Mellor 1/2 Curriculum News

HASS

Present and Past Family Life

How has family life changed or remained the same over time?

Students will look at the differences in family structures and roles of today, and how these have changed or remained the same over time. They will compare the differences and similarities between their daily lives and life during their parent’s and grandparent’s childhoods, including family traditions, leisure time and communications. Last term, as a starting point, students were asked to bring an item from the past to school. They would guess what the object is by touch and by asking questions about it.                      

  The terms such as “a long time ago”, “then and now”, “now and then”, “old and new” and “tomorrow” will be used. Dates and changes that may have personal significance such as birthdays, celebrations and seasons will also be included. 

 Other key questions are: How can we show that the present is different from or similar to the past? and How do we describe the sequence of time?

The Past in the Present

What aspects of the past can you see today? What do they tell us?

Students will look at the history of a significant person, building, site or part of the natural environment in the local community and what it reveals about the past. They will gain an understanding of the importance today of an historical site of cultural or spiritual significance e.g. a community building, a landmark, a war memorial. The excursion to historical Glenelg provided ideal first-hand experiences for students.  They develop an awareness of the impact of changing technology on people’s lives e.g. at home, and in the ways people worked, travelled, communicated and played in the past.                             

Other key questions are: What remains of the past are important to the local community and why? and  How have changes in technology shaped our daily lives?

The Arts

This term students will be exploring ideas and improvising with ways to represent ideas in the creative arts. They will explore ideas, experiences and observations to create pieces influenced by historical, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Students will communicate their creative ideas for an audience, expressing their ideas in dance, drama, music or media based on observations, texts and the media. On the Glenelg history excursion, students looked at the local art and they will consider why the art work may have been created and located in the area. Students will focus on drawing and painting skills, experimenting and using a variety of media including oil pastel, pastels, pens and paint. In Media, students will look at the purposes for creating presentations and create photo stories, using technology to share their experiences with an audience. In Dance, students will be participating in the Footsteps program. They will be learning fundamental movement skills and learning dance sequences. Students will perform dances which will be filmed for display.