Wild Weather!
As part of our inquiry into natural forces, we have completed a series of wild weather experiments. We have explored the following phenomena: • the water cycle • how changes in air pressure create wind • how static electricity creates lightning • how hot and cold winds form tornadoes In each case, we followed the scientific method to record our aim, hypothesis, materials, method, results, conclusion and discussion. We learned to write detailed instructions and clear explanations. We are very curious, enthusiastic scientists! Stay tuned for our documentaries on natural disasters! What was your most interesting discovery about weather? Why do you think people use the scientific method?...
Read MoreReading many genres!
During our story telling unit, we all completed Reading Contracts. We were able to choose our own fictional books to study, as long as they met 2 important criteria: – a different genre for each book – books which matched our individual reading level Each person read at least 3 chapter books in a 5-week period. After reading each book, we chose response tasks. We could choose to respond to plot, setting, character or theme. Some people wrote letters to characters, re-wrote scenes in new settings, changed the ending of the story or blogged as if they were the author. Our responses showed deep understanding and great creativity. If was wonderful to read a range of genres and be so independent in our learning! Which was your favorite book? Write a recommendation. Try to persuade other people in the class to read it. ...
Read MoreOnline Interview with Famous Author
We were very excited to interview an award-winning children’s author this week, as part of our inquiry into story telling. Jacqueline Harvey is the author of the picture book, Sound of the Sea, the best-selling Alice-Miranda series and the new Clementine-Rose books. She has won Australian Book of the Year, YABBA and Koala awards. Her Alice-Miranda series includes 8 novels. (Learn more about Jacqueline Harvey here: http://jacquelineharvey.com.au/. And here: http://jacquelineharvey.blogspot.com/) Our class has been studying Alice-Miranda at School over many weeks, while investigating genre, plot, characterisation and writing techniques. During a Skype interview, we asked many questions about where Jacqueline finds inspiration, how she makes a story engaging, the themes of the book and the publishing process. Jacqueline told us she writes 50,000 words per book and sometimes spends 10 hours writing each day. She explained how to start with an idea, and then bring a character to life. She gave us advice about writing dialogue and using action to keep a story moving. It was really great to talk to a famous author. Jacqueline was interested in our lives, too. She asked us questions about Chinese New Year and the weather in Beijing. She told us that she travels regularly to promote her books. We encouraged Jacqueline Harvey to set the next book in China. We would love to see Alice-Miranda on the Great Wall! (You will see the full interview on our wikis in the coming weeks.) What did you find most interesting or surprising in Jacqueline Harvey’s answers? What did you learn about writing during the interview? How will you use Jacqueline Harvey’s advice to improve your...
Read MoreShadow Puppets Tell Traditional Tales
This week, we were treated to a wonderful morning of shadow puppetry. At a local theatre, we watched beautiful puppets move to music, as they narrated traditional Chinese folktales. In one story a cheeky turtle disturbed a peaceful lake; in another, some selfish squirrels learned to work together and in the final story, a Chinese god taught woodcutters the value of honesty. When we returned to class, we explained the stories to Ms O’Dwyer (who could not understand any of the Chinese narration!). Then, we analysed the characters, setting and theme of each story. We talked about why puppetry is a powerful form of story-telling and the importance of folk tales in each culture. It was very exciting to play with the puppets back-stage and meet the talented performers. We were amazed at how much skill was involved in the performance. Some puppets had up to 4 sticks and some needed 2 people to manipulate them. A big thank you to Mr Hawke and Ms Linda for organizing this wonderful field trip. Shadow Puppets on...
Read MoreGroovy Geometry
We have recently completed our math investigation into geometry. After learning about the work of Greek mathematicians during our Ancient Civilizations Unit, it was our turn to make discoveries! Using compasses, rulers and protractors, we were challenged to construct 2D shapes, tessellations and patterns. We discovered the properties of circles, strategies for folding right-angled triangles and the mysteries of pentagons. The diagonals of pentagons hold many secrets! In these hands-on inquiries, we developed problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of geometry. Here are some of our cool tessellations. Ask us about rotation, reflection and translation! Ask us about lines, angles and polygons!...
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