This Week in HASS – term 1, week 5

This week students are exploring a vast range of topics, across the year levels. From using a torch and a tennis ball to investigate how the Earth experiences Day and Night to case studies on natural disasters, celebrations and indigenous peoples, there is a broad range of topics to spark interest.

Foundation to Year 3

Our youngest students (Foundation/Prep – Unit F.1) are talking about where they, and other members of their family, were born. Once again, this activity gets them interacting with maps and thinking about how we represent locations, whilst reinforcing their sense of identity and how they relate to others. Students in Years 1 to 3 (Units 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1) are using a torch and a tennis ball to investigate how the Earth experiences Night and Day, Seasons, Equinoxes and Solstices. This activity ties in what we experience as weather, seasons and their related celebrations to the Physics of how it all works, allowing students to draw connections between what they experience and what they are learning, and providing essential context for the more abstract knowledge. Teachers can easily tailor this activity to the needs of each class and explore the concepts in as much detail as required.

Years 3 to 6

Students in Years 3 to 6 (Units 3.5, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1) are looking at a range of different case studies pertinent to their year-level curriculum requirements, this week. Year 3 students are examining celebrations in Australia and around the world (the Celebrations Around the World resource has been updated this year, and contains some new material, please check that you have the latest copy, and re-download it if necessary) and Year 4 students examine areas of natural beauty in Australia. Year 5 students are looking at the effects of natural disasters, especially here in Australia. Case studies on floods, such as the Brisbane Floods of 1893, and bushfires, such as the infamous Black Friday fires in Victoria, are available for more in depth study by teachers and students wishing to explore the topic in more detail. Year 6 students are examining Indigenous groups of people from Australia and Asia. A range of case studies are available for this topic, from groups within Australia, holding Native Title, such as the Quandamooka People, to groups from the mountains of Southern China, such as the Yi people. The larger number of case studies available, which can be found in our store resource category Indigenous Peoples, allows for Year 6 students to pursue more individual lines of enquiry, suited to their developing abilities.