Year Four News

Dear Year Four Families,

Welcome back to Term Two!

The term is in full swing with the beginning of our Unit of Inquiry under the transdisciplinary theme 'How We Organise Ourselves'.  Students have started the Unit of Inquiry by unpacking the Central Idea 'Urban planning reflects community values and aspirations for future growth'. To spark curiosity, students investigated websites of local city councils, such as Wyndham,  Hobson Bay and Maribynong. This provoked student thinking to ask wonderings and questions such as:

• How do councils develop cities?
• Why do we need city councils? What would happen if we didn't have them?
• What values do the public protect from the city council removing/changing it?
• How long does the building process take?
• Why do we have to keep expanding our cities?

Throughout the unit the students will continue to investigate the design process and the paramaters of a design brief. We're excited to announce that we will have a free incursion run by Westgate City Kids happening in week 5 this term, more information will be provided closer to the date.

Literacy

We have started a new genre of journalistic texts in writing. Students have started by investigating the features of a newspaper and article within. They were able to distinguish the difference between fact and opinion by analysing different statements from various news articles. Students have practised their questioning skills within reading by exploring literal questions. Literal questions have responses that are directly stated in the text. These skills can be practised at home when students practise their reading by using questions such as:

• What was the problem in the story?
• What did ____ do to solve his/her problem?
• What happened in this story?
• What happened in the end?
• What else did the character do?
• Describe what happened in the story
• What happened in the first chapter/part of this book?
• What did the character tell them to do? Be specific
• Summarise the main events from this story

Mathematics

The mathematical concepts that we will be covering this term are Location and Money. Students have started by setting their personal goals in Financial Mathematics. Our fluid groupings in this area will continue this term to support differentiation of student needs. In Location, students are using the acronym BOLTSS (Border, Orientation, Legend, Title, Scale, Source)  to support in identifying and using the features of a map. Students have been discussing orientation through the use of directional language and a compass. 

Reminders

• Students are required to bring their devices each day charged.
• Brainstorm Production Tuesday 10th May
• Year Four Swimming Monday 20th June- Friday 24 June