Prep | Year 6 News
Mathematics
In our Patterns and Algebra unit we have been inquiring into how to identify rules for tricky patterns. We have explored algebraic expressions and how to represent these in input and output tables. To extend us, some of us have explored how we can present these expressions visually on a cartesian plane. We are looking forward to exploring data in the next few weeks as we gather, record and present data linked to our Exhibition issues.
English
We have been really enjoying our poetry unit as we look to express our understanding and ideas using figurative language. After concluding our most recent literacy group novel, we participated in a number of analysis tasks as we unpacked themes and issues, cause and effect relationships, inference and character profiles.
Unit of Inquiry – PYP Exhibition: Where We Are In Place And Time
The PYP Exhibition is an end of year project that you must complete in Year 6. This year, it is based on the ‘Where We Are in Place And Time’. This transdisciplinary theme drives your thinking, for example you need to look at how something has changed over time. Our central idea for this unit was “Historians have a responsibility to consider the relationship between power, perspective and culture”.
Based on some initial brainstorms, each boy wrote a proposal for an issue that they were interested in investigating. Each group was banded together based on these issues with 3-5 people in each group. These members are responsible for meeting the requirements to be able to present on the night. Some of the groups inquired about Abuse of Power, Truth in the Media, Cyber Security, Inequality, Dependence on Technology, Justice and Medical Advancements, to name a few.
When the groups were formed, we started off by organising all our Google docs and folders. We received a group folder where we put all our work in. In our groups, we discussed what norms we would like to set for the way that we work and shared the reasons why we all wanted to be in that particular group. All of us then had to create lines of inquiry to guide our research.
To begin our research, we brainstormed a whole bunch of questions. We came produced pages of notes in research throughout the term.
Last week we were assigned our mentors. Our mentors will be guiding our learning through this Exhibition. Our mentors were various staff members from across the Prep and Senior School. Once a week we would be assigned a time and day to meet with our mentor. Our mentor meeting can be face to face or online depending on the time and the location they are in. In our mentor meeting we would discuss our research and what we have done and what our next steps should be. Our mentor gives us links, photos, and videos to help us. Along with our Mentor, we would assign goals for our next meeting and what we can improve on to be successful in our PYP Exhibition project. During these meetings we took on the role of timekeeper, facilitator and minute taker. Each week we will email through an agenda with some discussion items.
As part of the Exhibition, each group was required to contact a primary source of information as we often used secondary sources such as websites, articles, and videos. We learnt that a primary source does not have to be a person but could in fact be a photo, a piece of clothing and other things that were present at the event or time. We emailed people who would be primary sources to help us in our research, hoping to meet them either in person or online.
By Yianni Pahos, Jaiveer Singh, Jonah Hsieh, Marcus Nguyen, Emmanuel Velkou and Austin Su
Christian Studies
42 – life, the universe and …Over the year, the boys ask amazing and challenging questions. There are often times when the answer would take more than 5 minutes. This term, they are working in small groups to research their own question. At the end of the term, they will use their own chosen format and present an answer to their question. They are continuing to use their research and thinking skills, while continuing to appreciate the variety of personal perspectives. In Chapel, we will be investigating how we celebrate Christmas – do we have the story correct and what place do food, feasting and fellowship have? How can all these wonderful aspects enhance our experience of Christmas without taking away from the central message of Jesus’ birth.
