The children of PYP1 welcomed their parents to celebrate and to share their learning at the end of this Unit of Inquiry- “Sharing the Planet”. Through the week the children worked relentlessly to complete their little ‘upcycled’ projects, part of their action, drawing on their innate creativity to make innovative things out of plastic and paper waste. A good example of our students being responsible consumers! . They then gathered all work samples of their choice, from across most subject areas, including Art and were finally all set to amaze their parents. They took ownership of the presentations and showed responsibility for sharing their learning.
On the day, as a bevy of excited grown-ups waited outside the classroom, a group of equally thrilled children added the final touches to their classroom, setting it up for this very special day. At last, when the audience was seated, most on chairs and carpets and some in their mummy’s laps, the Smart Board came alive with a collection of pictures that took the parents through the children’s learning journey, right from the beginning of their inquiry to the final action that this Unit inspired them to take. As a happy tune filled the air, parents got a glimpse into how most subjects including Math, Language and Art, transdisciplinary skills, attributes of the Learner Profile and Attitudes and also aspects of digital citizenship carried this Unit forward, through the important ideas, concepts and knowledge embedded within them.
At the end of the show, the children led their respective parents to their individual stations where they begun the process of sharing their knowledge with their parents. As our learners explained their work pieces, their parents assessed their understanding on a checklist provided to them. From the research they had undertaken, to stories they had read, from movies they had watched to posters they had made, from their written understanding to their reflections of the farm trip, the children enthusiastically explained it all. From their written feedback, it appeared that the parents were suitably impressed with what our young botanists had to say and show. They were especially appreciative of the ‘recycled’ clock the children made, an activity led by none other than our very talented Head of ICT, Mr. Arif Shaikh, where the children assembled components of the clock (all made from recycled items) without any teacher direction, applying their own critical thinking to figure it all out.
All in all, this celebration was a befitting end to an inspiring Unit, a Unit which brought our children one step closer to being the caring, compassionate and responsible citizens who will, in the not-so-distant future, apply this knowledge and understanding, to create a better and a more respectful world for all living beings.
~ Ms. Karishma and Ms. Sangtei
