Year 6 Program

Semester 1

English

Students are learning to critically analyse a variety of texts and use evidence to support inferences and opinions. They are exposed to the reading strategies of thinking within the text, thinking beyond the text and thinking about the text. Students engage in creative writing that allows them to investigate how vocabulary choices and poetic devices can influence imagery, emotion and opinion. Students demonstrate their knowledge of spoken language features such as pace, pitch and pronunciation to enhance meaning as they plan, rehearse and reflect on their presentations.

Mathematics

In Year 6 Mathematics, students will be using an online learning environment to support individualised learning for each student. This online learning environment is called Maths Pathways. Maths lessons will be tailored precisely to what each individual student is ready to learn. Students will be filling in gaps in prior learning or working on extension activities. As part of the curriculum, students will be involved in a learning cycle which lasts for a fortnight. In each learning cycle student’s work on their own program along with Rich Tasks, which have a focus on problem solving and real world applications. Rich Tasks will either be individual tasks or activities that require students to work in small groups. Students will also focus on building a growth mindset towards their maths learning. Towards the end of each term, students will participate in a Rich Project Task.

Term 1 Inquiry (Chemistry Focus)

Students become familiar with aspects of scientific study. They are introduced to the science laboratory and participate in a variety of experiments focusing on the physical and chemical changes of solids, liquids and gases. Students explore a variety of properties that describe the three main states of matter and how they can change from one state to another. They make connections between the states of matter and reversible and irreversible chemical reactions. Students will demonstrate their conceptual knowledge through the design and implementation of a scientific investigation.

Term 2 Inquiry (Economics Focus)

Students explore the contribution that the Port of Melbourne has had, both past and present to the nation’s developing economy. Students are immersed in activities related to the ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ of society and how they help determine what Australia imports and exports through the Port of Melbourne. Students also begin to explore the effect of ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ on the prices of products and services. Students consolidate their understandings of Economics in the ‘5 Mile Creek’ project along with an understanding of the requirements of living and working in a local community. Students take on the role of a town planner whose task is to cater for the needs of a diverse community as well as manage their personal finances.

Auslan

Students develop their foundational conversation skills, using simple greetings, numbers 1-100, days of the week and months of the years as well as fingerspelling skills. Students use adjectives to describe family members and characters. Students ask and answer questions in Auslan as well as follow directions given by signing.

Health and Physical Education

Students continue to focus on developing their social, emotional and physical health. In addition to this, they explore what it is to be Sun Smart and the consequences if they choose not to be and Water Safety standards to promote a healthy and safe lifestyle. They explore problem solving strategies and develop stress management techniques whilst identifying potential stressors in day-to-day life.

Students practise specialised movement skills and apply them in specific sport based situations. They design and perform a variety of movement sequences in court based invasive games, including receiving in a position to shoot or pass. Students use space, time, objects and people to their advantage in striking and fielding games. They are challenged to reflect on team performance and provide solutions and ideas to improve team outcomes.

5/6 Sport Program

Students focus on demonstrating ethical behaviours and fair play that aligns with the rules when participating in a range of physical activities. The physical activities include competing in interschool sport or in an alternative internal program at school. Students discuss the importance of rules and why they are implemented and discuss the impact that they have on a game. They focus on what being a good sport looks like and develop an understanding of healthy competition.

Performing Arts

Students study the elements of drama, responding to performances and analysing the use of the elements. They begin to understand the process involved in creating a drama performance, including generating ideas, script and rehearsal whilst using a range a stage craft elements to communicate. They work collaboratively in small groups to create and develop a fractured fairy tale to perform to an audience. 

Visual Arts 

Students explore how and why artists perceive their ideas through different visual forms, practices and processes. Students make informed choices about using visual arts elements and stimuli from a range of cultures and social contexts to convey an idea or theme. They observe visual art practices and techniques that inspire them to express their own ideas and beliefs when creating their artwork.

Media Arts

Students focus on developing various techniques through the Media Arts elements of representation, languages, technologies, institutions and audiences. They observe techniques and ideas of media artists from a range of historical and social contexts. Students will plan and create their own media artworks using story principles. They create such media artworks as photo stories, still photographs and animations.

STEM

Students are introduced to the acronym STEM and its interdisciplinary approach to learning that integrates the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Through STEM, students develop their skills in problem solving, creativity, teamwork, independent thinking and are introduced to careers that utilise these skills. They create and adapt design ideas, make considerable decisions and communicate to their peers using appropriate technical terms and a range of technologies. Students undertake projects that use the engineering design process which allow them to further extend on their knowledge.