Year 3 News  

Year 3 Scienceworks Excursion 

3A

Our Year 3 students had an amazing day at Scienceworks, diving into a world of discovery, design, and scientific thinking. 

One of the highlights of the day was a hands-on STEM workshop all about the physics behind rollercoasters. Working in small groups, students became engineers for the day, designing and testing their own marble rollercoasters using limited materials. They explored how forces such as gravity and friction make things move, and what slows them down, while experimenting with height, momentum, and track design. There was plenty of excitement (and cheering!) as marbles zoomed, looped, and sometimes flew off the tracks. Through the process, students demonstrated fantastic teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving, showing resilience as they tested, adjusted, and improved their designs. 

3B

Across the day, classes also had time to explore two of Scienceworks’ interactive exhibitions: 

Sportsworks and Think Ahead. In Sportsworks, students discovered the science behind the human body in motion. They tested their speed, balance, and strength, raced against Olympic athlete Cathy Freeman, and learned about how our muscles and bones work together to help us move. It was wonderful to see so many students enthusiastically challenging themselves and cheering each other on. 

In Think Ahead, curiosity took over as students explored what the future of science and technology might look like. They imagined new inventions, designed futuristic cities and vehicles, and explored how technology like robotic surgery and cybernetic body parts could change our lives. This exhibition really encouraged students to think creatively and critically about how innovation shapes our world. 

3C

By the end of the excursion, the students’ faces were full of excitement and wonder. It was a fantastic day of hands-on learning that brought our science and design thinking studies to life - and left everyone inspired to keep asking questions about how the world works! 

Holiday Writing - With a Twist! 

Our Year 3 students have been busy turning their school holiday adventures into creative newspaper articles. Instead of the usual recount, students became journalists, writing three different articles about their holidays in third person - as if reporting on their own experiences! The classroom was buzzing with imagination as students crafted catchy headlines and designed eye-catching layouts. 

The finished newspapers looked fantastic, and it was wonderful to see everyone experimenting with a new style of writing while showing off their creativity and sense of fun. 

Unit of Inquiry - How the World Works 

Central Idea: Innovation affects society and the environment 

This term, we have been exploring how discoveries, inventions and innovations shape the way we live and impact the world around us. We began by investigating the differences between a discovery, an invention, and an innovation, learning that a discovery is something found, an invention is something new that solves a problem, and an innovation is an improvement on an existing idea. Students researched examples of each and created visual tables with pictures and descriptions to showcase their learning. 

As part of our inquiry, students also took part in a Diamond Display challenge, where they discussed and ranked what they believed to be the most important inventions in history - from the wheel to the internet! They justified their choices and practised persuasive speaking as they convinced classmates of their opinions. In another activity, groups worked through a Crazy 8’s design challenge, brainstorming eight imaginative solutions to everyday problems before refining and presenting their most creative idea. 

To deepen their understanding of how innovation affects both society and the environment, students analysed common inventions such as cars, plastic bottles, and solar panels. They explored the positive and negative impacts of each, using flow charts to record their ideas. This led to rich discussions about responsibility, sustainability, and how we can improve inventions to make them better for the planet. 

Through this unit, our students have developed a strong appreciation for how curiosity and creativity drive progress, while also recognising the importance of making thoughtful, responsible choices as innovators of the future.