Hello everyone! Grade 5 students have continued to learn about the technology around us and how those technologies have changed over time. For the second field trip of this unit, the students went to visit a Mazda car dealershop and their factories in Matsumoto. The students learnt about some rules related to cars, how they look after cars, fix cars and sell cars. They had a wonderful experience being able to see the ins and outs of a car, which they normally wouldn’t be able to see. It was an insightful and fun trip!

After the Mazda field trip, the students chose to make a newspaper and a brochure to share what they learnt and observed. Since it was the second time for them to use their notes to create something, they were more knowledgeable with the process and were able to make something even better than before.

The students used their research skills to learn more about the different types of technology. They found that there were many categories like medical, communication, educational, transportation, and mechanical technology. They found visual examples of the different types of technology and made a collage.

To explore how technology has changed over time, the students decided to make a timeline of their chosen technology item. Some students were surprised to see what they use now looked like in the past. For example, a headphone used to weigh 10 pounds (around 4.5kg) and it had to be rested on one’s shoulder while holding another part of it.

For English, we have been reading “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind“. It is a story about a 14 year old boy in Malawai thinking and inquiring how to bring electricity to his village to help with the drought. The students also really enjoy reading during library time. Last month grade 5 borrowed the most amount of books!

We have our ski trip very soon and are super excited! See you next time. 🙂