Our Learning in Years 5 & 6
Year 5/6 Term 2 Newsletter
We’ve launched into the term with great energy and enthusiasm, building on the strong foundations from our Start-Up Program in Term 1. This term, students are diving deeper into rich learning experiences across the curriculum.
A highlight so far has been our Australian History incursion, where students explored significant events and perspectives that have shaped our nation’s story. It was an engaging and eye-opening experience that sparked thoughtful discussions and deepened their understanding of Australia’s past.
Literacy:
In Literacy, we’ve kicked off a new focus on persuasive texts. Students are learning how to construct strong arguments, use persuasive language techniques, and back up their opinions with evidence—all while developing their voice as confident writers and speakers.
Numeracy:
This week in class, students were game designers as they created their own fair or unfair games! Through this fun and interactive project, they learned how probability affects game outcomes and how to recognize whether a game is based on chance, strategy, or a mix of both.
Inquiry:
As part of our Term 2 curriculum, students took part in a powerful incursion led by Jan Wositzky. This engaging music and storytelling experience explores the early history of first contact between Indigenous Australians and British colonists. Through live performance, songs, and archival images, students gained a deeper understanding of Australia’s past and the themes of reconciliation, peace, and shared history.
Year 5/6 Multimedia
During Term 2 in Multimedia, the Year 5/6 students will explore the art of digital photography, master the art of video editing, and learn the basics of creating captivating video clips and music clips using iMovie. Throughout this term, they will not only be honing their technical skills but also developing their confidence in expressing their ideas through multimedia projects such as music videos and news reports. The students will explore the use of Tinkercad when exploring 3D object design and 3D printing. They will continue to explore the importance of cyber safety and how to act responsibly using social media platforms. It will be a fantastic journey of discovery and growth that is bound to leave them inspired by the end of Term 2.
STEM
This term in STEM, students will be engaging in the opposite STEM units from term 1.
Mrs Andersen’s classes will be introduced to basic engineering principles through hands-on activities, problem-solving, and design thinking. Students will explore the engineering design process, experiment with different materials and structures, and apply their learning to design and build simple models.
Mr Wayne’s classes will investigate that substances can change in many ways. The main focus will be on reversible and irreversible changes. In a reversible change a material turns into something that looks and feels different. But then it can be change back into its original form. In an irreversible change a material turns into a new and different materials. This new material cannot be changed back into its original form.
Physical Education
In PE this term, students will be working on activities that involve improving game sense as well as participating and developing fitness circuits.
Game sense for primary students refers to teaching sports and physical activities through understanding games, rather than just practicing isolated skills. It’s a student-centered approach that emphasizes decision-making, tactics, and strategy through modified, age-appropriate games.
Fitness circuits for primary school students are structured sets of physical activities arranged in stations, where children move through each station after a set time or number of repetitions. These circuits aim to develop various aspects of fitness like strength, agility, balance, and cardiovascular endurance in a fun and engaging way.
Visual Art
To start Term 2 in Visual Arts, Year 5/6 students commemorated ANZAC Day. Students created paper collages that honored the spirit and symbolism of the day. Using torn strips of coloured paper they explored texture, shape and composition. They experimented with layering techniques to create contrast and visual interest, selecting colors that evoked emotion and meaning. This activity emphasized the principles of emphasis and balance. Students will continue to analyse Melbournes ‘Street Art’ and discuss the street art movement, highlighting what is appropriate and not appropriate when it comes to art. They will look at artists such as Banksy and Keith Haring, to examine cultural and social issues. They will look at different lettering styles and how to create 3D to show depth on a two dimensional surface. Students will explore Mandala art, using line, shape and pattern as well as color and space. Throughout the term, they will also refine their ability, building skills in both conceptual and technical areas of visual art. We are looking forward to a fun and creative term with the Year 5/6 students.
