Year 3/4

English

Reading

Throughout term 4 the 3/4’s have been completing an author study on Graeme Base.  Graeme Base is an Australian author and illustrator who has written books such as Animalia, Moonfish, The Waterhole and My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch.  During the author study, the students have focused on inferring the theme and mood in his stories by using both text features and details in the illustrations in the text as evidence to support their inferences. They have practiced their skills in analysing text features like rhyme and alliteration as well as critiquing different features within the text. 

Writing

During the beginning weeks of the term, the grade 3/4s learnt how to write persuasive texts.  They learnt different key features of a persuasive text such as the opening statement, arguments/ evidence and a concluding statement.  They were introduced to how to use different text features which are important when writing persuasive texts such as model words, connectives and emotive language.  Once they learnt these skills they were able to put them into practice by choosing a topic or argument and writing their own persuasive texts. 

The second half of the term has focused on writing narratives.  The students have been shown how to plan a narrative with a series of events and crises’.  Different methods of introducing a character and setting were shown and the students were able to get creative with how they described the characters and setting.  They then utilised their plans to write their own narratives. They learnt how to build from smaller problems, to a larger problem and then find a way to have a resolution included in their stories. 

Mathematics

In Mathematics this term the students have covered a range of topics such as multiplication and division, fractions, location, capacity and probability. 

At the start of the term, the students finished their unit in multiplication and division.  They were able to learn and practice a variety of strategies such as repeated addition, doubling, arrays and for the students ready to be extended, area models. They practiced these strategies in a range of different ways such as when responding to equations, worded problems and visual representations of equations. 

Once the multiplication and division unit was complete, the students moved on to fractions.  Throughout the fractions unit the students have understood what a fraction is, how they can be represented in different ways, such as proper and improper fractions and have practiced adding and subtracting fractions. To begin the unit, the students made their own fractions toolkits which included strips of paper which they made into some common fractions such as halves, quarters and eighths. 

In measurement and geometry, the students began with location.  In this unit the students learnt different perspectives and representations of locations such as birdseye view or street view. They were taught how to read and understand different types of maps and how to track landmarks on maps.  They then were able to create their own realistic representations of a location of their choice as birdseye view. 

In capacity, the students learnt how to read and measure capacity of 3D objects or containers.  They took part in several hands-on activities to measure capacity and understand the representation in millimetres and litres. 

Finally, the students are finishing their mathematics unit with probability. In this unit the students have learnt the key vocabulary used to describe the probability of occurrences such as likely, certain, impossible or possible.  They have used this language to describe different events and whether they are likely to occur in the real world. 

Inquiry

Term 4 began with the students sharing their learnings from the Australian History unit covered in Term 3.  In groups, the students created their idea and representation of key events or vocabulary they learnt within the unit such as pre-colonisation, colonication, invasion, the first fleet or convicts.  Along with their dioramas, the students wrote a small plaque to share their understanding and explain why they chose to represent the definition as they did. 

The students then began the Go Green unit in Inquiry.  During this unit the students learnt about different environments, climates, vegetation and sustainability as a whole.  The students were able to explore these topics through a variety of different cultural approaches and make comparisons between them. The students have learnt the importance of taking care of the environment and the impact it has on all living things, as well as, how humans can make more sustainable approaches and have an impact on taking care of the environment. 

Science

In Term 4, Grade 3/4 students focussed on Physical Science through the unit titled ‘Fabulous Forces’. Students investigated physics as the study of how matter behaves when acted on by forces or energy and how this behaviour is governed by the force's size (or magnitude) and direction. They also learnt about Issac Newton’s laws of motion and used this knowledge to understand experiments that they performed. Students deepened their understanding of forces and how some forces cannot be seen (non-contact forces: gravity, magnetism etc), whereas other forces can be seen (contact forces: push, pull etc) and connecting this to the hypothesis of: when the forces acting on an object are unbalanced, then movement will occur. The connection between Math and Science was made through the experiment on balancing forces and data collection from experiments. Congratulations 3/4s on another successful year of Science. 

LOTE 

During term 4 in Auslan, Grade 3/4 students learnt about: – Junk/Take Away Food, Telling the time, Around the House – Bathroom & Laundry, On the Weekend, Opposites, Handshapes #4, Going to the Beach, Sign Languages Around the World, Party time and Revision.

These new lessons showed signs being used in a variety of social settings, and we explained that there are many sign languages used around the world.

One focus was combining previously taught signs with new signs to extend their Auslan communication. We also continued our learning about ‘handshapes’ which form the Auslan signs.

Our Revision lesson was an Auslan story, including many signs that we’d learnt this term, presenting the challenge of ‘reading back’ the signs to understand the story. Well done Grade 3 and 4’s on a wonderful year of learning Auslan! 

Art

In Term 4, our Year 3/4 artists continued to enjoy sharing their abundant creativity. Throughout the term, students explored foundational textile skills such as felting, beading and sewing. They also practised and significantly impressed me with origami techniques, steadily developing precision and patience! Another highlight was our excursion to the Potter Museum of Art, with several students meeting one of the brilliant curators, and all expanding their understanding of the profound importance of First Nations art and culture.

In addition, the 3/4s used photography to capture expressive images, highlighting aspects of their personalities and elements of our school environment. Our photography projects were inspired by the colourful and playfully staged works of Melbourne-based artist Atong Atem. Students were introduced to the idea of ‘light as a material’ and experimented with costumes, props, angles, focus and photo-editing tools to create imaginative scenes and montages. It was a joy to welcome the students into the art room for our final term. We hope you are as delighted to share the wonderful creations we’ve produced over the course of the year. I am incredibly proud of the students’ growth, capacity for challenge and sparkling individuality.

P.E.

This term our Year 3/4 students focused on hockey and rugby, continuing to develop their skills with a strong emphasis on applying them in game situations. Through plenty of team-based activities, students challenged themselves, worked together and showed real growth in their game sense. Some of our 3/4s also had the chance to represent the school in the MPSSA 3/4 soccer competition, which was a fantastic opportunity for them to display their skills, teamwork and school pride. It has been wonderful to see their confidence and enthusiasm shine in every lesson. Well done on a great year 3/4s!

Music

This term students in Grade 3/4  listened to and discussed various genres of music including Australian Aboriginal music played on didgeridoo and music from China played on the pipa and erhu. Students also accurately used pitch when singing a melody and practiced techniques for playing music on the keyboard, ukulele and guitar. Students composed a melody and rhythm on the keyboard and ipads using the application Garage Band.