Maths: Word Problems

In Maths Groups this term we are focusing on solving multi-step word problems, with a focus on the Maths Olympiad.

Some students have already worked through entire books of Maths Olympiad Practice questions, so I am looking for other fun and increasingly challenging activities for them to work through.

Solve-it has a variety of online word-based problems that increase in difficulty.

IXL Word-math problems.

Converting Fractions into Decimals

This week we are looking at converting fractions into decimals.

BBC Skillswise has an excellent page of factsheets and worksheets to support learning in this area.

2015: Year 4 Maths - Week 5



This week we are looking at playing a dice game, if you do not have dice available, here is an online virtual dice to play with!

We are also looking at problem solving strategies, some outlines can be found here.

2014 - Back from Maternity Leave and moving class!

Hi there,
I hope you have enjoyed reading and using my blog, I have had a fabulous time creating it the last few years.
In mid 2014 I returned to work from one year of Maternity Leave, and I will now be looking after my school's Enrichment Program.
If you'd like to check out my new blog visit it here!

HSIE: The Muscular System

This week in HSIE we are looking at the Muscular System.

An excellent explanation of the muscular system for kids is here.

BBC Bitesize also has clear defninitions and some interactives to work through.

You can click on the muscles here to get an explanation of the function it performs.

A movie especially for kids is right here.

Bill Nye looks at muscles and bones:


Why does exercise make us tired?


Test your knowledge using this timed comprehension activity!

For your workbook:

Heading: The Muscular System

Did you know you have more than 600 muscles in your body? They do everything from pumping blood throughout your body to help you lift your heavy backpack. You control some of your muscles, while others — like your heart — do their jobs without you thinking about them at all.

There are three different types of muscles in your body:
- smooth muscle
- cardiac muscle
- skeletal muscle

Smooth Muscle
- Is also called an involuntary muscle because you cannot control it.
- Your brain and body tell these muscles what to do without you even thinking about it.
- For example: Your esophagus, which pushes food into your stomach.

Cardiac Muscle
- This is the muscle that makes up your heart.
- The thick muscles around your heart contract to move blood around your body.

Skeletal Muscle
- Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles, which means you can control what they do.
- For example: Your leg won't bend to kick the soccer ball unless you want it to.
- Skeletal muscles work with your bones to give your body power and strength.

HSIE: Local Environments

Last term we looked at Endangered Animals as part of our 'Local Environments' unit of work.

This week on SBS there was an excellent documentary about Fire Ants - so here it is!

HSIE: The Digestive System

This week we will be studying the Digestive System!



A National Geographic interactive is here - see the digestive system in action!

A good interactive game with visuals and sound is right here.

Drag the labels to the diagram of the digestive system.

A digestion game for kids!

More difficult: You can build your own digestive system here!

Of course our favourite scientist Bill Nye has something for us to learn about digestion!

Music: That's My Team

Stage 2 will be singing 'That's My Team' by the Hoodoo Gurus for the official opening of our school's new COLA!
We have not finalised the music arrangement as yet but some information is below.



Lyrics:

And another thing
I'm discovering lately
I'm a bit crazy
For my Rugby League team
Now the stage is set
For the best season yet
You'll see
And you will hear me
Every week when I scream

(Chorus)
That's my team
That's my team
That's my team
I'm yellin' that's my team

Like a talent scout
I've been checking out new blood
And they'll do good
They'll add a lot to our game
I'm a footy fan
Our game demands pure skill
And my team will
Beat anyone that you name

(Chorus)
That's my team
That's my team
That's my team
And I'm lettin' everyone know
That's my that's my that's my that's my team
That's my that's my that's my that's my team

They say, well they say
They're gonna try and make us pay
They say, but I say
We're ready and we're on our way
To Grand Final Day
And another thing
I've been wondering thing lately
Am i crazy
To believe in my team?
No! I'm a footy fan
So you understand my scene
Is seeing my team
Fulfill a premiership dream
That's my team
That's my team
That's my team
I want you to know
That's my that's my that's my that's my team
That's my that's my that's my that's my team
Letting you know
(That's my that's my that's my that's my team)
A Grand Final win well that's my dream
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
That's my team
That's my team

Maths Game: Battleships!

