Year Four

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

JUNIOR JOURNALISTS UNCOVER LATEST NEWS!

From writing captivating headlines and reporting newsworthy events, to interviewing eyewitnesses and capturing scenes, the year 4 students are informing communities about happenings in the neighbourhood. With a focus on sentence fluency and use of proper nouns, students are writing and revising engaging digital texts. 

As the Year Fours continue their investigative journalism, they have uncovered an author, whose motivation inspires readers around the world, to do their part in looking after our natural world. Studying the author/illustrator Jeannie Baker, students read multiple texts and examined many of her illustrations to discover the motivation behind her writing career. They studied the themes using their book detective skills, inferring the messages and big ideas by looking for clues, making text connections and accessing their prior knowledge. 

Inquiry 

Jeannie Baker's text link beautifully with the new Unit of Inquiry, where the cohort will be deepening their understanding of how the demands of growing communities drive urban planning. Participating in a scavenger hunt, students collected and unscrambled the words for this central idea. A provocation into the impacts that human activities have on the natural environment was introduced through a hands-on task, where a natural area became more developed using unifix cubes to represent different aspects of the area, and it's land uses. In conjunction with the text 'Uno's Garden', students quickly made connections to human decisions and the displacement of the natural environment by comparing their grids and the images of the story from the beginning phase to the end phase.

Students then viewed a timelapse of Point Cook, and watched the growth and development. This led the year 4s into investigating the different land uses, and recorded their findings on a mind map, whilst using examples from their community needs and wants brainstorm.

Mathematics

What's heavier? A kilogram of steel or a kilogram of feathers? Definitely the steel, because steel is heavier! Or is it? 

Estimating measurements can be challenging! But with practical and engaging activities, our students are getting the hang of making educated guesses, and taking accurate measurements. Using rules, tape measures, trundle wheels, electronic, spring and balancing scales, measuring cylinders and containers, students have explored multiple units of measurement. Giving students authentic opportunities around the home will support the consolidation of these practised skills. They're ready to help you with your DIY home improvements, cooking, potion making  and so much more. Ask them how long or how wide? How far? How heavy? How much? They are the extra pair of hands you always needed!

Reminders:

🎨 Term 4 Creative Learning – Materials Needed

A reminder that students will need to collect clean, safe recycled and natural materials for two exciting Term 4 projects:

🎨 Week 1 – Jeannie Baker-Inspired CollageStudents will create a collage inspired by Jeannie Baker’s Window. Please send in small natural, recycled or everyday materials on Monday of Week 1.

🏗️ Week 2 – The Big BuildAs part of our Unit of Inquiry, students will work collaboratively to design and build their own community. Please collect larger cardboard boxes, packaging and recycled materials and send these to school Monday or Tuesday of Week 2.

♻️ Please don’t purchase anything specifically for these activities. We encourage students to become “material detectives” and use items from home that would otherwise be recycled or thrown away.

All materials should be clean, dry and safe for children to handle.

🌟 Upcoming Events

We have some exciting guest visits planned for Term 4!

🏗️ Urban Planning & Design- In Week 1we will welcome a parent who is an architect to talk to students about urban planning, design and how communities are thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of the people who live in them.

📚 Author Visit In Week 3, we will welcome a parent who is an author. She will share her book with students and talk about what it means to be an author, including the process and experience of creating and publishing a book.

We are very grateful to have parents from our year level sharing their knowledge, experiences and expertise with our students!