Curriculum News

Curriculum

Student progress in the areas of English and Mathematics continues to be monitored closely so that learning is targeted to the specific needs of each student in the form of explicit, whole class teaching and workshops.

English

WRITING, SPEAKING, LISTENING and READING 

In Semester 2 the writing focus for our senior students will be on developing skills in constructing information reports, biographical recounts and review texts. The Year 4/5 classes will be exploring narrative writing and biographical recounts. Vocabulary expansion will be dependent on text topics, integration of all other curriculum areas as well as words identified through class novels and independent reading. We also focus on "academic vocabulary" to empower our students to be successful in interpreting demands across all subjects and in a variety of learning contexts.

Students also have the opportunity to regularly express their ideas and work on specific aspects of their writing through creative writing tasks.  Making plans, proofreading and editing written work will also be a focus with the expectation that students take greater responsibility for this. 

Listening and speaking skills will be developed through class participation, assembly presentations, Seniors Graduate Speeches and class based oral presentations. 

Spelling investigations will be integrated within the English block. Students will continue using the Spell-It program which has been implemented since the start of the year. Students will inquire into spelling patterns and sounds, with the expectation students will then transfer skills into everyday writing.

Developing reading comprehension skills will take place through guided reading sessions, socratic discussions, class novels, and small group work targeting key reading behaviours and comprehension skills.

Mathematics

Learning Mathematics is an active process where students build their own mathematical understanding through interaction with the ideas they hold and alternative ideas held by others. Students are encouraged and supported to take risks and persevere with new or different and efficient ways of thinking and solving problems, and will understand that mistake making is an important part of their learning. 

Students will continue to develop understanding of the algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and will explore, and apply a range of written and mental strategies for computation to solve multi-step problems with a focus on number. 

Year 4/5 Mathematics

This term, students will continue to develop, apply and deepen their understanding of concepts related to place value, fractions, decimals and percentages. These will be explored through real life applications of mass and capacity. During Term 4, students will have opportunities to investigate angles, time and location. Statistics and Probability will follow on from this learning, where students will collect, represent and interpret data.

Year 6 Mathematics

This semester, our Year 6 students will be focusing on the strands Patterns and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. Students will represent numbers using variables and create and solve algebraic equations. They will connect with geometric reasoning by focussing on the classification of triangles and quadrilaterals and investigating angles. Students will describe different views of three-dimensional objects and represent transformations in the Cartesian plane. This will lead into probability and statistics in Term 4 with many opportunities to represent and interpret data and to explore concepts relating to chance.

Interdisciplinary Studies

Including: History, Geography, Economics & Business, Science and Design & Technology 

We use an inquiry approach to assist the students’ learning of skills and attributes necessary to become successful, independent and lifelong learners. In addition to the subject specific concepts addressed, key skills developed through our inquiries include: questioning, researching, analysing, evaluating and communicating.  The Fisher staff plan and assess all inquiry units together.

HASS

Year 4/5 HASS

Last week year 4/5 classes showcased their Geography learnings through our HASS Exhibition. With a focus on the key concepts of continuity and change; cause and effect; place and space; and action, students inquired into the impact of plastic pollution and what we can all do to make a difference. They developed action projects and interactive displays that focussed on either:

Designing something that will make a difference

OR

Informing others about the issue of plastic pollution and what they can do

OR

Repurposing something to reduce landfill

We hope to be able to share our designs and creations with families later this term.

This semester year 4/5 students will be exploring History as we inquire into How Did Colonisation Shape Australia? This will focus on the key concepts of significance, perspectives, sources, continuity and change and cause and effect as we explore the questions:

What was life like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples before the arrival of the Europeans?

Why did the Europeans settle in Australia?

How did colonial settlement change the environment?

What was the nature and consequence of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and early traders, explorers and settlers?

Year 6 HASS

History

• Why and how did Australia become a nation?
• How did Australian society change throughout the twentieth century?
• Who were the people who came to Australia? Why did they come?
• What contribution have significant individuals and groups made to the development of Australian society?

Students will continue with our Term Two inquiry into learning about the way of life of people who migrated to Australia since Federation and their contributions to Australia’s economic and social development (significance, empathy).  In Term Three a particular focus will be placed on investigating the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, migrants, women and children during the twentieth century. In learning about Australia as a nation, students will compare a range of sources to determine points of view (sources, perspectives). They will develop their research skills by locating, collecting, organising and categorising relevant information to answer inquiry questions.

Geography

• How do places, people and cultures differ across the world?
• What are Australia’s global connections between people and places?
• How do people’s connections to places affect their perception of them?

During Term Four, students will develop their understanding of place, space, environment, interconnection and change. They will explore the diverse environments, peoples and cultures within the Asia region and expand their mental map of the world. Students will examine Australia’s various connections with other countries and places throughout the world, how these are changing, and the effects of these interconnections (interconnections, change).

Science

During Term 3, students will be delving in to Biological Sciences. Seniors will investigate habitats and environments and what factors help to promote life. They will be investigating factors that will help tomato seedlings grow well. They will also be investigating Aboriginal Peoples’ knowledge and understanding of the physical conditions necessary for the survival of certain plants and animals in the environment. Year 4/5 students will be looking at the structural features of living things and adaptations that help them survive in various different environments. They will consider the variety of ways living things obtain the energy and nutrients they need for survival and classify living things as producers, consumers and decomposers. Students will plan, conduct, analyse and evaluate fair testing methods to investigate the effect of sunlight levels on plant growth. 

