Year 3 News

Novel study: Brindabella 

Over the past few weeks, Year 3 has been enjoying a novel study of Brindabella by Ursula Dubosarsky. Each lesson has opened the door to new ideas - from exploring the setting of the Australian landscape, to discovering how carefully chosen words can set a mood, and even seeing the world through a character’s eyes. 

We’ve also learnt a fascinating new word - anthropomorphism - which is when animals are given human thoughts and feelings. During each lesson, students have the chance to bring these ideas to life in their own writing, using vivid descriptions and creative thinking. It has been such a joy to watch their imaginations take flight and their skills as writers blossom. We look forward to continuing this wonderful reading journey in the coming weeks.  

Excursion to Bayside Community Nursery 

Over the first three weeks of term 3, each class in Year 3 walked up to Bayside Community Nursery. Julie and Jimmie gave us a tour of indigenous plants that they are producing to plant in the bayside area. 

The students were given a short history of all the varieties in the area. For example, before European settlement there were over 300 varieties growing in bayside, and since then less than 200 are growing today.  

We learnt about the varieties of plants that will improve biodiversity at Beaumaris North Primary School with the focus on providing habitat for the Superb Fairy Wren. We will be planting over 500 native plants on our campus to improve habitat and encourage the fairy wren to call BNPS home and hopefully learn something at the same time. 

The students learnt how to propagate native species by cutting, trimming and planting these stems into a wet medium at the nursery. We’ll be able to replant these cuttings later this term.  

Unit of Inquiry 

Sharing the Planet 

Central idea: Survival of a species is dependent on its environmental conditions. 

In our new Unit of Inquiry, Year 3 has been exploring conservation status and the main causes of species extinction. We’ve been practising how to ask both open- and closed-ended questions to guide our research. Students have also learnt about food chains and how a disturbance in one link can affect an entire ecosystem. 

To showcase their understanding, students created a “food chain” flip book, highlighting their knowledge of the different organisms and their roles within a food chain. They also took part in engaging learning rotations, investigating human impacts on extinction such as overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction. Another focus was on introduced and invasive species in Australia, where students chose one species to research and discovered how it has affected native wildlife. 

This unit is helping students develop a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance of life and the many ways humans and other factors can threaten endangered species and their habitats. 

Maths: Fractions and Time 

In mathematics, students have been learning all about fractions! They’ve been busy using fraction walls, ordering different fractions, and building fractions with blocks. A highlight was the “My Name in Fractions” activity, where they used a number line to represent the letters in their names as fractions, a fun way to mix math and creativity! It’s been wonderful to see them enjoy exploring halves, quarters, fifths, tenths, and thirds in so many hands-on ways. 

We’ve also been learning to tell time on analog clocks! One exciting activity had students planning their “perfect day,” where they recorded the time for each activity on an analog clock and noted how long each would last. Some perfect days included donuts for breakfast and trips to Disneyland, while others dreamed of staying up all night! The fun continued with our Class Olympics, where students made a list of events, guessed how long each would take, and then timed themselves using stopwatches to see how close their estimates were. It was a fantastic way to practise telling time and understanding duration!