Year 5 Curriculum Newsletter:

Term 2 2015
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
We hope you had a happy and relaxing holiday break and are ready for a jam-packed
Term 2! There are so many exciting and important things happening this term as well
as lots of learning experiences.
This term the students of Year 5 will undergo the NAPLAN testing from the 13 th to the
15th of May. In preparation for the tests, students are learning strategies for narrative
and persuasive writing. They are working through practice questions to familiarise
themselves with the style of the tests.
During this time, students will also be attending the Life Education Van. This provides
students with a valuable and interactive learning experience focussing on cyber safety
and bullying. Students will also be visited by the schools Adopt A Cop, who will discuss
cyber safety and the importance of being a responsible user of digital technology.
In addition, students will be furthering their learning in Religious Education by visiting
the St Stephens Cathedral and Jewish Synagogue, both in Brisbane. This excursion
provides students with an opportunity to consolidate their learning about Judaism by
exploring a Jewish place of worship. Furthermore, it allows students to deepen their
understanding of Mary MacKillop as Australias first saint and understand how she
contributed to the early Catholic Church of Australia.
Religious Education:
In religion this term, students will learn about the life and significant achievements of
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. They will recall the importance of her faith in shaping
the early church in Australia. Students will look at why Mary MacKillop is important to
the community today and the characteristics and virtues that she possessed which
made her a saint.
English:
Reading and Viewing: Students will focus on inferential comprehensions and
reading for meaning through shared and guided reading using the QAR strategies in
class situations, silent reading and incidental reading across other curriculum areas.
There will be a focus on persuasive texts and poetry.
Writing: Students will plan and write persuasive texts in preparation for NAPLAN
testing. Students will use the PEEL structure to shape their persuasive texts. Students
will also explore the language features and structures of poems, particularly narrative
poems. They will demonstrate their understanding of poems by creating multimodal
narratives using digital media.
Speaking and Listening: students will verbally communicate with known audiences
in an informal setting, use simple changes in voice, body language and facial
expressions to gain audience interest, actively listening in various situations.
History:
Within history this term students will be exploring the development of British colonies
in Australia. They will look at key events related to the development of British colonies
of Australia as well as the economic, political and social motivations behind colonial
developments, particularly the establishment of the Moreton Bay and Van Diemens
Land colonies. Students will also investigate aspects of daily life in the 1800s and the
impact of colonisation on the environment and Aboriginal people.