Overview

English

In Term 4 students will continue to borrow from the Library, read at school and at home every night to improve their comprehension and fluency.  Reading is also encouraged to help learn new things, find new interest areas and improve spelling and writing. Students will continue to practise their speaking and listening skills at school through a variety of tasks including Talking Topics, sharing work and class discussions. 

Our English focus this term is on similarities and differences and will focus on building cultural understanding alongside Literacy skills. Students will read a variety of texts and are encouraged to form opinions, make predictions and justify their thinking through a variety of written, spoken and reflective tasks. They will work through the Writing Process to independently plan, draft, edit and refine and publish both imaginative and informative texts. Through exploring the Mem Fox texts:

I’m Australian Too  and  Whoever You Are, the students are introduced to the concept of what makes us different as well as what makes us similar as humans. We will look at how their lives are both similar and different to other children across the world through a range of digital and print texts. They will learn about Australia as a multicultural nation and look at texts from different cultures and backgrounds including Anh Do’s biography The Little Refugee . With a focus on Asia, students will look at a traditional fable and another biographical text, The Peasant Prince. The unit will come full circle with a connection between 

The Peasant Prince,  The Little Refugee  and the characters in I’m Australian Too, who all come to Australia seeking a better life. These texts allow students to recognise the diversity of Australian people and the value of multiculturalism. Students are building the skills to make comparisons between their lives and the lives of others. We hope these texts can build empathetic understanding and allow our students to gain the skills to be culturally and socially conscious global citizens.

Mathematics

During Term 4 students will be consolidating their maths skills and continuing to improve their mental maths ability through a variety of class tasks and games. Throughout the term they will also continue to explore and extend their number knowledge, particularly multiplication and division. We will continue to look at fractions as well as a variety of measurement concepts such as area, volume and capacity as well as mass. Continual practise of number facts, skip counting and times tables at home are encouraged throughout the term.

Visual Arts

In Term 4 the students will learn about Aboriginal dot painting and why Aboriginal people used and continue to use dots to create art works. They will use their imagination to finish a cut out image in order to complete a picture in a realistic manner. They will develop skills on colour blending and colour matching. The students will learn about kinetic art and create their own kinetic piranha. They will be able to create intricate patterns and show that in their work. The students will learn about artists Theo Jansen, Anthony Howe and other artists that create kinetic art. In Year 3 the students continue to develop colour blending skills and learn how to blend colours using oil pastels. They will learn how to draw facial features using correct facial proportion and discuss the artist Frida Kahlo and her self-portraits. At the end of the term the students will compare their portrait from the beginning of the year to the end of the year and reflect on their artistic development.

Geography

While Term 3 unveiled thousands of years of Australian history with our unit on First Contacts, in Term 4, students will look at Australia from a geographical point of view. They will continue to build on knowledge of Australia and its geographical features as well as recognise Australia’s geographical position within a wider world context. When looking at Australia in a global sphere, students will look abroad to Australia’s closest neighbours and will learn about some of the countries in Oceania and South East Asia. Students will be focussing on identifying similarities and differences between their own lives and those of our closest neighbours in Asia and Oceania.

Science and Technology

Everyday we see or use things that have been melted or frozen, heated or cooled. In Science this term we will be exploring the concept of melting and the way materials can change their state under a range of different conditions. Students will learn that matter exists in various states such as solid, liquid and gas and will look at how a liquid or solid’s exposure to temperature can alter the materials appearance. Through discussion, multimedia, collaborative experiments and hands-on investigations, students will explore the concept of melting and develop their skills in applying scientific language to explain their understanding of concepts.

Religious and Values Education

In Term 4 RVE, we will build upon the student’s understanding of who Jesus is and consider what it looks like to pray to God, thank God and honour God, in order to live God’s way. The students learn the value of meeting together in Christian community and will be looking at the Apostle Paul and Silas from the New Testament and how they were joyful despite experiencing great trials. We will conclude the term with a focus on Jesus, the King of Christmas. Mrs McMaster looks forward to using stories, games, videos, craft, music and drama to make our lessons fun and engaging.

The year 3 students are also invited to participate in many fun activities during the lunchtime group on Thursdays, called 

JAFFA

 – Jesus A Friend For All.

Music

Students will continue to learn to read formal notation whilst playing the recorder, as well as Orff and Kodaly techniques to build upon and extend students' musicianship. Activities include learning to play several notes and a range of melodies on the recorder and associated theory work, rhythm reading, rhythm composition, singing, drama and movement. Students will prepare their musical item for the Primary Carols Christmas concert which is based on the theme of Christmas around the world.

PDHPE

Term 4 PDHPE looks to develop Year 3 students’ competence and confidence in a broad range of hand invasion and striking games with a focus on Lacrosse, Cricket and T-Ball. They will be learning important fundamental movement skills such as ball handling, throwing, catching, running, striking and fielding including strategic tactics such as attacking and defending, whilst developing spatial awareness and working in a team. Physical activity in the form of games plays a vital role in promoting the physical, social and emotional growth and development of individuals. Students will be relating positively with others in the context of game situations and learn new skills, while at the same time experience feelings of success and enjoyment through improved confidence and competence. The importance of sun protection and safety in our skills and games as well as having a positive mindset to build our resilience within our learning and experiences in PDHPE will be a focal theme throughout the term.

Italian

Benvenuti (Welcome) to Term 4 Italiano!  This term we will be covering a range of different Key Questions for each year level as follows- 

Year 3: Hai un gioco preferito? Hai un giocattolo preferito? What’s your favourite pastime? Do you have a favourite game? Do you have a favourite toy?

We are passionate about our students developing a love for the Italian language which in turn enhances their engagement in their learning.  We base our teaching around the Key Questions above through songs, stories, games, visuals, reading, writing and speaking and listening experiences to extend their vocabulary, understanding and pronunciation.  We are looking forward to teaching face to face for the rest of the year!

Grazie,

Maestra Rachele 

Pastoral Care

Students continue to explore concepts of resilience, self-esteem, bullying and positive thinking. They will continue to read and explore the world of Doug Dragster to learn about positive thinking and making sure they are in control of their wheels – their emotions, body, thinking and actions. 

Homework

Students will continue to complete set weekly homework tasks due on a Friday. Spelling words go home every Monday and they are tested on Friday and should be practised throughout the week. Talking Topics are delivered fortnightly and an overview of topics can be found in their homework book. Students are working on building their speaking and listening skills and are encouraged to prepare and practise delivering their presentations. Nightly reading is required to continue to improve and build reading skills.