Term 4 in 5/6
English
Throughout Term Four, senior school students will be focussing on the following in Literacy. Reading: Making inferences and drawing conclusions, summarising, analysing author's craft and analysing language choices and how these impact the reader’s opinions. Writing: Students will be building on their knowledge of sentence structure and formation. Having learned what aspects are required in a complete sentence, students will now be noticing and correct ‘run on sentences’, using appositives to expand sentences, punctuating direct and indirect speech, and then researching, planning and drafting information reports linked to Inquiry Projects. Speaking and Listening: Students will be required to listen to other ideas and respond in small groups and when speaking to the class. Students will present their Inquiry Project to the class, detailing famous inventors and inventions that changed the world.
Maths
In Term Four, students will engage with a range of mathematical concepts, honing their skills and applying their knowledge to solve practical problems. This term will focus on Number, Measurement, Space, Probability & Statistics, with an emphasis on connecting classroom learning to real-life situations. Students will continue developing their number skills by solving problems involving the addition and subtraction of fractions with related denominators. They will explore various strategies to work with fractions and decimals, applying all four operations to enhance their problem-solving proficiency. This knowledge will be crucial for working through equations and real-life scenarios involving numbers. The term will see students revisiting and expanding their understanding of measurement, focusing on length, mass, and capacity. They will choose appropriate metric units and use smaller units or combinations of units to improve accuracy in measurement tasks. In the area of geometry, students will estimate, construct, and measure angles in degrees, using tools such as protractors. They will explore relationships between angles on a straight line, angles at a point, and vertically opposite angles, using this understanding to determine unknown angles. Students will also learn to communicate their reasoning effectively, building their confidence in spatial reasoning and geometric problem solving. This term’s work in probability will involve listing and comparing possible outcomes of chance experiments, including those with equally likely and non-equally likely outcomes. In addition, students will acquire, validate, and represent data using software tools like spreadsheets. They will analyse data distributions, discussing the mode and shape, and reporting on findings to answer questions of interest. These skills will provide students with the tools to handle and interpret data meaningfully. Throughout Term Four, students will strengthen their problem-solving abilities and apply their learning to various practical and theoretical contexts. We look forward to guiding them through this final term of the year and watching their mathematical understanding grow.
Inquiry
During Term Four, Senior School students will participate in an inquiry topic called Inventions and Innovations‘’. ‘Inventions and Innovations’ allows students to develop their skills in Science, Design and Technology, Critical and Creative Thinking. In this unit, students will explore the world’s most significant inventions and innovations, examining their impact on society throughout history and into the modern day. By investigating key inventions such as the wheel, electricity and the internet, students will gain an understanding of how human ingenuity has shaped the world we live in. They will analyse how these innovations addressed the needs and challenges of society, driving progress and transforming industries, communication, and everyday life. Through research, discussions, and hands-on activities, students will also consider how current and future innovations might continue to influence society, fostering a deeper appreciation for creativity, problem-solving, and technological advancements. Students will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of what an invention is, in comparison to an innovation. The topic consists of the following focus areas: ancient inventions, modern innovations, medical innovations, the digital age, medical innovations and future innovations. The unit of work will allow students to develop a range of skills so they can participate in ‘The Innovations Fair’ at the end of then term.
Marc Bressan, Maddy Roberts & Brenton Adams
