Prep | Year 4 News
Maths
Year 4 have wrapped up their learning on Patterns and Algebra and used week 9 to revise over previously learned content. When students return, they will engage in a new unit on Data. They will learn how to create specific questions, collect data, collate data and present data in different formats. They will use programs such as google forms and other online apps to create forms and get their classmates to complete questionnaires and surveys on a variety of topics. Boys will use their gathered information to create a range of different graphs.
English
Students have been focusing on the comprehension skill of Drawing Conclusions within Literature Studies. Drawing Conclusions involves using the information we gather from using a comprehension skill and allowing it to deepen our understanding of a character, setting or text. Within writing, the boys have continued to improve in their persuasive writing by planning and drafting persuasive texts on topics that relate to their Unit of Inquiry. Perhaps it would be worthwhile over the holidays to sit down with your son and have a structured discussion arguing for and against a topic that they have written about.
Unit of Inquiry
Our unit into How we organise ourselves has led students to explore the digital world. Students have looked at the consequences of what happens when digital systems fail or are disrupted, how the digital world is a platform for interactions, and the ethical use of technology. To find out about the world of IT and the digital systems at Trinity, students created interview questions for Mr Macintosh, our IT support Officer. Mr Macintosh sat with each class and discussed how the students’ Chromebooks are tracked under the Trinity network, how data is stored within the school servers and what can happen when students add extensions to their Chromebooks. Boys were intrigued how everything that they search and do on their laptops is monitored. As the unit progresses, we aim for students to understand that the digital world provides opportunities to connect, inspire and create change.
Linking into this unit of inquiry in STEAM the boys have been investigating the inner workings of Chromebooks through taking apart old devices and examining their internal hardware components, determining their purpose and identifying the function of each part.
In our past unit of inquiry during STEAM Year Four investigated the concepts of contact and non-contact forces through exploring the wacky and wonderful inventions of Rube Goldberg. Putting their knowledge into action the boys designed and created their own Rube Goldberg inspired marble runs.
The design process began through conducting research on different marble runs, before developing and drawing out a scientific diagram of their design brief, and then beginning the construction process.
Putting their marble runs to the test the boys determined modifications and ensured that it included at least three contact and two non-contact elements. The final component of the design process was for boys to reflect on their designs and determine the positive aspects and what improvements they would create in the future.
Mandarin
Boys have been exploring the digital world by making a bilingual timeline about the revolution of human interactions and the timeline helped boys to identify ways of communication in olden days and the changes of our lives because of technology.
They also inquired into 2 case studies: robot hotel in Japan and cashless pay in China. Visible Thinking Routines (Think, Pair, Share; I used to think…now I think) have been used by boys to analyse the case studies (pros and cons of technology in Asia) and do learning reflections.
