Notes to the Teacher

Carlong Primary Integrated Studies: Knowing And Taking Care Of My Body is the first in the series of five books intended for Grade 3 students in the public and private school system. This hands-on, minds-on, student-friendly, student-centred, activity-oriented textbook addresses Unit 1 Term 1 of the Revised Primary Curriculum (RPC) for Grade 3.

The Grade 3 books are different in format from the Carlong Primary Integrated Studies books for Grades 1 and 2. They are designed to satisfy the cognitive and pedagogical foundation for upper primary work. Grade 3 is the pivotal and most challenging year at the lower primary level, therefore the content and activities in this book are more detailed and demand more 'time on task' as children prepare to move on to Grade 4.

Curriculum Coverage and Match

In order to provide adequate coverage of the integrated curriculum it was necessary to divide the year's work into five attractive books. Each book has a title that captures the essence of the content covered in that book. The section of the curriculum that each book addresses is clearly indicated on the cover.

The topics in this book:

• follow the sequence of the curriculum guide;
  
• address the attainment targets, objectives and focus questions;
  
• expand on the procedures and activities suggested in the guide;
  
• incorporate new procedures and activities to provide adequate depth and coverage to;
  satisfy the demands of the objectives
  ensure that students master the attainment targets.

The Integrated Unit

We have tried to ensure coherence across and within the integrated units as well with the 'Windows' for Mathematics and Language Arts. We have also designed activities that integrate the Visual and Performing Arts (the "Heart and Soul" of the Revised Primary Curriculum), Religious Education, Science and Technology, Social Studies, Physical Education, Mathematics and Language Arts as well as aspects of Information Technology. This is in order to provide:

• the foundation, content and skills necessary for the discrete subject approach used in the upper primary curriculum (Grades 4-6);
  
• support for the integrated units in the curriculum guide;
  
• a rich, holistic experience for students.

Provision for 'Windows'

To facilitate as smooth a flow and as comprehensive a coverage as possible, we have integrated key Mathematics and Language Arts concepts and activities to support the 'Windows' programme.

Organization of the Books

The books are organized to help you recognize immediately which section of the unit that each page addresses. The unit number and Focus Question being addressed are printed at the top of every right-hand page as a signpost. In addition, the headings relate to either a Focus Question, to one of the Objectives being treated or else incorporate phrases or concepts from the suggested Procedures/Activities in the Curriculum Guide.

Activities

We have included a wide variety of activities throughout the books. These activities:

• require students to -
  talk with one another in small groups or in whole class discussions;
  express their own ideas and listen to others;
  research and present data in a variety of ways;
  begin to take responsibility for their own learning;
  tell or write their responses to questions;
  
• facilitate the development of conceptual understanding;
  
• stimulate critical thinking and problem solving;
  
• address the multiple intelligences and varying abilities of students;
  
• are designed to be challenging and fun;
  
• can serve as continuous assessment.

Parents and Guardians

Some activities ask students to work with their parents or guardians at home. The 'At Home' feature and some of the 'Teacher/Parent Help Page' activities are designed to ensure that parents or guardians continue to be involved in their child's learning. They also help to ensure that special guidance or assistance with reading and the understanding of certain concepts can be given to the child.

Special Features

We have included some special features to make the book user-friendly. These include:

Objectives at the beginning of the units to guide the students and teachers;
Concept boxes which highlight essential information concepts/content;
Continuous assessment activities throughout the textbook assess skills learnt;
'Let's Journal' for students to write and reflect on their work;
Use of portfolios to capture best practice, encourage extended writing, and other communication skills;
'Window on Words' to highlight new words and concepts used in the unit as well as those taken from the list in the curriculum guide. This feature is intended to encourage conceptual understanding and vocabulary building, as students learn the words, their meanings and use them in new and creative ways. Excellent for word games, spelling quizzes, sentence building and paragraph construction.
Assessments at the end of each Focus Question are samples designed to help the students assess themselves as well as to guide you in constructing assessment tasks that can be used to assess student learning in the integrated units.
Visuals throughout the textbook, with each type serving a different purpose:
a) Pictures - drawings or photographs;

• promote the development of concepts
  
• provide instruction on how to carry out an experiment and other activities
  
• stimulate discussion

b) Graphs help the students understand how they can organize, present and interpret information in a different way;

c) Icons are special symbols used to give direction and information without words.

'Did You Know?' provides "something extra" and scope for further research;
'What Have You Learnt?' at the end of each Focus Question, summarizing the key points covered in that section of the unit;
Use of colour to separate the sections of the unit that address different Focus Questions.
'Challenge' activities designed to motivate students and stretch their cognitive levels.
'Word Bank' to encourage the students to use computers, build vocabulary and develop good spelling skills.

Using the Books Effectively

In order to use these activity-oriented textbooks effectively you must:

• become familiar with the curriculum guide which the book supports;
  
• read the books and plan ahead;
  
• secure the resources which you will need for yourself and your students, working in groups or individually - if you cannot obtain the suggested resources, try to get appropriate substitutes;
  
• involve your students in the planning of lessons and encourage them to bring some of the resources;
  
• involve parents and guardians - their input can be valuable;
  
• design activities to encourage students to talk with you and among themselves, this will help them develop confidence and facility with language;
  
• exercise books or extra paper can be used in some cases for further writing.

Summary

As students complete the Carlong Integrated Studies series of books they will develop:

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills such as, expressing ideas, generating questions and applying ideas and knowledge to new situations;
Science Process (Inquiry) Skills such as observing with all the senses, comparing, communicating, classifying, graphing and using numbers, predicting and inferring;
Attitude or Habits of Mind such as interest in or enthusiasm for active participation, co-operation, curiosity, care and concern for others and their surroundings;
A sense of purpose and responsibility for their own learning.

We have tried, in the development of these books, to capture the essence, spirit and philosophy of the Revised Primary Curriculum, which puts the child at the centre of the teaching/learning process. We have placed emphasis on the use of real life issues to unify and organize knowledge. The activities have been chosen for their relevance and are designed to help students build a value system, to help them manage their lives, expand their understanding of themselves, their needs, their culture and heritage, their environment and their world.

We hope that you and your students will benefit from and enjoy using all the books in the series as much as we have enjoyed writing them.

The author team