Year 5
Yearly Overview

ENGLISH

Students develop their English skills across all curriculum areas with many activities integrated with our Inquiry Concepts. In Reading and Viewing, students continue to use a range of comprehension strategies that are taught through the Independent Reading program. Their comprehension strategies are also developed through Reading activities and in regular small group work with the teacher. In Writing, students work through a variety of text types, including narrative, persuasive, letter writing and recount texts. They engage in lessons that develop their skills in Spelling, sentence structure, grammar and vocabulary use, editing and revising. We have a strong focus on Speaking and Listening in Year 5. Students develop these skills through speaking in both formal and informal settings, such as small group discussions and delivering formal speeches to peers at assemblies. Each year students research a notable Australian and present their project to the community for our Day of the Notables exhibition. In preparation for Year 6, students present a speech to their peers and parents during our Speaking with Confidence evening.

MATHEMATICS

Students continue developing in all areas of the Mathematics curriculum. They practise effective mental and written strategies in Number and Algebra, and explore the rules related to the order of operations to solve equations involving multiple steps. Students develop their understanding of the principles of 12 and 24-hour time, elapsed time and reading timetables. They build their ability to accurately measure length, area, perimeter, volume and capacity. Students investigate angles on a straight line, vertically opposite angles and angles at a point, and use protractors appropriately to find unknown angles. They explore Statistics and Probability, and the use of different graphing techniques to represent data. Students learn to calculate simple budgets and percentage discounts. They compare fractions and decimals on number lines, simplify fractions, identify equivalent fractions and begin to add and subtract fractions. They also learn to multiply and divide decimals. Students investigate two and three-dimensional shapes and tessellating patterns.

INQUIRY

In Term 1 our Inquiry Concept is Society. This unit has an Economics and Civics and Citizenship focus with students developing their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of people as global citizens and the role of government and business in the economic development of Australia.

Following on in Term 2 we explore the Gold Rush, its effect on Colonial society and the implications of the huge influx of migrants on the development of Melbourne specifically and Australia generally.

Our Term 3 Inquiry Concept explores Migration and multiculturalism in Australia. Students increase their understanding of the different regions of the world and the diversity and variety of connections between people and places. Students conduct research into the geographic characteristics of various countries and cultures of Asia, and explore the country’s human, economic and environmental capital.

Our Term 4 Inquiry Concept shifts our focus to the Future. Students ask questions and research how their lives might look different in the future through emerging technologies and the effects this will have on the way they live.