PYP 1 – Promoting Learning Beyond the Classroom
On the very last day before the Diwali break, Friday the 13th of October, the children of PYP1 took their inquiry into the importance of vegetation, beyond the walls of their classroom through an enlightening trip to the Garware Farms. Accompanied by the class teachers, Ms. Jenifer and our enthusiastic parent volunteers, Mrs. Valia and Mrs. Sood, the young inquirers eagerly set off for their first field trip of the year. Although away, our very gracious hostess, Mrs. Garware, had made all the arrangements, planning meticulously down to the minutest details, and entrusted our visit to the able hands of the farm manager, Mr. Sardesai. No stranger to our annual excursion to the farm, Mr. Sardesai knew exactly what we were seeking and efficiently led our expedition around the vast property. The children were fascinated to observe how plants contributed towards the welfare of farm animals such as the pregnant cow and her year old calf. They watched a man using complex equipment to climb up a coconut tree and procure coconuts and were also privy to the process of extracting sugarcane juice, suitably impressed to learn that sugar is a product of sugarcane.
The abundance of vegetation provided our children with an excellent opportunity to make connections between what they were seeing and experiencing and what they had learned in class. For example, having learnt about the categories of vegetation, our students were quick to identify the different types of plants: trees, herbs, shrubs, creepers and climbers. Sniffing, squeezing, touching and tasting, the children drew on their senses to observe and explore the wonders of nature. From oranges and lemons, to lady’s fingers and cherry tomatoes, from ginger stems to cinnamon and bay leaves and from custard apple to coffee plants, the children had a first-hand experience of how different plants and vegetables grow in their natural habitats. After a sumptuous breakfast so thoughtfully provided by Mrs. Garware, the children gathered their bounties from their walk around the farm and headed back to school where they were one field trip closer to building their understanding about how plants sustain life on earth.
Here’s what our accompanying class parents had to say about the field trip:
“It is a beautiful natural surrounding with a lot of practical experiences for the children to reinforce what they are learning in the Unit.” – Mrs. Sood
“It was an exciting visit to the farm and interesting to see the children relate to their in-school learning. As the current Unit of Inquiry is ‘Sharing the planet’, they were fascinated with the array of fruits and vegetables around. A great learning opportunity.” – Mrs. Valia
Ms. Karishma and Ms. Shilpa