Today in maths we have been looking at grids, maps and coordinates.
The aim of the lesson is students correctly plot coordinates on the coordinate plane.

We will play the game battleships!

Instructions for the game (on grid paper) can be found here.

You can download grid paper for printing here.

You need:
- 1 x Aircraft Carrier - 5 boxes long
- 1 x Battleship - 4 boxes long
- 1 x Submarine - 3 boxes long
- 1 x Destroyer - 3 boxes long
- 1 x PT Boat - 2 boxes long

When one of our ships is hit we say "Affirmative!"
When we get out we say "Give up the ship that has been sunk!"

This grid can be used to demonstrate the game on the IWB.

Here is a sheet you can print out to play the game at home or in class!

Battleship.docx

HSIE: The Respiratory System

This week in HSIE we are looking at The Respiratory System.

A printable worksheet for students to label is located here.

BBC Bitesize has a good introduction to the Respiratory System, although the webpage itself is a little advanced.
A good explanation and interactive is here.



You may like to try the respiratory system wordsearch.

If you have more time you may like to watch this episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy - my favourite!

HSIE: The Skeletal System

Today in HSIE we are looking at the skeletal system.

Together we will watch this brief movie about The Skeletal System.

We will work with this interactive and take the quiz as a class!

We will write into our book:

The Skeletal System
Your Skeletal system is all of the bones in the body and the tissues such as tendons, ligaments and cartilage that connect them.
The main job of the skeleton is to provide support for our body. Without your skeleton your body would collapse into a heap. Your skeleton is strong but light.
Your skeleton also helps protect your internal organs and fragile body tissues. The brain, eyes, heart, lungs and spinal cord are all protected by your skeleton.
Finally, bones provide the structure for muscles to attach so that our bodies are able to move.

We will then construct our own skeleton using this printable.

We can also play the bone match game.

Bounceback: Charities

This week our school's Bounceback focus is explaining Charities and the role they play in our community. We watched this excellent BTN clip about young people that volunteer for Meals on Wheels:

COGS: Effects of Growth and Change

This term our COGS unit focuses on the Effects of Growth and Change.

Our bodies are complex systems that rely on many factors to grow and function, and we will work towards understanding the impact of change from historical perspectives and on the life cycles of living things.

Today with Miss Davis we visited this website to explore the circulatory, respiratory, muscular and digestive systems in humans.

An excellent digestive system interactive explores the process of digestion. You may like to follow up with this online quiz!

All sorts of school resources including videos, games and puzzles on the respiratory system are right here. There is another whole page of resources available relating to the circulatory system.

The Anatomy Arcade has games all about muscles!

BBC Science also has some good online learning interactives and activities.

If you would like to play a game that looks at the human skeletal system, click here!
A good comprehension activity on the muscular system supported by a quiz can be found here.

Persuasive Writing Topics

This holidays you may like to practise your persuasive writing!

Here is a list of possible topics to choose from:
- Too much money is a bad thing.
- People should go to jail when they abandon their pets.
- Kids should get paid for good exam results.
- Kids should have less homework.
- Handwriting is important.
- We should teach good manners in schools.
- Short hair is better than long hair.
- I'm old enough to babysit!
- Children should be required to read more.
- Mobile phones should never be used while driving.
- Parents of bullies should have to pay a fine.
- Children should be able to choose their bedtime.
- We should allow pets in school.
- I'm old enough to stay at home alone.
- We should all grow our own vegetables.
- Video games can be educational.
- Aliens probably exist.
- School should take place in the evenings.
- Country life is better than city life.
- Teachers should be paid more.
- People should live on the moon.

Don't forget to use the structure we have been learning in class and I will be happy to look at anyone's extra work after the holidays!

Please remember that BTN is great to watch over the break for ideas!

Anzac Day 2013

This last fortnight we have been learning about Anzac Day.



As a class we read the book 'My Mother's Eyes' by Mark Wilson.
The book has its' own website with a Teacher's Guide here.

