Prep | Year 1 News

In Year 1, we have had a busy few weeks of learning. The boys have become accustomed to school routines and have enjoyed spending time developing new friendships.

Unit of Inquiry

Within the first week of school in UOI, Year 1 re-visited the topic of Who We Are. Students explored the importance of personal hygiene which included looking at how easily germs spread and learnt about the importance of hand washing to reduce the risk of spreading harmful bacteria. Following this, we then looked at teeth hygiene and learnt about food habitats and how negative habits can cause tooth decay or plaque.  On Friday Week 3 we then had an incursion with Rebecca Eggers, who is a dentist. She discussed the importance of brushing our teeth and demonstrated how to do this correctly. At home, your son can practise the steps of brushing his teeth and washing his hands to ensure he develops appropriate personal hygiene.

In Week 2 we began our new UOI unit, Sharing the Planet. Our central idea, ‘Living things have needs for survival’, will be explored through various learning engagements. We will be learning about animal habitats, animal features and how animal features help them to survive in their habitat. We will then be shifting the focus of our inquiry and looking through the conceptual lens of responsibility as we explore how we can help look after and maintain the habitats around us. The provocation for this unit included the opportunity to inquire into different types of habitats. Each classroom was set up with a focus on rainforests, deserts (cold/ hot deserts) and oceans. As students walked through these experiences, they noticed that some animals were not in the correct habitat. Year 1 communicated their reasoning and began to justify their thinking. Students also enjoyed their incursion this week, with Taronga Zoo bringing in real life native Australian animals into the classroom setting. Students learned that many of the creatures brought in were found in their own backyards, local parks, reserves and even in the playground! Students also learnt how to discover and identify common garden invertebrates and how to create habitats for local native animals. At home, your son could explore the different animal habitats in your backyard. They can explore what the habitats look like (form) and they can reflect on what features those animals have to help them survive in that habitat.

Maths

In Maths during the first few weeks of Term 2, students learnt about position. Year One, used the terms left and right to describe the position of objects in relation to themselves and had to give and follow directions. The provocation for the position was a success and students entered the classroom that had been transformed into Trinity Grammar Airlines. Students were given a ticket and needed to read a seating map. They located their seats and identified students and objects around them. They were then challenged to communicate their thinking using sentences and explain the steps to get to their seat. Students also inquired into being pirates and created treasure maps, they then had to describe a path from one location to another.

For the next couple of weeks in Maths we will be inquiring into length and area. The boys will measure, record, compare and estimate lengths using uniform informal units. The boys will use uniform informal units to measure length and distances by placing the units end to end without gaps or overlaps. They will learn to record lengths and distances and will compare the lengths of two or more objects using uniform informal units.

Writing

In writing we have started a four-week unit on writing informative texts. We have begun by exploring the differences between facts and opinions. We will then move on to look at this overall structure of an informative text and break down the individual parts of the text over four weeks.

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 have started the UOI unit “Sharing the Planet” by exploring the Chinese zodiac animals and their classification.

To introduce the unit, boys re-watched “The Big Race” to recap the zodiac animals and their order.

Boys have been practising the zodiac animal vocabulary in a wide range of activities, including word games, songs, stories, and Chinese Pinyin/Hanzi writing.

The Approaches to Learning applied in lessons are Communication Skills and Thinking Skills.

Thank you for your continued support in enriching the learning opportunities for our students.

Angie Stitcher, Deanna Iannella and Nicholas Kartsiotis | Year 1 Teachers