Unit of Inquiry: following discussions in planning meetings early last week, our unit of inquiry has changed slightly from its original title, central idea and inquiry points. We have changed our first unit of inquiry to ‘Vote For Me’ and the central idea now reads ‘unlike other forms of government, democratic governments are elected by the people.’
Students will inquire into:
· the need for government and leadership in society;
· exploring events that lead to political change; and
· the effects of different forms of governance on society.
We have already discussed the main function and role of government in class and will now shift our attention to different forms of government and leadership. We felt that these changes to the original unit plan would allow us to incorporate topical political issues at the moment, particularly the upcoming US Federal Election. In addition, focussing on democracy allows us to compare different democratic governments with alternative forms of government (past and present). It should make for interesting discussions in class! This week we will begin to look at major political groups in history and prominent leaders.
Mathematics
Students will continue to focus on basic number concepts, particularly place value concepts (up to millions). Following some pre-testing last week, we will also be looking to begin our maths groups this week (pending the availability of Mr. Costello who will also be supporting the Year 6 students this year). In addition, the children will begin revising and extending their understanding of mental strategies taught last year for the operation of addition. In the Data Handling strand, the children will also be applying their thinking skills to analyse political surveys.
English
Students will begin work this week on persuasive text types. We will look closely at texts from famous speeches in history from major political leaders and the persuasive nature of the language to incite large groups of people into action. In our reading groups this week, we will continue to practise basic comprehension skills in reading and interpreting texts, particularly when it comes to identifying key words in questions and scanning texts for key words and clues.
What can I do to help?
· Make sure your child is doing the required homework each night. Remember the recommended amount of homework is 40 minutes plus leisure reading. Children do need time to rest and play.
· Don’t forget to check the class blogs to find links to sites that will support your child in their class work.
· Please remind your child of the need to use English in class. There have been some students in Year 6 who were sent to detention last week because of their frequent use of Portuguese in class.
Upcoming Events and Reminders:
· September 17 – PTA coffee morning to meet new parents (8:45am).
· September 23 and 25 – Let’s Discuss Our Class parent meeting. Meetings start at 3pm.
· September 24 – Introduction to the PYP for new parents.
· September 27 – PTA Welcome BBQ (time to be advised)
· Please let the school know in advance if you wish your child to have a school lunch on a particular day. This helps in organising the lunch for your child.
· Class 6G will be performing at the school assembly this Friday 19th at 8.30am. You are welcome to come and watch.
With thanks,
David Barrett, David Gocentas and Ms Isabel Costa Pereira
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