Geography
Within Geography, our class program has focused on developing students’ understanding of place and space.
Students have explored the diverse environments within
the Asia region and researched the people and cultures
that make up some of our nearest neighbours on a global
scale. Students have been able to expand their mental map
of the world by examining the differences in the economic,
demographic and social characteristics of several cities in
India.
History
In History, students were required to research Australia’s
immigration policy during the 20th Century and the impact
that migrants have had on Australian society. Students
discovered that World War 2 was a major reason why
many Europeans chose to migrate to Australia during the
1950s and that migrants played a huge part in helping to
establishing much of Australia’s infrastructure with projects
such as the Snowy Mountain River Scheme and Tasmania’s
hydro dams.
Magic Maths
Throughout Terms 3 and 4, Magic Maths has focused on developing students’ understanding of the relationship between
fractions, decimals and percentages, as well as problem solving. Learning was focused on activities that enabled students
to confidently convert fractions to decimals and understand their relationship to whole numbers. Activities included,
adding and subtracting fractions with common denominators, representing fractions and decimals on a number line as
well as identifying equivalent fractions.
Problem solving activities required students to formulate and solve authentic problems through the use of a range of
efficient mental and written strategies. The strategies taught in Magic Maths demonstrated how to guess and check answers, how to use concrete materials and also how to look for patterns within the numbers to help find a solution.
Kinder Buddies
During Terms 3 and 4, students from 5-6G participated in the Kinder Buddy Program. This program is designed to help develop the language skills of the Kinder students by exposing them to a range of specifically
chosen books and activities. The Grade 5-6 students worked with their Kinder Buddy twice a week to complete a variety of activities. These activities included reading, completing comprehension tasks, drawing and
developing their vocabulary.
Science
Our class Science program has focused on building understanding as to how chemical reactions to some
materials are irreversible. Students conducted an experiment where nails were places in salty water to record the effects of rust on metal. Scientific research also centred on how sudden geological changes can
affect the Earth’s surface. Students investigated details of the five largest earthquakes ever recorded as well
as how tsunamis are formed. Our Science program also aimed to develop each students’ ability to plan and
apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problems using equipment. This
was achieved through the design, making and testing of a marble run.