Spring is here and the season of inquiry is upon us! Our hard-working teachers, mindful of the gentle fall of cherry blossoms, have organized a series of activities for students of every grade to enjoy the sunshine and newfound opportunities for exploring our great city!
Global Perspectives, through which students engage with inquiry-based learning, is one of our core subjects. It is, in fact, one of the only subjects that can be studied from Grade 1 in Primary all the way through to Grade 12 in the High School. Global Perspectives takes local and global issues and challenges the students to research, analyze, evaluate, reflect, communicate, and collaborate on problems relevant to our increasingly globalized world.
Grade 1 – Evergreen Farm
Students visited a local fruit and vegetable farm and learned the importance of buying produce from local farmers. They had fun engaging in activities such as picking fresh fruit, vegetables and garden blossoms, and feeding the animals.
Students learned that hand picking their very own fresh fruit and vegetables was a healthy way of gathering fresh produce. They gained a sense of pride working side-by-side as they searched for fresh fruit and vegetables. Students were also able to learn about the importance of fresh fruit and vegetables and how they promote good health.
Grade 2 – Yuan Zu Meng Shi Jie Dream World
Our next unit of inquiry for this semester was all about “Food, water and farming”, with an emphasis on how food is grown, transported, and prepared for human consumption. With this goal in mind, G2 students spent an exciting and educational day at Dream World! Students were able to watch an automated robotic factory in action as it produced delicious cakes. Students then went on to learn about how all the ingredients for the cakes were produced on farms and gathered for production.
Students then had the opportunity to use those ingredients to decorate cakes of their own to take home later. This process was of great significance as it allowed the students to understand the methods used for food preparation. With the cakes prepared and boxed, it was now time for the students to partake in some of the other activities the teachers had carefully planned.
We visited a nearby owl museum where the students looked at exciting artwork. The students also experienced the freezing cold, like in one of the habitats they had learned about in our previous unit of inquiry on ‘endangered animals’. They felt the ‘arctic cold’ in a weather room and enjoyed a real snowball fight, ice slides, and merry go-rounds.
Grade 3 – Guangfulin
This field trip will enable us to explore the ways in which the people of ancient China utilized natural resources to meet their needs, how they adapted to their environment, and how their culture evolved over time. We will also gain insights into the impact that humans have had on the environment throughout history.
This field trip is aligned with our current unit of inquiry and will provide a unique and engaging learning experience for all of us. We will have the opportunity to observe, ask questions, and participate in interactive activities that will deepen our understanding of global perspectives and cultures.
Grade 4 – Shanghai History Museum
Students examined factual historical records and displays to complete an inquiry-based journey, tracing the roots of the community and focusing on the agricultural and societal history of the city.
In the upcoming weeks, students will move to explore i) what virtues they value as individuals; and ii) a class, a grade and finally a school. Their goal will be to posit a framework by which community ties and the virtues we value can be expanded to encompass the whole of the school.
Grade 5 – Feng Xuan Fire Station
The students were excited to see the big red fire trucks and meet the brave fire-fighters who work there. They started with a tour of the firehouse where they were shown the various tools and equipment used by the fire-fighters, and even got to try on some of the gear! They learned about the different types of fires and how to prevent them, as well as the importance of having smoke detectors and fire alarms in their homes.
Next, the students were given a demonstration of how fire-fighters respond to emergencies. They watched as the fire-fighters showed how to use a fire hose to put out a fire, and how they use special tools to rescue people from burning buildings.
