2018 5/6 Emerald

5/6 Emerald is a Stage 3 class where group work and collaboration is valued, questioning and discussion contributes to student understanding and resilience and risk taking with learning is encouraged. 5/6 Emerald work together as a team, support each other and celebrate each other's and their own learning achievements.

This term students in 5/6 Emerald have been learning about informative texts. Students have been identifying technical language and the language features of informative texts as well as looking at a range of factual topics and how these texts are structured.

Students also enjoy watching the weekly episode of BTN and discussing and debating local and global issues as well as how this connects and adds to their understanding of the world around them.

In digital literacy students have been discussing the NAIDOC topic “Because of her we can”. This has included students researching Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander women who have made significant contributions to the community. Students have then used Google Docs to create a poster to publish and display their findings.

In maths this term students have been developing their knowledge and skills in the following ways:

Using the compensation strategy to solve addition and subtraction problems.

Conducting chance experiments and then comparing the results with their predictions.

Exploring what tools can be used in measurement as well as length and converting between measurements

Following grid co-ordinates to locate objects as well as instructions to plot co-ordinates and create pictures.

Collating data to create two way tables and graphs

Identifying factors and multiples and Year 6 have also been exploring prime, composite and squared numbers.

Students have also been playing a range of math games to improve their math fluency and ability to quickly recall number facts.

In geography students in 5/6 Emerald have been looking at the different countries that make up the various regions of Asia. Students have researched and discussed the different cultures and communities that make up these regions as well as the connections that these regions have with Australia.

In science students are exploring the Earth as part of a system of planets orbiting the Sun. Students’ are developing their inquiry skills through questioning how humans have sought to explore and understand Earth’s place in Space.

In PDHPE students have been looking at how to make informed decisions around their health and safety and what the consequences of these decisions may be.

Students have also been learning the rules and skills needed to play basketball. Students have been developing their skills in the following areas:

Chest passes, bounce passes and lob passes.

Dribbling, leg wraps and body wraps.

Shooting baskets from various angles and points on the court.

Students in 5/6 Emerald have been creating various artworks that reflect the culture of countries in Asia. This has included dragons which have various meanings in the different cultures, the Japanese cherry blossom festival and the fireworks and vibrant colours of Chinese New Year.

In drama students are looking at fairy tales from various viewpoints and adopting the roles of the characters. Students are experimenting with voice and facial expressions as well as body position and sound effects.