Year 1

Reading:

During Reading this term, students learnt how good readers ask questions while reading to help them make meaning from a text. They revised what a question is and how questions need an answer, as well as recognising questions in text and sharing their own questions. Students particularly enjoyed asking questions about non-fiction topics of interest and reading to answer their own and others questions. They had some great questions about penguins, space and planes! 

When reading fiction texts, students also learnt to make inferences about characters and their feelings. They learnt to use their prior knowledge, make text-to-self connections and look for clues in the pictures or words to make inferences. Learning new vocabulary continued to be a focus, with students continuing to use strategies to help clarify unfamiliar words in a text. 

Students also explored strategies to solve unfamiliar words while reading, as well as developing knowledge of different consonant blends and their sounds e.g. st,cr, sp, bl, pl.

 

 

 

 

 

Writing:

During Term 3, Grade 1 students explored persuasive texts. They learnt that persuasive texts contain an opinion and reasons. Students orally explored their opinion on a range of topics in order to develop their knowledge and ideas. Some of these topics included- which animal they would prefer as a pet and what is something they’d like from their parents. Students learnt to give good reasons to support their opinion and began to provide more detail and evidence for their reasons. They produced several written persuasive texts independently.

Towards the end of Term 3, students began to explore procedural texts. They learnt that procedural texts are texts that give instructions on how to make or do something. Students identified things they know how to make or do, then created their own procedural texts using text and images for others to follow.

 

Mathematics:

At the beginning of this term we continued our unit on addition and subtraction from Term 2, focusing on different strategies students can use to subtract numbers e.g. counting back, tens facts. Students then revisited time, where they revised telling the time to the hour and began to consolidate their understanding of time to the half hour. They explored both analogue and digital time. Students then explored fractions by investigating how a whole object can be cut in half and how a group of objects can be halved into two equal groups.

They explored money and developed their ability to recognise different Australian coins by their features, as well as an understanding of their value. Our larger number unit this term focused on multiplication and division. Students learnt to share equally by ones by solving a range of division problems- this was the main focus for Grade 1. Towards the end of the term, students were exposed to multiplication through making equal groups. This was connected to skip counting patterns of 10s, 5s and 2s.

 

INQUIRY

In inquiry learning this term we began by exploring key concepts continuity and change. Students were able to engage with artefacts and practice being a Historian by:

  • using their eyes to study photos, artefacts and records
  • ears to listen to family stories
  • their smart mind to understand that past, present and the future are connected
  • a kind heart to show empathy towards people in the past and
  • a mouth for sharing what they have learned with others.

As we moved to remote learning students engaged in many experiences that allowed them to explore their personal history. Students were able to record their own history by creating a family tree, examine an important object as a historian and speak to grownups at home about their past and record their stories using time language.

The grade one and two cohort have shown great resilience and perseverance transitioning from face-to-face learning to remote learning. Well done for your efforts and hard work! I look forward to our return to face-to-face learning very soon.

 

ART

 

 

 

 

 

The Year 1s had an excellent start to the term, exploring shape and form! We spent a fun first lesson comparing geometric and organic shapes, and considering 3D forms in art. The students built sculptures using cardboard, modelling clay, straws, skewers, pipe cleaners, buttons and feathers. They were very inventive in thinking about how to join and stand materials in aesthetically pleasing ways. We also painted shapes, inspired by the artwork of Spanish painter, Joan Miró. The Year 1s practiced making different types of shapes and overlapping them.

 

As we moved into online learning, we began experimenting with art materials that we might find around the home, such as spices mixed with water and found objects we could use. Students were introduced to Melbourne based artist Charlie Sofo, who turns to everyday objects and moments in the creation of his work. Another exciting challenge involved students choosing a famous artwork to ‘make a copy’ of – of which there were many expressive and talented submissions. We welcomed the beginning of warmer weather by observing and drawing local flowering plants. Being online has also provided a fun opportunity to play art games and quizzes on platforms like Tate Kids. We will finish up Term 3 with a virtual excursion and a ‘creating with care’ activity. I have been delighted to see the artwork you have created this term Year 1s. Thank you for your creative efforts. I cannot wait to spend more time learning and making together next term!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PE

Fantastic work grade 1 getting through another term of school. PE looked a little different this term – we were able to get through most of our Australian Rules Football unit where we learned what AFL is, the associated skills such as kicking, handballing and marking, and how to execute these skills to the best of our ability. Term 3 had us learning a lot online where students were given the opportunity to participate in numerous at home activities such as mini workouts, skill related activities and just getting outside to get moving! I am looking forward to seeing you all again very soon for another exciting term of PE.

 

LOTE- Chinese

In term 3, whilst onsite, students in years one and two learnt to say the Chinese words for weather and the names of four different countries. They used Chinese to describe and write “today’s weather”. During remote learning, students were given the opportunity to engage in some language and cultural activities. Students practised writing some simple Chinese characters, such as 牛 (Ox), and they read some famous Chinese folklore stories about The Moon Festival, The Magic Pot and the Zodiac Animal Race. Well done everyone for showing much resilience and perseverance for term 3!

 

STEM

Over the course of term 3 the Grade 1 students have been focusing on the Physical Science strand where they have been exploring light and sound.

Through a mix of onsite learning and remote learning students have investigated natural and artificial light sources and where they can be found around the school and around the home.  Students have explored sound and the different sound sources that can be found indoors and outdoors and looked for objects that are both light and sound sources.