Silent Letters

Today in your word investigation with Billy, you will be looking at words with silent letters. Here are two websites you will be using:

Website 1

Website 2

Calculate your eco-footprint

Click here to calculate your eco-footprint!

Sunny Meadows

Today we looked at ecosystems and interdependence. Here is a game we played about plants, rabbits and foxes. Can you get the highest score?

Ecosystems and Interdependence

Today the students from 3/4A and 3/4B who do not attend the Vietnamese Bilingual Program did a study on ecosystems and interdependence.
Above are two examples of an ecosystem and the interdependence between the living things within their particular habitat.

Watch this video to find out about a desert ecosystem




CLICK HERE TO WATCH AN ANIMATION ABOUT INTERDEPENDENCE

Comic Strips

In multimedia this week we will be using Strip Generator. Please click here

Term 4 Inquiry

This term our unit of inquiry is "How we share the planet"

The Central Idea is : Every human is responsible for his or her own eco-footprint.

The Lines of Inquiry are:

• Sustainability now and in the future
• Alternative production of power

The Key Concepts: Responsibility and Perspective

Learner Profile focus: Caring and Reflective


CHECK THE USEFUL LINKS UNDER "HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET"

Area and Perimeter Challenge!

Have a go at creating your own floor plan for a new bedroom or even a whole house using this program, Small Blue Printer.

Area and Perimeter

Angles

In mathematics, we are looking at angles and how they appear in a range of structures. Have a go at some of these activities... click here to try!

Famous structures - Ancient Tiahuanacu

Famous Structures - The Taj Mahal

Famous Structures - The Alhambra

Our Unit of Inquiry

Transdisciplinary theme: How the World Works

Central Idea: Structures are designed for certain purposes

Lines of inquiry:

• Features of Successful Structures


• Factors must be considered when designing a structure

Key Concepts: Function and Reflection

Learner Profile Focus: Inquirers and Balanced

Big structures around Australia

Unusual structures around Australia. They have a purpose, but what? Click on the picture to find out more...

Project Idea No 1

As part of our unit of inquiry on Structures students will be required to research and present a project. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World would be a great investigation!

Click here for more information.

Our Tessellation Investigation

Inventor project 1

201134b alexander g bell by aino & ruby

View more presentations from tim8hawk.

201134b_J.K Rowling Halima

34b nicoleandchristine thomas edison2011

View more presentations from tim8hawk

2011 34b tommy and zen

View more presentations from tim8hawk.

Fraction Webquests

Have a go at one (or more) of these Webquests about fractions:

Fun with Fractions

Fraction Webquest

Fraction Walls

Students in 3/4A and 3/4B are looking at fractions as part of our mathematics program this term. Students created fraction walls to understand the concept of equivalence. An example of this is 1/2 is equal to 2/4 and 6/12.

Author Study - Roald Dahl

For the next few weeks the students in 3/4 will be doing an Author Study on Roald Dahl. We will be discussing his books and movies, finding out about the man himself and other related activities. Here are a couple of links if you want to find out more:

The official Roald Dahl Website

The Roald Dahl fan site

Poems by Roald Dahl

3/4As reflections on Semester 1

Ingrid:
My strengths, I am especially good at Reading, I feel relaxed when I read. For next semester I need help with spelling and fractions. My best memories from this semester have been camp and creating my own island map.

Lucie:
My strengths, I am good at Writing, I feel creative when I write. The best memory from this semester is Science Works and Camp. Next semester I want to get my pen license.


Greta:
My strengths, I am very good at Writing, I feel confident and creative when I am Writing a story. The Best Memory from this semester is at camp, coming 2nd in the camp, is the concert and all the excursions we had in semester 1. Next semester I want to improve on my Maths.


Ned:
My strengths are reading and multimedia. I feel happy when I am on the computers. My best memory in this semester was camp because me and my friends came first in the camp concert. For the second time next semester I want to improve my writing and my maths.

Tsomo:
My strengths, I am good at maths. I am good at art. In maths I feel very happy and multimedia and intrepica. My needs for next semester are for the maths and handwriting.
My best memory from this semester is, I enjoyed the science works. My plan for next semester
is sport.


Ewen: I am good at rounding up and down, multimedia, addition, multiplication 1's 2's 5's 10's and 11's. I feel not that good about doing work unless its fun. For the next semester I need help with my fractions. My best memory from this semester is the 3/4 camp. My plan for the next semester is to get my pen licence :).

Ian's interesting artefacts!

On Wednesday 22nd June, Mrs Maxwell's dad Ian, visited the Grade 3/4s. He brought with him a variety of interesting artefacts, most of which were quite old.

Ian drove to Footscray in his 1950 FX Holden, there are only about 200 left. It was the first car built in Australia, specifically for Australian use.

He also brought with him a variety of cameras, the oldest the Kodak Box Brownie was made in around 1930, the next oldest, another Brownie that Ian got for his 10th birthday in 1960, then his SLR camera from the mid-70s. Ian still has hundreds of slides that were taken during the late 70s and early 80s with the SLR camera, so he showed the 3/4s some slides using his projector, everybody enjoyed seeing Mrs Maxwell as a baby!

