English 7/8

This term we have focused on writing persuasive and narrative texts, and have also spent time on the basics of spelling and vocabulary. We have studied the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople where we looked at motifs, themes and symbols. The students also wrote a Haiku poem, as this poetry was a feature of the film. Currently we are reading and completing activities on the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio. So far students are enjoying the story and learning about kindness, empathy and being inclusive which is a bonus! We have also introduced some STEM activities along with close reading where students read a passage carefully and answer questions, they then work together in teams to complete a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) challenge which relates to the reading we have read.

Here are some photos of today’s pipe cleaner structure challenge.

English 9/10

English for years 9 and 10 has been focused around a novel, A Single Stone which looks at dystopian societies and the role of women. Students have completed reading the novel and are currently working on an assessment task analyzing it. Year 9 and 10 have also joined in the with the reading and STEM challenges which have been enjoyed immensely.

HASS 7-10

The year 7/8 class has enjoyed learning about Ancient Greece this term. We have covered every day life, religion, the role of women, the Olympics and war methods. The favourite topic was wars where we learned about Leonidas of Sparta and the battle of Thermopylae. All students finished the unit of work by completing a research project on either Leonidas or Alexander the Great which they will present to the class.

The year 9 students have been focusing on World War 1. We have looked at causes, battle fronts, the home front and trench warfare. Students completed an assessment task looking at the failures, successes and sacrifices of the front in Turkey, Europe and Palestine.

Year 10 has looked at rights and freedoms since 1945. This has incorporated the struggle for Aboriginal rights, American and Australian Freedom Riders, the Mabo Ruling and Prime Minister Keating’s Redfern address. Students have conducted their own research and completed a range of short answer questions to consolidate their understanding.

Personal Learning Plan

Our personal learning plan students have spent time preparing for a mock interview which will happen in week 10. They will then reflect on how they went and begin preparing for work experience. Students have arranged their work experience placements which will occur early in term 2, after we have visited the Career Expo in Adelaide in May.

Physical Education

The latter part of the term has been spent playing ball games. We have played baseball and soccer, and then attempted both with an oversized ball, just to see what adjustments needed to be made. Students have also devised their own game which is a mixture of softball and cricket. All students were involved in coming up with rules and how to play, and they successfully adjusted things to make the game work.