Curriculum News, Year 4 

Term 3, 2024

This Term, Year 4 students and teachers will embark on our new unit of inquiry, ‘How we organise ourselves’, where we will investigate how communities evolve in response to many factors. 

We will then be moving to our next Transdisciplinary Theme, ‘Where we are in place and time’, where we will be inquiring into how exploration leads to discoveries and opportunities.  

Units of Inquiry

Transdisciplinary Theme: 

How we organise ourselves

Central Idea: 

Communities Evolve in Response to Many factors. 

Lines of Inquiry:

• Specific needs of individuals in order to survive
• Specific skills individuals need to survive
• Differences between needs and wants
• The roles of individuals in a community

Key Concepts: 

connection, function

Approaches to learning: 

Communication skills:

• Exchanging information
• Literacy skills
• ICT skills

Learner Profile Attributes: 

Throughout this unit as IB Learners we will strive to be-

• open-minded.

Transdisciplinary Theme: 

Where we are in place and time

Central Idea: 

Exploration leads to discoveries, opportunities and new understandings. 

Lines of Inquiry:

• Reasons for exploration
• Discoveries and explorations of our world
• The consequences of exploration 

Key Concepts:

 connection, change 

Approaches to learning: 

Research Skills

• Information literacy
• Media literacy
• Ethical use of media/information

Learner Profile Attributes: 

Throughout this unit as IB Learners we will strive to be-

• inquirer and reflective.

Literacy

Reading and Viewing

During Daily 5 literacy sessions, we will be working on building our knowledge and skills by reading information and interpreting meaning whilst exploring our units of inquiry. 

Students will be improving their ability to use complex sentences and add detail in their writing especially during our first inquiry unit ‘How We Organise Ourselves’, where daily diary entries are required to be kept. The 6 + 1 Traits will be utilised, with a focus on Idea Generation, Word Choice and Sentence Structure. We will be continuing to practise improved fluency, expression and comprehension when reading using the CAFÉ strategies. A focus on correct letter formation during handwriting sessions will continue, with some students receiving their ‘pen licence’ this term.

Grammar

Students will apply their knowledge of spelling and grammar rules to enhance their writing by applying connectives, prepositional phrases and noun and verb groups to extend their work. There will be continued emphasis on the use of all punctuation including quotation marks, full stops, commas and question marks. 

Speaking & Listening

Students will continue to have opportunities to practise their public speaking and listening skills across a variety of formats and will present a research project to their class.

Spelling

Students will continue the SMART Spelling approach to consolidate their vocabulary knowledge during the Daily 5 sessions.

Numeracy

Number 

Students will be introduced to our Fractions unit, where students will recognise and interpret common fractions, and begin to connect fractions with percentages. Throughout the term we will be regularly revisiting our previous units through the use of Mangahigh and Matharoo resources.

Algebra

We will be continuing to solve worded math problems, involving all processes. Number patterns and sentences will be utilised throughout the term.

Measurement 

Students will be exploring coordinates and mapping skills. They will also continue developing their application of specific skills to solve worded problems. We will now also be focusing on Length and Area in the early stages of Term 3. 

Space

In Term 3 we will be introducing this topic and key focus areas will be the geometric properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes, along with composite shapes.

Probability

Students will identify practical activities and everyday events that involve chance. They will use language to describe outcomes as ‘likely’ or ‘unlikely’ and identify some events as ‘certain’ or ‘impossible’.

Inclusive Approaches 

Wellbeing continues to be a priority in Year 4 with the Resilience Project and CyberSafety Project. We continue to encourage students to be kind and inclusive in all interactions with students and teachers.

Key Dates

• 19 July – Wellbeing Incursion
• 9 August – Whole School Mini Olympics
• 22 August – House Athletics Carnival 
• 6 September – School Disco
• 17 September – District Athletics 
• 19 September - A Touch of Purple Day
• History Box Incursion – date TBC
• Father's Day Stall – date TBC
• Last Day of Term 3 - Friday 20 September (early dismissal at 2.30pm)

Whole-school focus on Learner Profile Attributes

July: Thinkers

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

August: Balanced

We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual, physical, and emotional to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We practice mindfulness to create a calm and relaxed environment.

September: Open-minded

We show appreciation for our own cultures and personal histories. We respect the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view.