Grade 3

Literacy 

This term, we have started reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Students are enjoying the story and learning about the animals and their lives in captivity. We are almost halfway through The One and Only Ivan, and the students are absolutely enjoying the story! In reading, we are building our Tier 2 vocabulary by learning new words and practising how to use them correctly and effectively in our own sentences. We have also been practising expanding our sentences and using conjunctions to connect our ideas and make our writing more interesting.

Alongside our novel study, students have been developing their reading fluency, focusing on using appropriate volume and expression to read aloud clearly and confidently.

In writing, students have been developing their persuasive points for a letter calling for a ban on using animals in circuses. We are using the novel to help us write persuasive letters asking for a ban on using animals in circuses. Students have now started writing their formal persuasive letters, focusing on the correct structure and how to organise their ideas clearly to convince their readers. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and growing confidence as readers and writers!

Numeracy 

In Mathematics, students have been developing their data skills by learning to interpret pictographs, create column graphs and analyse the information presented in different representations. They have been asking questions, identifying patterns and using data to draw conclusions. Through our rich task, Making a Change, students applied these skills by planning a question, collecting and representing data, and interpreting their findings to consider how data can be used to inform decisions and make positive changes.

Students have also been exploring maps and how they help us represent and understand the world around us. They have been identifying different perspectives on maps, creating and interpreting map symbols and legends, and locating key landmarks and objects. To apply their learning, students participated in a rich task focused on Playground Mapping, where they created their own maps and used a legend to represent and locate important playground features. These activities have supported students to develop their spatial awareness, problem-solving skills and ability to communicate information clearly.