Year 3 News

Room 23

During Term 2, students in Room 23 were learning how to write an Informational Report on Australian Animals (Year 2) and Australia’s Neighbours (Year 3). Each student researched, drafted, edited, and published a report on their chosen topic. Laptops, computers, and iPads were used to research and create digital presentations. Everyone enjoyed presenting their information to the class using PowerPoint.  

Students in Room 23 have recently been exploring perimeter and area. Much fun was had when they worked in groups using their measuring, cutting and sticking skills to make a square metre out of brown paper. The squares made by all groups were placed together to see how big the total area was. The students compared this to the estimated area of their bedrooms at home. Next, students constructed one-metre-long newspaper rods, which they used to create the perimeter of a square metre, again placing them together to see how much space this took up on the classroom floor. We experimented with these to create a cubic metre and tested how many students could fit into one cubic metre. The students collaborated in groups and as a class, having fun while experimenting and learning new concepts. 

Room 24

The Year 3 class and Mrs Earnshaw have been working with Michelle Forrest from Winthrop Australia to learn and apply programs using iPads.

We first learnt how to use Clips and made a clip ‘All About Me’, inserting photos, audio and a background.

Next, we learnt about Keynote and we inserted different colours and audio into a ‘Space’ scene.

Finally, we learnt Pages which involved a lot of steps. An underwater scene was airdropped to each iPad and we changed the colours of the submarine. We took photos using a green screen and then applied a technique called instant alpha, which allowed us to erase the green background. We resized our photographs and inserted them behind the glass window of the submarine. Finally, we learnt how to animate the submarine and sea animals.

During our final session, parents were invited to observe the progress we had made on utilising the programs we had learnt. 

Room 25

The children in Room 25 researched one of Australia’s neighbouring countries in HASS and shared their new knowledge in an oral presentation to the class. Each child collaborated with a partner to work through the following five stages. 

Stage 1: Agree on a country to research with their partner.

Stage 2: Research and make notes about their country.

Stage 3: Work together to agree on how to present the information in their oral presentation to the class.

Stage 4: Rehearse their oral presentation with their partner.

Stage 5: Present their oral presentation to the class.

Each student also wrote an individual report about the country they had researched for their oral presentation. These are on display in Room 25

Room 26

The students in Room 26 have worked hard on their reading, research and writing skills while learning about Australia’s neighbouring countries. The class worked together to find information and take notes about Indonesia while practising reading strategies such as skimming, determining importance and summarising. They then had a chance to apply their skills, by choosing their own neighbouring country to research. Students used the iPads to find information online and take notes about their country, which they then used to produce information reports. The students have enjoyed learning about Australia’s neighbours and have written terrific reports. 

Room 28

The students in Room 28 have been learning about technologies of the past in HASS.  Each student chose a technology that they wished to learn more about and utilized the computer lab, iPads and the library to find information about the technology and using their notes, wrote a draft report. 

Then the fun really began.  Using the iPad’s ‘talk to text’ function, the students created an information report on their technology in our outside classroom.  They were able to include pictures to enhance their report.  The students then used the green screen and were able to put themselves into a photo with their technology from the past. These reports were not only informative, they were so much fun to create.  The class can’t wait for their next learning adventure!

During Semester 1, Room 28 students have been studying the location of states, territories and major cities in Australia. They have identified the attributes of Australia’s major natural features (e.g. rivers, deserts, rainforests, The Great Dividing Range, the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru). In their quest for knowledge and the desire to communicate it, they constructed dioramas of their chosen geographic feature and presented their findings using a variety of ways including their 3D models, digital technologies, oral presentations and posters.