Grade 3/4 Term 1 Overview 2023

In Grade 3 & 4, the year starts with settling students into their new learning area and we begin learning about our start up program to help establish shared behaviours and norms. Grade 3 students are introduced to our one to one laptop program, and all students learn about Cyber Safety, which includes understanding our school agreement in detail and ensuring that all students understand how to safely and responsibility use technology.

As part of our integrated curriculum in Semester 1, students are introduced and revisit our growth mindset approach to learning. We cover such concepts as ‘the learning pit,’ ‘the power of yet’ as part of our start up program and this continues weekly to develop concepts around gratitude, empathy and mindfulness to build resilience, explore emotional regulation and embracing the challenges learning provides. Students will also complete a small research project in a small group focusing on Famous Failures. In Term 2, through our Merri Creek Project, students consider the significance of places and environments. They explore how feelings and perceptions form the basis of actions to protect places and environments that are of special significance.

In English, students will explore different genres such as narrative, persuasive and information texts. In narrative, students will read and write fiction text focusing on elements of a story. Students will explore both realistic fiction and fantasy texts. In persuasive writing, students will look to build skills, knowledge and understanding to fluently read, comprehend and respond to a variety of short persuasive texts. When learning about informational texts, students will read and write a range of information texts. They will pose questions, conduct research and publish to teach others. 

In mathematics, students deepen their understanding of the place value system with ordering, representing, renaming and partitioning of numbers up to and beyond 10,000. This includes exploration of odd and even numbers, number patterns and fractions. They build strategies that strengthen mental and written computation in addition and subtraction. Length, shape, symmetry and angles are our measurement and geometry skills developed this semester with a strong focus on practical, hands-on learning. In statistics and probability students will explore data representation.