Year Four
Literacy
Young Reporters at Work!
In Grade 4 we have stepped into the shoes of real journalists this term, exploring the many types of articles found in newspapers. Using the fun and quirky Shaggy Gully Times, they uncovered everything from news reports and feature articles to cartoons, photojournalism, and letters to the editor.
They learned how news articles deliver the facts using the 5Ws and H (who, what, when, where, why, how), while feature and human interest stories dig deeper into people’s lives and experiences. The cartoons were a big hit, sparking laughter and thoughtful discussions!
Working in pairs, students hunted for different article types and recorded the headlines in a graphic organiser. It’s been wonderful to see their curiosity grow as they asked thoughtful questions and looked at the world through a journalist’s lens.
Our students then began stepping into those journalistic shoes, and started creating news articles around fictional events, transferring their knowledge from reading to writing.
Keep an eye out — we may have some future reporters in the making!
Maths
Graphing Our Way Through Maths!
In Grade 4, students have been diving into data! They began by mind mapping different types of graphs, such as pictographs and block graphs, and explored when and why each one is used.
Using real data, students created their own graphs, paying close attention to labelling key features, like titles and axes. They also practised describing the shape of data, spotting trends, and identifying what the graphs were telling them.
A big focus has been on analysing and correcting graphs — students looked closely at examples to spot missing labels, unclear data, or misleading visuals.
It’s been fantastic to see students thinking critically and becoming confident in how data is shared and understood!
Unit of Inquiry
How We Organise Ourselves
We are exploring how the demands of growing communities drive urban planning. Students have engaged with the central idea through provocations such as observations and readings of the text 'Uno's Garden'. They responded with insight into the human decisions that were made, whose needs were being met, and the result of those decisions. When viewing aerial photographs of our community over a span of years, the year 4s were able to see the changes and urban growth and made connections to the ever growing population and demand for infrastructure. Graphing the census data helped students understand how this growth is impacting their own community.
General Reminders
Please ensure laptops are fully charged each day.
A reminder that classrooms open at 8:20 a.m. and the first lesson begins at 8:30 a.m. Please ensure students are in class on time.
Please return Spelling Bee permission forms if you would like your child to participate.