NUMERACY

We have been learning about chance and probability, thinking about the different outcomes that can result from different activities. So far, we have looked at the possible outcomes of rolling a six sided dice, then 2 six sided dice. We have tossed 1 coin, then 2. And of course ….we played 2Up! We didn’t get to the process of betting/reading the odds before the Melbourne Cup or the Dunkeld Races. But we will! And don’t worry – Mrs Steele lives by the rule – gambling never pays!

We have also been analysing how we can complete multiplication of larger numbers using strategies other than the traditional written method. So far we have practiced breaking down factors into addends.

For example:

12 x 16 = (12 x 10) + (12 x 6) = 120 + 72 = 192

OR

15 x 22 = (15 x 10) + (15 x 10) + (15 x 2) = 150 + 150 + 30 = 330

When we think about different strategies, we increase our numeracy skills and understanding. Learning a process by rote does not deepen our understanding. Experimenting with numbers based on what we know helps us to think in new and creative ways.