5/6 fortnightly Wrap-Up

Over the past fortnight, 5/6 took a slight detour from our narrative writing unit to dive into a mini-topic on The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, aligning with Clean Up Australia Day. The students were incredibly engaged as they researched what the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is, where it is located, why it exists, its effects on marine and human life, and what actions we can take to help.

To guide our thinking and acquire knowledge, we used online information sources, ensuring we summarised key points from websites to extract factual and relevant information. This process helped students develop critical research skills, including identifying credible sources and distinguishing fact from opinion.

Our learning extended beyond the classroom during the Clean Up Australia Day event at Franklin Foreshore, where 5/6 worked together to collect, sort, and analyse rubbish into recyclable and non-recyclable categories. As part of this investigation, students posed and refined questions about the types of waste found, then used online research to determine the decomposition rates of different materials. They evaluated credible sources to ensure the accuracy of their findings and summarised key information to guide their understanding. Using this real-world data, students applied mathematical thinking to represent their findings in graph form, carefully selecting the most effective way to display their results. Through this process, they not only developed their data analysis skills but also deepened their awareness of the long-term environmental impact of waste.

To wrap up our mini-topic, we reflected on what we can do to protect our environment. Our first step was to educate others about the effects of rubbish in our oceans, and this led to a last-minute assembly presentation. Despite the rushed preparation, so many students enthusiastically put their hands up to have a speaking role, demonstrating incredible courage and bravery in public speaking. We could not be prouder of 5/6 for stepping up and sharing their research and informative writing with the Franklin Primary community. Their confidence and willingness to educate others on such an important issue were truly inspiring.

Well done, 5/6!