We have a fun and exciting term planned in the Year 5/6 class at the St Peters Campus. For our 'Sharing the Planet' unit of inquiry, we are focusing on sustainability. Our central idea is ‘The ability of living things to survive and thrive is affected by many factors’.

Mrs Hajnalka Molloy, our Teacher Librarian, is helping our students with their note taking and referencing skills. This will be particularly helpful for the PYP Exhibition next term and for our Year 6 students transitioning into Middle School. We are so fortunate to have Mrs Molloy's experience and passion when it comes to reading and researching.

Last Tuesday, students worked on classifying plants into distinct categories. We also investigated note taking and key words to help the students with their research.

As a provocation for the unit, we visited the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Our guide showed us the different habitats in the gardens, explaining how plants adapt to these environments. Students then sorted and classified plants, researching the mechanisms the plants have created to help them cope with different environments.

The next stop on our excursion was the Concordia Campus where we visited a lab in the amazing Nautilus Centre. The students dissected flowers and separated the ovules. Using microscopes, they observed these ovules and recorded their observations.

I would especially like to thank Dr Catherine O'Halloran, Science Coordinator, and Ms Fiona Brown, Laboratory Technician, for not only organising this experience, but for giving up their lunchtime to work with our students.

The Year 5/6s thoroughly enjoyed their time at the Nautilus Centre and learned so much about plant pollination, which will help them greatly in their understanding of the unit.

Nick Kriewaldt
Year 5/6 Teacher