Prep | Year 1 News
In Year 1, we have had a busy few weeks of learning.
Unit of Inquiry
We have nearly come to the end of our UOI Sharing the Planet. Over the past few weeks our central idea, ‘Living things have needs for survival’, was explored through various learning engagements. We learnt about different habitats, features of living things and how these features help them to survive in their habitat.
Students were given the chance to explore in their own backyard (school yard) and discovered various insects. We provided students with various samples of insects and invertebrates to inquire into. They then needed to use their thinking skills to observe the different features of these living things and draw scientific labelled diagrams. The boys then moved on to inquiring into the different habitats of living things and made connections to the different features and needs of living things, and why these features and needs are required for their survival. The students were given the opportunity to create their own mini habitat for crickets. They researched and designed the layout of their habitat to ensure it caters to the crickets’ needs for survival. We had so much fun looking after these crickets and we hope the students continue to take action to look after these crickets at home.
As the UOI progresses the boys will start to inquire into the responsibility we have as local and global citizens to help the survival of living things around the world. We will be looking into case studies and thinking about what action we could take to help the survival of living things. For example – deforestation. It would be fantastic if you continued your research on global issues at home with your boys and encouraged them to show responsibility and to take action.
Maths
In Maths the boys are about to finish their inquiry into the Maths focus of Area. They started by observing the area of objects and using their thinking skills to compare and order different areas by size. The boys used methods such as superimposing (place or lay (one thing) over another) to help compare these areas. The boys have also been measuring the areas of objects using uniform informal units. This enables students to develop some key understandings of measurement. These include repeatedly placing units so that there are no gaps or overlaps and understanding that the units must be equal in size. Covering surfaces with a range of informal units should assist students in understanding that some units tessellate and are therefore more suitable for measuring area.
Next week Year 1 will begin a volume, capacity and mass unit. The boys will measure, record, compare and estimate volumes and capacities using uniform informal units. We will begin to explore the differences between volume and capacity as we seek to understand each concept.
Throughout the unit the boys will practise using informal units of measurement to estimate and measure. The boys will use water and sand to measure the capacity of different containers and then use blocks to measure the volume of the same containers. The boys will develop their understanding of mass by practising the skill of hefting when comparing the mass of two objects.
An activity that can be explored in the home environment is cooking with your boys and having them help measure the ingredients using measuring cups. We would love to know if the boys do this at home so please feel free to bring in photos or upload your son’s action onto Seesaw to share in class.
Writing
In writing, we have come to the end of our unit on information reports. Students explored the structure and features of an information report. They wrote information reports about koalas, dingoes, sharks and other animals. Students used their research skills to inquire into the form, habitat and diet of each animal. They became clear communicators by categorising their information and sharing their new factual knowledge under the appropriate subheadings.
Next week, they will begin to break down the features of persuasive texts, including letter writing and creating posters. They will need to practise using language to convince the reader that their opinion is the right one. For example:
It is certain that…
I’m sure you can agree that…
I strongly believe that…
It is clear that…
Christian Studies
The boys finished their UOI on Jesus said, “I am …” at the start of term, reflecting on Jesus’ resurrection that we celebrate at Easter. Over this term, we will be exploring how God made promises or covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The boys will be investigating what they look like through a series of dramas, where each boy will have the opportunity to play different roles and then reflect on the importance of God always keeping his promises. In Chapel, we will be continuing to think about Covenants and how they were fulfilled in the person of Jesus.
Mandarin
Boys continued the UOI unit “Sharing the Planet” by consolidating the Chinese zodiac animal words, introducing their animal signs and the animal signs of their family members.
The skill of recognising the learned Chinese words with visual and oral support has been a focus these weeks. Beginning learners chose the correct Pinyin words from the vocabulary chart and labelled the given animal images. Some heritage learners challenged themselves by using the labels in Chinese Hanzi only.
Moreover, students learned the structured sentences to ask each other the animal signs and responded accordingly. Heritage learners were encouraged to introduce the animal signs of their family members as a way to combine the prior knowledge with the new learning content.
Thank you for your continued support in enriching the learning opportunities for our students.
Angie Stitcher, Deanna Iannella and Nicholas Kartsiotis | Year 1 Teachers
