Grade 3/4

Reading

In reading, the grade 3/4s have continued to learn how to apply the comprehension strategy of inferring. We have explored how we use our schema (prior knowledge) and clues in the text to help us make inferences about a text as we read. We have also explored strategies for answering inferential questions about a text.

Writing

In writing, the grade 3/4s completed drafting their explanation text about the life cycle of a butterfly. The finished texts consisted of an introduction, paragraphs about each stage of the life cycle and a conclusion. Students also drew a picture of the life cycle to accompany their writing, which is an important feature of an explanation text. We have started to research, plan and draft another explanation text, this time on the life cycle of a frog! 

The grade 4s received letters from their 'Big Buddies'. They then drafted and published a letter to send back to their Big Buddy. I wonder when we will get another round of letters from the Big Buddies?

Maths

In maths, the grade 3/4s have started to explore the concept of fractions. We have started to learn and use important vocabulary, such as whole, part, denominator and numerator. We have learnt about how to draw shapes into equal parts to represent a fraction and also how to identify fractions on a number line. 

We have also continued to develop our understanding of problem solving strategies. We have completed problem solving tasks about multiplication and fractions!

Grade 4 Big Buddy Visit

A highlight of the last fortnight was the Big Buddy visit. The grade 4s have been writing letters back and forth with their Big Buddy since the beginning of the year. Last week, the Big Buddies finally came to our school for a visit! It was very exciting meeting them in person! Students got to spend time with their Big Buddy, completing activities and getting to know each other. The vibe in the space was AMAZING! Both Big Buddies and Little Buddies had a fabulous time. After the activities, the Little Buddies took the Big Buddies for a tour of our school. The Big Buddies couldn't believe how lucky we are to have such a lovely, big school!  Then the Little Buddies interviewed their Big Buddies before we shared a snack together. We are looking forward to writing more letters to the Big Buddies and then visiting them in their workplace later in the year.

Inquiry

In inquiry, we have continued to learn about rules and laws. We have talked about how there can be consequences for not following rules and laws, and why consequences can be important. We have now started to learn about the three levels of government: local, state and federal.

SEL

In Resilience Project this week, we have discussed ways of managing big emotions such as anger. We have considered how different feelings can lead us to feel big emotions. For example, if we are feeling scared or embarrassed it might cause us to then become angry. We listed and discussed strategies for handling these types of feelings.