Today, we started our day off with a morning message about the students’ new Unit of Inquiry (U of I) on how environments affect communities. What a great way to start the day! The students were very excited about this new U of I and had so much to talk about and share. The conversation went on to inquire about homes in Africa. Since I have been to Kenya, I shared some of my knowledge. The students were surprised to know that not all people in Africa live in mud houses. The conversation also involved a discussion about the differences between living on the coast versus living inland. We also discussed how living near the equator may impact our clothing choices. The students had some great ideas and justifications for their thought processes.
To follow up on this morning discussion, in the afternoon, I pulled up some of my pictures of Kenya so the students could see. I had a picture of a house in the city of Nairobi, and a boma (straw/mud house) in the Maasai Mara. I also showed them the physical environment in the Mara, and a school I visited within it. The students were very curious about the differences between the Mara school’s recess environment and the one they have at their school in Vancouver. They also inquired into the animals, how students in the Mara get to school, the ages of the students in the school, the hazards, and the safety procedures. We also looked at some pictures of the drinking water available in the Mara, and discussed how this differs from Vancouver. It was a great inquiry discussion to be involved in!
Please see the pictures below of my pictures from Kenya that I showed the students.
A boma in the Maasai Mara
A view of the Mara
A lion drinking from water
A school in the Mara
A house in a gated community in Nairobi
A hippopotamus in the Mara
Sharing your experiences with them is a wonderful way to continue to build rapport. You will likely play a key role in this U of I as you are now the resident “expert” on the African environment. I wonder what concept will guide this inquiry – causation? Bringing this level of global awareness to 7 yr olds always amazes me. It will be interesting to see where their questions go and what their final take aways will be. Regardless of what they may be, they will remember that their teacher experienced first hand how environments can affect communities. You make it real and that is powerful. Aren’t they lucky…