In Term 4, senior students will focus on Earth and Space Sciences and be inquiring into how the internal and overall movements of the Earth create various phenomena including eclipses, seasons and tides, along with earthquakes and extreme weather events. They will explore these events through a number of hands-on investigations. Year 4/5 students will follow similar themes, but more focussed on the components of the Solar System and how natural processes and human activity can cause slow or rapid change to the earths surface.

Throughout the semester, students will continue developing their Science Inquiry Skills where they will get opportunities to conduct scientific investigations, plan and implement fair experimental methods and identify variables to be changed and measured. There will also be a particular focus on Science as a Human Endeavour where students will expand their scientific knowledge and make connections to the real world.

ARTS & Technologies

This year, Fisher students are participating in Arts within class groups. The learning includes Drama, Dance Music, Media and Visual Arts with students experiencing a range of programs to support their creativity.

In Visual Arts, 4/5 students:

• will develop an understanding of use and application of visual conventions as they develop conceptual and representational skills
• explore a diversity of ideas, concepts and viewpoints as they make and respond to visual artworks as artists and audiences
• draw ideas from other artists, artworks, symbol systems, and visual arts practices in other cultures, societies and times
• extend their understanding of how and why artists, crafts people and designers realise their ideas through different visual representations, practices, processes and viewpoints.

In Media Arts, Year 6 students:

• will work collaboratively using technologies to make media artworks for specific audiences and purposes using story principles to shape points of view and genre conventions, movement and lighting.

All Fisher classes will focus on Digital Technologies this semester - investigating programming (Coding) using a variety of applications and digital devices. This is a great chance for students and staff to develop new skills, take risks and increase confidence. In Design Technologies, we will continue to investigate Makers Empire to develop design thinking opportunities and 3D design.

PE & Health

Y4/5/6 - Health 

Students will be...

• proposing strategies to help others understand points of view that differ from their own and to encourage further discussion about individual and cultural similarities and differences in order to tackle racism.
• year 4/5 students will continue participating in 'Program Achieve' activities around wellbeing and maintaining strong connections
• exploring and celebrating how cultures differ in behaviours, beliefs  and values.
• exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders understandings of special places and the connection of these places to physical activities.
• reading Dreaming stories unique to an Aboriginal group and comparing them to stories shared in different cultures.
• developing an understanding that individuals experience changes associated with puberty at different times, with differing levels of intensity and with different responses.

Fisher PE 

This semester, our Fisher students will be learning through movement by practising, applying and transferring a variety of movement concepts and strategies through various sporting activities. The focus for the semester will be Badminton, Tennis, Volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee. During these sessions students will be demonstrating control and accuracy when performing specialised movement sequences and skills. They will be applying these movement concepts and refining strategies to suit different movement situations. They will also be encouraged to develop team skills, deferring to others and good sportsmanship, so that physical movement will become an enjoyable and regular part of their lives.

Premier's Be Active Challenge

This term students will have the opportunity to participate in the 4 week Premier's Be Active Challenge commencing in week 4 and concluding in week 7. 

The Premier’s Be Active Challenge encourages students to be more active more often and improve their health and well being. It’s a great time to be inspired to be active with the Commonwealth Games in full flight and whole school swimming in week 7. Your child will be bringing home a Premier's Be Active booklet at the end of week 3. Students are encouraged to keep track of their daily physical activity and it’s recommended that they aim to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. After the completion of the 4 week challenge families are to validate their child’s physical activity with a signature and return the form to their class teacher. 

At the end of the challenge participants will be rewarded with a medal, which will be awarded in November. 

It is hoped that all students get on board and participate in this great initiative. All forms must be returned by Monday 12/9 week 8.

Sports Day

Sports Day will be held in term 4, enabling students to develop sportsmanship skills and build confidence in their physical abilities. Students will be practising tabloid events in PE lessons in the lead up to the day. They will also have the opportunity to try out for championship sprints, which will be run-off during the school day. The fastest 2 children from Malurus, Grallina, Brian and Pierson in year levels R-6 will be chosen to participate in the championship sprints on Sports Day. More information will be advertised in the school newsletter closer to the event.

Languages - German 

Year 4/5 students

In Semester 1, Year 4/5 students will commence a unit on Einwanderung (migration), with a particular focus on the 1830s migration of German settlers to South Australia. They will use modelled sentences to explain where they are from and their nationality, as well as the cultural origins of their ancestors. The unit will focus on an episode of Are you tougher than your ancestors? in which they will trace the path of German migrant, Thekla Staude, from Prussia to Hahndorf and learn about her life as a German settler. The unit will culminate in an escape room experience. In Term 4, students will learn about how Christmas is celebrated in Germany, in particular the famous Christmas markets that appear in every town and city. 

Year 6 students

In Semester 2, Year 6 students will embark on a study of pop culture in German, learning the names for different genres of music and film. They will explore differences and similarities between German and Australian popular music trends, as well as express basic and more detailed opinions about music and film. They will gain an understanding of the difference between subtitling and dubbing in German films and modify learned structures to talk about different topics. In Term 4, students will complete their LNPS German studies with a focus on Christmas in Germany. The unit will culminate in the construction of Lebkuchenhäuser (gingerbread houses), certain to make some special memories to take with them on their journey to High School.