Year 4
In English Innovation, students will explore the world of narrative writing through the creation of an original picture book inspired by a cultural celebration of personal significance. Students will analyse mentor texts and develop their understanding of character, setting, plot, narrative voice, figurative language, dialogue and tension. They will respectfully explore diverse cultural traditions while researching, planning, drafting, editing, illustrating and publishing their own complete picture book. Students will combine written and visual storytelling techniques before sharing their finished books through a read-aloud showcase, celebrating their creativity, cultural understanding and growth as young authors.
In Mathematics Innovation, students will investigate the patterns and rules related to divisibility, factors and multiples before undertaking a range of connected mathematical challenges. They will also collaborate to explore techniques for solving complex worded problems. Students will explore a range of problems that will provide opportunities to apply their knowledge of fractions, decimals and percentages in the context of money. There will be a focus on communicating their mathematical thinking and clearly justifying their solutions, both verbally and in writing.
In Virtual Design Innovation, Year 4 students will explore two rich experiences across two distinct areas of design. First, they will dive into character design, analysing how colour, expression and body language can visually convey narrative and meaning. They will then put this theory into practice by creating a full cast of characters for a fictional comic book publisher.
Next, inspired by Melbourne’s iconic trams and vibrant laneway street art, students will research the city’s unique identity to develop and pitch a custom Melbourne-themed brand to a prospective client.
In Drone Innovation, students will continue to explore the world of drones, including how they are used, different types of drones and the industries that successfully use drone technology. Students will continue to develop their manual control skills as they take off, hover, move in different directions, rotate their drone and land safely.
They will explore aerial views of maps and discuss potential ideas for investigating and creating a simulated flight path. Using coding commands, students will work collaboratively to create code for their drone to follow a flight path. They will then test, modify and recode their flight paths.
Year 4 Drone Innovators will continue to focus on developing their understanding of what it means to be an innovator by integrating the five characteristics of the Innovator’s Mindset: being Visionary, Courageous, Collaborative, Determined and Reflective.
Languages Innovation
This term, students will continue their journey into the fascinating world of Ancient Chinese inventions, with a special focus on woodblock printing, one of China’s important contributions to the way information and ideas were shared.
Year 3 and 4 students will discover how woodblock printing was used in Ancient China to create pictures and written texts. Through fun, hands-on activities, students will explore the printing process, create their own designs and learn useful Chinese words and characters connected to the topic.
Through these activities, students will build a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, history and innovation while learning in a creative and engaging way.
In Media Arts Innovation, students will continue developing their filmmaking skills through the creation of friendship videos. Students will have the opportunity to choose their own friendship themes and ideas, using storyboarding, filming and editing to bring their stories to life. They will work collaboratively and creatively, making choices about characters, settings, camera shots and sound to communicate positive messages about friendship.
In Radio Innovation, students will continue reporting on major news and events that occur both within the school and in the wider world. While this regular reporting will take place throughout the term, students will also explore famous speeches from history, analysing different public speaking techniques in order to create their own speeches centred around a topic they are passionate about. These speeches will then be broadcast to the whole school during the morning, providing Radio Innovators with an opportunity to share their voices with their peers.
This term, Coding and Game Design Innovation students will focus on building their understanding of what it means to apply an innovative mindset, including being Collaborative, Visionary, Determined, Courageous and Reflective. Students will further develop their proficiency in creating simple code using the Scratch interface.
Students will continue programming a maze-style video game, with a choice of personalised sprites, including characters and objects within the game, that they can apply code to. They will use Makey Makey kits to create their own video game controllers. Students will then create a variety of other game styles, such as catch, chase and jumping games, adding to their portfolio of video game creations.