Ian also brought an old typewriter and showed everyone how to use it. He had some photos of various phones too, so we have been able to make a timeline showing the changes in phones from 1930 to today.

Lastly Ian showed the 3/4s some old tools that he borrowed from a friend of his, who is a collector and his old digital calculator.

It was a very informative and interesting afternoon.

Web Quest - "Let's Go Shopping"

Here is another web-quest about shopping for ingredients to make a recipe you find on the Internet. Follow these steps:

1. Go the website taste.com.au to the kids friendly section. Write out the ingredients in a list and the amount you will need next to each one.

2. The next step is to find out what your postcode is. Go the site, Postcodes Australia, and enter your suburb and then click "Find". Even if you know your postcode, this is worth doing as it gives you some interesting facts about your suburb.

3. Go to Coles Online and enter your postcode in the "New Customers" section - bottom left. On the next page click on the yellow button that has "Start Shopping" on it.

4. Find where your ingredients for your recipe are and note down the cost. If you want the ingredient, click on the "Add" button - you will see it added to your total on the right.

5. Going further - if you have time go with an adult to the supermarket and buy the ingredients for your recipe and make it! Was it cheaper or more expensive than buying online?

Web Quest - "3D Shapes"

1. Visit this website about 3D shapes – investigate three or four 3D shapes and describe them.

2. Visit this page of images of buildings. Print one or two out and label as many different 3D shapes that you can see.

3. Open Kahootz and create an expression using 3D shapes.

4. Create some 3D shapes using this isometric tool.

5. Try some of these games and activities.

6. Like to learn more about 3D shapes? – visit this site. (Advanced)

Free Rice

Have a look at "Free Rice" website - every time you answer a question you earn some rice for people who need food. This is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program. Keep a tally of the rice you earn and we will add them all together at school.

First Video Game Console

How Band-aids were invented

Science Works Reflections

On Wednesday most of the 34's went to Scienceworks

We went into The House of secrets, Amazing backyards, Sports works and so much more.

By Ruby

On Wednesday me and my class went to science works we saw amazing backyard the house of secrets sports works the lightning room and the pumping station.
by LUCA


After we did all the stuff the other people mentioned we had our snack. There were lots of stairs and there were these mats we could sit on so we don't sit on bird poo. After eating people started to chase people and go crazy.
by Maddison

After we went to the pumping station it was dark and smelly and boring because the smell was horrible and they talk a lot to it was kinda cool as well because they had a machine that moves really cool and it had coins and the machine because its too make it smooth.

by Andy

We had our lunch after the Pumping Station.Then we played on the playground, Andy got really dizzy after spinning around the spinning thing.My favorite place was Amazing Backyards because it was full of games to play.My favorite games in Amazing Backyards was The game where you had to survive and you were a animal I was the best at kookaburra.

By Nicholas

At the Amazing backyards we saw a huge spider behind the glass and the first time i saw it i screamed because it was very very scary. After that i played a games called Plants VS Insects. I Versed Lucie and I was the insect, I won the games and i was so happy. The next game I was the plant but I lost. It was very fun.

By Teah

When we got to science works we went to house of secrets after lunch and all the other stuff we went to the lighting room and when we got to the room there was a girl and this man put confetti in her hand and she put her other hand on a big silver ball then when he turned it on the confetti fell out of her hand and then the man told the girl to shake her head and when she shook her head she started getting a Mohawk.

by Jenan

Intrepica

Mrs Maxwell has found a wonderful literacy learning website, called Intrepica, that is similar to Mathletics but with a focus on reading, spelling, phonics, comprehension and other components of literacy learning. We are trialling with all the grade 3-6 students. Students in grade 3/4 will receive their username and password tomorrow in our multimedia sessions.

Timelines

As part of our unit of inquiry we will be focusing on timelines and how they represent the development of inventions and technology. Here is a timeline made about technology from TeacherTube:

Here is another timeline about technology:

Here is a link to a timeline about computers in Australia.

Here is a website where you can create your own timeline

The first ever photograph

Here is the first photograph ever taken. It was taken in France by Joseph Niepce in 1826. It took 8 hours to develop!

Click here to find out more information.

The invention of video games

For some people the invention of the video game was an exciting time. Here are a few of the very first video games invented. The only way you could play them was to visit a place called a "Pinball Parlour". You had to put 20 cents in a slot for each game.

Do you know what these games were called? You might have to ask your parents or someone around their age!

Mystery Invention

What does this do? How does it work? Leave your answer as a comment - don't forget to leave your name!

PYP Inquiry

Our next PYP inquiry is "Where we are in Place and Time".

We will be focusing on:

• Discoveries and Inventions
• Technology allows us greater interconnectedness between societies

There are some useful links under the heading "Where we are in Place and Time".

What famous invention is this man using?

Market Day

On Wednesday 25th May the Grade 3/4s ran their own market. Each group made or supplied a product to sell to the rest of the school community, the products included origami, second hand goods, bracelets, purses, bookmarks and a large variety of food!
It was a huge success and we are all looking forward to buying something for our school with the money we made.