Year 2 Specialist News - Term 3 

Visual Arts

The Term 3 Unit of inquiry is called ‘Mini beasts in Art’, which integrates with the Transdisciplinary theme ‘Sharing the planet’. The Unit focuses on the study of insects (Entomology), their environment and how insects are represented in Art. 

Students Create

• Prior knowledge drawing to create an imaginative insect. 
• Observational drawing, capturing the intricate and accurate detail of one or more insects. 
• Temporary nature sculptures using found natural objects to construct a mini beast. Inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy and Raku Inoue. 
• Insect trail rubbings, painting and collage. Inspired by Australian artist John Wolseley. 
• Imaginative ceramic insect. Using clay modelling skills to capture detail and form of an insect of their own creation.  

 Language (Japanese)  

Term Focus & Topics

Nationalities & Celebration (Festivals of Japan)    

PYP Transdisciplinary Theme

'Where we are in place and time'

The past influences our present and future.

Concepts: form, change   

Lines of Inquiry

The significance of Japanese celebrations today. 

The Students Will Be Able To     

• Say and spell names of countries around the world.  
• Say 'Hello' in different languages.  
• Say and write “I am Australian.” in Japanese. 
• Talk about festivals in Japan. (Festivals in each season, reasons why they celebrate the festivals and how)    

Term Focus & Topic

 Minibeasts    

Music

This term, Year 2 will be focusing on ‘exploring sounds and tone colour’ and using these in creative ways to compose class and/or small group compositions. 

Students Will

• Learn songs related to ‘Sharing the Planet' with living things for example: Shoo Fly and Fireflies. 
• Listen to related classical pieces, for example: ‘Flight of the Bumble Bee’ by Rimsky Korsakov. 
• Revise writing simple melodies using notes learnt on the staff. 
• Create ostinato patterns to accompany music. 
• Explore different ways of playing instruments so students can start thinking about texture and tone colour and how to use these elements wisely in compositions. 
• Recognise ‘AB form’ and demonstrate this using instruments and movement. 
• Use the song ‘Fireflies’ as inspiration for a class composition project. This may involve such elements as movement, graphic notation and playing of classroom instruments and with a particular focus on the PYP concept of 'change'.
• Form a connection and understanding of remote communities, as they work towards a whole school performance, to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. 
• View a live performance called ‘Two Wheeled Time Machine’. 
• Students will reflect on their learning and experience and incorporate their ideas into their class compositions. 

Library

Students Will

• Continue to revise parts of the book- title, author, illustrator, spine, barcode and endpapers.
• Continue to discuss care and handling of the books and shelving them correctly in Picture fiction, Easy Fiction and Fiction. 
• Revise searching the catalogue correctly and using shelf markers when browsing the non-fiction section. 
• Introduce Children’s Book Week, read a selection of shortlisted books from the categories of Early Childhood, Picture Books, Information Books and Best new illustrator over six weeks prior to Book Week, discuss and decide which we like best. Why might these be chosen as the best books? Author’s main idea? The illustrations? The subject? The text? 
• Read and discuss texts related to UOI Sharing the Planet, Living Things Go Through a Process of Change (Minibeasts).
• Read and discuss books about Dad for Fathers’ Day.