On behalf of all the Year 4 teachers, we would like to extend a warm welcome to Term 4. The information below will outline the Term 4 curriculum and provide some useful information about the term ahead.
This term, Year 4 students will be reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. As they read and respond to this moving novel, they will learn more about Japan’s history and culture. Explicit Comprehension lessons where students will focus on making predictions and analysing the themes within texts will occur. Students will have opportunities to read aloud and independently throughout the week, looking at both fiction and non-fiction texts and will engage with the Reading Plus online comprehension program. In Writing, imaginative texts will be explored, with writing strategies to engage the reader explicitly taught and practised during these lessons. These include incorporating the senses, tightening tension and using descriptive language to show, not tell. We are excited to have the Year 4 Persuasive Speaking Competition early in the term and look forward to Year 3 being a part of our audience. Oral Language and Communication lessons will build upon students’ knowledge of visual literacy from Term 3 and link to their imaginative writing focus. Differentiated Spelling Mastery lessons and a focus on grammar conventions within Writing will continue to constitute an important part of the English program.
This term, Year 4 will explore the below topics as well as develop their mathematical thinking, problem-solving and reasoning skills in relation to these topic areas.
In Science, Year 4 will explore materials and their properties. Students will investigate the properties of both natural and processed materials. Using this understanding, students will evaluate the suitability of the choice of materials in different products. This learning will culminate in students designing a shelter based on a client’s needs. Students will be supported with a design brief and success criteria as they work collaboratively to problem-solve creative solutions.
In Digital Technologies, students will continue to investigate multistep algorithms with the Sphero robot as they further develop their computational thinking skills. They will apply their understanding and skills of coding the Sphero for a small project that links to other areas of their learning. This will be a STEAM focused collaborative project where students design, engineer and calculate appropriate solutions to a problem.
Students will be investigating various types of geographical maps as they identify the essential features of an effective map. They will also locate and classify the different climatic zones in the world and compare them to Australia’s temperature. Using these mapping skills, students will undertake a geographical inquiry as they discover What would it be like to live in Japan? They will research and record relevant geographical data and information about Japan, such as its natural and human features, by interpreting various maps, graphs, statistics and visual representations.
This term, Year 4 students will learn about special festival days and celebrations in French culture. They will learn the days of the week, months of the year and revise numbers up to 50 to ask about and discuss their own and their friends’ birthdays. They will expand their use of possessive adjectives to include my, your and his/her.
This term the girls will complete their Geography project, exploring the characteristics and features of Australia’s neighbouring countries. Key skills will include synthesising information and creating an advertising flyer to present their understanding of the country researched.
Students will learn to use sentences to describe their clothes. They will explore conjunctions and adjectives to help them design their school uniform. In writing, students will explore characters as well as simple phrases of the Chinese writing systems. To develop their cultural awareness, students will explore funeral and wedding dress codes.
The focus in Music during Term 4 will be on consolidating skills learned throughout the year. Students will improvise rhythmic and melodic patterns on classroom percussion and record their ideas using traditional notation. They will also explore some music of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
During Tuesday PE lessons, the girls will be participating in a Water Safety unit for Term 4. They will be required to wear full summer uniform on this day and bring their Ascham Swimming costume, swimming cap, goggles, towel and a change of underwear. On Mondays, students will need to wear their PE uniform to school. They will be participating in a range of activities and games to improve their skills and understanding of the strategies and tactics associated with traditional Indigenous games.
In PDH, students will take part in a unit called Safety First. In this unit the students will examine their personal safety decisions in relation to water and road environments. They will develop a range of strategies that help them to create a safe environment for themselves and others.
In the unit The Floating World, students glimpse some of the rich artmaking traditions of China and Japan. The work of Hasegawa Tohaku and Katsushika Hokusai, Li Cheng and Xu Daoning provide foundations for learning about how artists try to capture the essence of beauty found in nature, the spirit and everyday life. The philosophy, principles and techniques of Sumi-e ink painting inspire a series of works. In the second part of the term, students explored the beauty of Song Dynasty Bird and Flower paintings and the intricate patterns of Ming Dynasty Ceramic works, creating delicate watercolour paintings in response.
Students are expected to complete 40 – 50 minutes of homework, which may include specialist subjects, four evenings per week. In addition to this assigned homework, students will be expected to complete 20 minutes of reading each night. The students’ Reading Log should be signed by the adult who has listened to/observed their reading. The online Reading Plus program will continue to be utilised by the girls at home and some homework tasks may require the girls to access the internet. Homework help sessions will be available from 7.50am throughout the week. Please see your daughter’s teacher for specific days.
We would also like to remind you to sign your daughter’s diary each week. If a task cannot be completed in the given time, a parent/guardian is asked to make a note in the student’s diary outlining why the task was not completed.