Term 2, 2025
Curriculum News - Year 3

Welcome to Term 2 of the Year 3 school year!

We are excited to continue supporting your child’s learning journey. Below is an outline of what to expect this term in various subjects and school activities. We hope this will keep you informed and engaged in your child’s education.

Units of Inquiry

Where we are in place and time

Cultures change over time

Lines of Inquiry

The importance of country and place to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Stories, artefacts, and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
Impact of settlement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Sharing the planet

Survival of a species is dependent on its environmental conditions

Lines of Inquiry

Living and non-living things
The difference between living, once living and products of living things
Species in danger of becoming extinct
Factors affecting the survival of some species

Literacy

Reading

During our guided reading sessions, students will continue to refine strategies aimed at enhancing their comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary development. They will focus on identifying key ideas within a text and summarizing the content effectively. Additionally, students will work on building their reading stamina by engaging in sustained, uninterrupted reading for extended periods.

We will introduce a home reading program to guide and encourage students' independent reading. Throughout the term, we will celebrate students’ reading successes and achievements to foster a love of reading.

Students will also have the opportunity to explore and deepen their appreciation of First Nations cultures through the study of mentor texts, including Dreaming stories.

Writing

This term, students will continue to explore a range of writing genres, including Information Reports and Narratives. They will also develop new skills aligned with the Traits of Writing, which include Ideas, Organisation, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Voice, Conventions, and Presentation.

As part of our unit Where We Are in Place and Time, students will examine Indigenous Dreamtime stories and use these as inspiration to create and publish their own stories. These stories will be shared with the wider school community. Additionally, students will learn the structure of an Information Report in preparation for an oral presentation on a notable Indigenous Australian person. Throughout this process, they will practice academic honesty by referencing websites used in their research and summarising information in their own words.

Students will also continue to build their writing stamina by engaging in extended, uninterrupted writing sessions on a topic of their choice.

In our handwriting sessions, the focus will be on correct letter formation using Victorian cursive script, with an emphasis on joining letters in preparation for the Joining License assessment in Term 4.

SMART Spelling

The students will continue weekly SMART spelling, with a different focus each week. They will continue to choose 8 words relating to the weekly focus, along with words taken from their own writing, to learn throughout the week. During Literacy sessions, students will complete daily Word Work activities to reinforce their spelling words. On Friday, the students will complete a spelling test and a dictation exercise to demonstrate their word knowledge and application of spelling strategies when decoding unfamiliar words.

Speaking & Listening

This term, students will focus on developing their Speaking and Listening skills, as outlined in the How We Express Ourselves unit of inquiry. They will prepare and deliver a PowerPoint presentation on a notable Indigenous person, practicing key presentation skills. Additionally, students will collaborate in small groups to create and present a Dreaming story to younger students, further enhancing their ability to communicate effectively and confidently.

Numeracy

Number

This term, the focus will be on developing students' understanding of subtraction, division, and multiplication. Students will explore the relationships between dollars and cents, learning to represent money values in various ways and applying their knowledge in real-life contexts.

Algebra

This term, students will focus on building their understanding of multiplication and the multiplication tables. They will work on recalling and demonstrating proficiency with multiplication facts for 3, 4, 5, and 10, and will extend this knowledge to understand and apply the related division facts. Additionally, students will be introduced to the “Times Table Challenge,” where they can progress at their own pace to master their multiplication tables.

Measurement

This term, students will continue to use metric units to estimate, measure, and compare everyday objects. They will explore time, learning about the relationship between days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Students will also practice estimating and comparing event durations and learn to read both analogue and digital clocks to the nearest minute.

Inclusive Approaches

This term, we will continue to foster positive and respectful relationships, encouraging students to support and care for one another in an inclusive environment.

We will explore topics such as gender norms and stereotypes through stories and discuss the importance of understanding rights and responsibilities. Students will also learn to identify when they feel stressed and, through engaging games and relaxation techniques, will develop strategies to manage their emotions and practice self-calming.

Cyber Safety Project

This term, we will continue to explore the safe and responsible use of technology through our Cyber Safety Project lessons. Students will reflect on how they present themselves online and consider how their actions impact their integrity. They will also learn to think critically about the information they encounter online, developing strategies to identify false news. Additionally, students will explore ways to manage their emotional responses during online interactions and consider the effects of peer pressure. They will learn how to stay confident, take control, and develop a plan for maintaining a healthy digital balance.