As part of English this term we have been focusing on persuasive language. When we want to convince someone, we use persuasive language. This includes high modality words like definitely and absolutely. It also means using arguments and reasoning to back up those arguments. we were all very convincing !!! 

Hello parents and caregivers.

Just a reminder about the HFCS spring fair on this Sunday 23rd of October.

Here is a map and poster of just some of the exciting activities and stalls on offer.

Hope to see you all there!

Oh No! Mr Bean’s teddy has lost its head!! What are we going to do to sew it back on? We are going to need thread which is strong and flexible but which one? Students experimented by testing which type of thread was the strongest out of 1. cotton, 2. plastic/nylon, 3. yard/wool and 4. poly string.

They did this by testing how much weight each string could withstand before breaking. Here are some pictures of how they carried out their experiment.

LI: We are learning how to design fair experiments where only one variable is tested. We are learning about strength of strings

SC: I /we can test each type of string with weights to see which one would need the most weight before breaking or snapping

Today we welcomed Gary from world of maths with 17 different fun and interactive maths activities and challenges that the students could enjoy. Their task was to work in groups of about 4 on 17 different challenges that promote, open, visual and hands on mathematics as well as the character strength of team work. The students had fun learning maths in a different way we might do in class. Some students even made the connection between maths and science!

In design technology the teachers have undertaken sessions with our digital technologies expert Paul Hamilton. Today the students had a go at creating animated GIFs using the break apart and make editable functions. We applied this to pictures that would require fluid type motion and then duplicated slides, changing one aspect of the movement ever so slightly. We then exported as GIFs.

LI: To animate an object or create a scene using keynote and GIFs.

SC: I can create a keynote animation using break apart and make editable functions

I can export as a GIF

The possibilities are endless as we can even make the GIF have a transparent background so then inserting it to any ready made keynote or i movie is easy!

(please click on each thumbnail picture in the gallery to play each GIF individually)

Learning intention: Students will think and act scientifically by engaging in learning opportunities that elicit prior knowledge and misconceptions

Success criteria: to use the materials to make Mr Bean’s missing shoe.

This term in science the students will be focusing on materials, their uses and properties. We began by making Mr Bean’s missing shoe. The students had to choose from a range of materials to make their shoe as effective as possible. The results were amazing with some even wearing the shoe they made for real!

We also followed up this idea in the MUDLA and looked at the various materials used in there to house the living things. We made many discoveries and thought scientifically about why some materials such as glass are used to make aquariums.

Learning intention: Students will describe and continue number patterns resulting from performing multiplication.

Success criteria:

• I can find patterns in numbers using circle dot patterns and groups
• I can use a decagon and the units digits of numbers to show multiplication patterns of numbers
• I can write number sentences using multiplication to show what a larger number could be given a smaller portion of that number

This term in maths, students will be investigating number patterns using addition and multiplication. the learning intention will be for students to ultimately use algebra to solve problems using growing patterns which use addition, subtraction and multiplication.

In week 1 students looked at number patterns. How big numbers are made up of smaller ones and how we can use visual dot patterns to help us identify factors and multiples of numbers. Students had to colour code dot patterns to show how smaller numbers can make bigger ones, identify which portions of numbers can make up larger ones in a game called ‘What could it be?’ and explore the relationship between numbers using multiplication and a decagon to see which numbers made similar patterns using star shapes. Students made some interesting findings and wrote some deep conjectures on what they discovered.

Monday- week 2

Today we continued our investigation of number patterns by partitioning numbers to make other numbers and find unknown quantities. In this task students had to shoot 24 basketballs into 8 different rings set up as a square like in the picture. We noticed that the sides of the squares always had to add up to 9. We shared solutions as we went and looked for patterns.

Task: Shoot the hoops

Learning intentions:

• Students will understand that number sentences and word problems are related so they can   write number sentences to represent and answer worded problems.
• Students will know of and explain different strategies for finding unknown quantities in number sentences (for example; partitioning)

Success Criteria:

• I can… arrange 24 in different ways using addition using 8 numbers
• I can…make sure each side of my square adds to 9
• i can notice patterns within the square of ‘rings’

Students shared their solutions as we investigated during the lesson

Week 3 Mathematics

This week students looked at using mathematical modelling to write and illustrate solutions for worded problems in mathematics. Students practiced modelling skills such as drawing a picture of the problem, using arrays/blocks and using a bar model. They then tackled 8 worded problems to which they not only had to solve but to show the mathematical modelling they used and associated number sentence that arose from this.

Students then worked on a low floor, high ceiling investigation called ‘the table problem’.

LI: students investigate growing patterns, continue the pattern, find the rule and use the rule to find terms .

SC: I can….

continue the pattern of tables and people

work out the rule in words and symbols (generalize)

use the rule to find the 10th, 20th and 100th term

use rule to work out how many tables I need for 50 people.

here are some student samples of this investigation….

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