We have also been talking about Sydney's famous Anzac Bridge. It links Sydney with Glebe and other Inner Western Suburbs.Some facts about the bridge, it is:
- The longest cable-stayed bridge in Australia, with a main deck length of 805 metres, including a 345 metre span between the towers. The two 128 metre towers support 128 cables.
- Amongst the longest concrete cable-stayed bridges in the world.
- A landmark visible from many of the city's inner suburbs.
- Eight lanes wide.



On one side of the road is an Australian ANZAC Soldier (also known as a 'Digger'):


On the other side of the road is a New Zealand ANZAC Soldier (also known as a 'Digger'):


Perhaps you will keep your eyes out for these wonderful bronze sculptures next time you drive, walk or cycle over Anzac Bridge! Do you think you can tell the main difference between an Australian and New Zealander soldier?

Our local War memorial is the Randwick War Memorial. Information is available here.


We also made a wreath on behalf of our grade. This wreath will be on display at our local memorial for Anzac Day.


A list of child-friendly Anzac Day websites can be found here.

Some excellent reading lists of books with an 'Anzac theme' are available here and here. Some of these titles would make excellent holiday reading, many would be available at your local library!

HSIE: Wilderquest

WilderQuest is a fun and innovative children’s program designed to ignite a love of nature. Its aim is to motivate and encourage children to learn about, and experience the natural world, using a combination of digital and real-life experiences.You can visit the website and play the game here.

2013 Anzac Day Song

At our ANZAC Day Assembly this year we will be singing together.
Here are the lyrics to the song we have to learn:

Although you're getting on in years,
and memories seem to disappear
Some things will never fade away
Some memories will always stay
there's one day in each year you will not forget
If this year's your last year we will not forget

One more parade, One less digger by your side.
One year you're marching, the next year you ride.
Hold your head up high, hold your head up high.
Lest we forget, lest we forget.

It seems a long long time ago.
A young man far away from home.
Friends made and lost along the way.
Some memories will always stay.
Those who died those who live you will not forget.
If this year's your last year we will not forget.

One more parade, one less digger by your side
One year you're marching, the next year you ride.
Hold your head up high, hold your head up high.
Lest we forget, Lest we forget

Bridge:
The sound of cannon roaring by,
the smoke and fire covered sky,
the nights of terror as you pray.
Some memories will always stay.

At the closing of the day,
a grateful nation rised to pray.
Some things will never fade away,
some memories will always stay.
Not for one day but always,
we will not forget.
Your memory forever we will not forget.

One more parade one less digger by your side.
One year you're marching,
the next year you ride.
Hold your head up high, hold your head up high
Lest we forget lest we forget.

This is my Great Grandfather George David Richards. He was a Company Sargeant Major in World War I and World War II. He trained horses for both wars.

This is another of my great Grandfathers, Ernest Edwin Hughes. He served in WWI. It is believed this photo was taken when he was 16.5 years old.

This is my grandfather Charles Keith Colgate, he served in WWII. He married my grandmother Jessie Neilson in 1944.

HSIE: The States and Capital Cities of Australia

Today we have been learning to name the States and Capital cities of Australia on a map.

We have played this game to help us remember the names and locations of each State and Capital City.

Here is another game to help us learn the States of Australia.

I printed out blank maps from this website for the class to check their knowledge.

ABC iView: Kangaroo Dundee!

Brolga feeds William the orphan Kangaroo.

Today our class began watching the wonderful Kangaroo Dundee!
We found it very moving and are looking forward to using it as a stimulus for our weekly Persuasive Writing Task on Monday.

You can watch it for the next few weeks on ABC iView here.

Brolga takes a look in Ella's pouch to check for a Joey!

Week 7: Maths Homework Links

This week for Maths homework we will be looking at Time!

Sydney

Here are the links you will need for your homework task:

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/BangOnTime/clockwordres.html

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/time/index.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/maths/telling_the_time/play/popup.shtml

http://mrnussbaum.com/bedtime-2/bedtime/

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/telling_time_gr4/

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/clock_shoot.htm


Homework is due Friday the 15th and 22nd of March, 2013.