Year 3

Hello Year Three Families,

We cannot believe we are almost at the end of Term 2! The students have settled in so well with our new learning program and we are so proud of them.

Literacy

In Morphology, we have been learning how to add suffixes ing (to make words present tense) and ed (to make words past tense) by following different rules.

For Phonics and Spelling this month, we have been learning that ai and ay both represent the /a/ sound. We have also learnt that ee, ea and --y can represent the /e/ sound. Students have been applying this knowledge to spell words such as Wednesday, mayonnaise, chimpanzee and jellybean.

In Writing we have been learning all about informative texts. First, we had to understand the difference between facts and opinions. Next, we began researching facts and recording key information and topic specific vocabulary on our plans as dot points. After that, we used our plans to draft our informative texts by turning our dot points into full sentences and structuring them using subheadings and paragraphs. Lastly we edited and published our writing on lined paper and created a triorama to accompany it. We think they turned out fantastic!

In Reading, we have been learning to identify Author’s Purpose. Students have been reading a range of texts and thinking from the writer's point of view to determine the reason why they wrote the text. Using the PIE (Persuade, Inform, Entertain) acronym, students then identified the Author’s Purpose and later explained their reasoning. We have also been learning to make inferences when reading. Students have been using clues from the text and their prior knowledge to explain their inference.

Numeracy

In Numeracy, we have been working on solving division problems by making the connection between multiplication and division. Students have used fact families to show they understand the connection between the two concepts by swapping 3 numbers around and checking that their answers are correct. 

We have also been learning to identify and measure acute, obtuse, right, and reflex angles. Students have learnt the range of degrees which determines the name for an angle. In order to find the exact degree, students have been using protractors to measure angles.

History

In History, we have been consolidating our knowledge of Australian History by reflecting on the causes and effects of European Settlement. Students have also been describing the perspectives of people from the past by discussing what life was like for both Europeans and convicts on the First Fleet. 

We are finishing off our History unit by researching and writing about the influential Indigenous Australians our house colours are named after. Students have used their informative writing skills to write about their Early Life, Achievements and Other Interesting Facts. 

Have a safe and restful holiday, we will see you in Term 3!

Natalie Avramov, Aleisha Scott, Alana Marshall & Melani Wijesuriya.