Grade Four Snapshot 2021 - Term 2

Term 3 Week 9 Snapshot

Welcome to Week 9 of Home Learning

Welcome to Week 9. This week students will continue to explore their new units of study and inquiry.  On Thursday, September 10th, students will also participate in a First Aid Lesson: 

10am - 4A & 4E 

11am - 4B 

12pm - 4C 

1:30pm - 4D 

 

Please read the following overview of the learning tasks for Week 9 of Term 3. The daily schedule, with additional instructions and resources, will continue to be posted on Google Classroom the night before each day of learning.  

 

If your child has completed the day's tasks, they may be interested in completing one of these optional tasks. These tasks are open-ended, inquiry based and hands-on. 

Optional Home Learning Tasks (1).pdf

English

An overview of tasks for reading and writing this week are as follows:

 

READING

Students should be completing at least 20 minutes of independent reading a day as well as completing the tasks set by the teacher. 

Students are currently analysing texts to explore the way authors use and play with language, as well as ways authors make stories interesting to hold the reader's attention. 

 

Tasks for Week 9 include:

  • Engaging students as readers through a Reading Choice Board
  • Completing a small group lesson focusing on personal reading choices
  • Exploring how noun-group phrases impact the mood of the story
  • Exploring how verb-group phrases impact the mood of the story
  • Identifying descriptive language and the mood it creates in a personal text

 

WRITING

Students are continuing to develop their descriptive language as they focus on word choice and sentence fluency. Students will also explore creating literary texts. 

 

Tasks for Week 9 include: 

  • Exploring how changing adjectives and adverbs can make sentences more descriptive
  • Writing simple and compound sentences
  • Constructing complex sentences
  • Rewriting sentences about the same subject as simple, compound and complex sentences
  • Developing their personal writing through a Writing Choice-Board

While writing, we encourage students to use the writing cycle to ensure they are continuously developing and improving their writing.

The writing cycle consists of five stages:

1. Plan

2. Draft

3. Revise

4. Edit

5. Publish

Word Study

Students will continue to practice 30 "codes" of the English language through watching videos uploaded by their class teacher. Grades 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D will begin to explore Rule 18, a spelling rule which explains when to choose the code '"ai" or "ay" and "oi" or "oy". 4E will continue to explore the spelling rule known as "The FSZL Gang", which explains when to double f, s, z and l, and demonstrate their understanding of the rule by making a video for a Prep audience. The "bootcamp" process allows students to practice the new skill until it becomes "automatic" in their brains. All students will also complete mini-lessons around Word Study this week. 

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students are continuing to explore shapes, symmetry and tessellations. They are also encouraged to play number games or use Mathletics to continue practicing basic number skills. 

 

Tasks for Week 9 include:

  • Exploring how to manipulate 2D shapes through rotations, slides and flips
  • Identifying lines of symmetry in objects and art works
  • Creating a symmetrical artwork draft through experimenting with different patterns and tessellations
  • Creating a good copy of their symmetrical artwork and reflecting on their understanding of shapes and symmetry
  • Developing their mathematical skills through a choice board where they can investigate quilting patterns, create their name out of shapes or complete Mathletics
  • Mental maths sums - how many can they complete in two minutes?

Unit of Inquiry 

This week, students are continuing to explore the unit of inquiry, How We Express Ourselves. Students will inquire into the line of inquiry, 'The forms used to express experiences across cultures.' Students are focusing on the conceptual understanding of form and the related concept of expression. 

 

Tasks for Week 9 include: 

  • Exploring a range of different forms of art through a choice board using the thinking routine 'I See, I Think, I Wonder'
  • Reflecting on their personal interest and connection to each of the different forms of art
  • Creating a summary of their findings to share with the class

Wellbeing

Students will participate in Circles discussions as they reflect on how they can use thinking routines to develop new and interesting ideas, which will help them extend their thinking. 

 

The theme for this week’s challenge is ‘Mindfulness Through Creativity’. Being immersed in a creative activity is a way of being mindful, allowing the mind time to rest and recharge. The students are invited to participate in five creative challenges and to come up with some of their own. 

 

 

 

 

Here are some additional ideas and resources to support wellbeing during home learning:

Reminders

Make sure to check the Specialists Snapshot for learning tasks from the Specialist team.

 

Grade 4 Team

4A Melanie Davis 

4B Andrew Yeaman

4C Phoebe James

4D Nicole Klaassen

4E Heather Jenkins & Zoe Picton

Hearing unit - Amy Chadwick