Inquiry takes girls on journey through time
POSTED August 4 2023 , Junior School, News
How has my world changed from the past? What will my world look like in the future?
Those are the questions that our Year 1 students sought to answer during their Term 2 inquiry learning project.
Some of you might be wondering, what is inquiry learning? Simply put, inquiry learning is grounded in the philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner. It empowers students to take charge of their learning journeys and encourages them to arrive at an understanding of concepts by themselves. Of course, teachers play an important role in inquiry learning. It is their responsibility to support the students by developing their abilities to ask good questions, determine what needs to be learned and what resources are required to answer those questions, and share their learning with others.
Our Year 1 students began their inquiry into the past and future by creating a whole class inquiry board split into two columns with the following headlines: ‘What do I know?’ and ‘I wonder…’. They then considered a number of questions, including ‘What was life like for my parents and grandparents?’, ‘What aspects of the past can we see today and what do they tell us?’ and ‘How have technology, transport, school, entertainment and communication changed and how do they shape our lives today?’. Their answers to those questions led to several engaging lessons, such as exploring terms like ‘then and now’, learning why we celebrate Anzac Day, reviewing interviews that they conducted with their grandparents during St Mary’s annual Grandparents’ Day and examining the evolution of Trigg Bushland Reserve using Google Earth as part of their weekly Bush School activities.
“Another term-long activity centred on the girls conducting a research project on an artefact from their households. We asked them to write down facts about it and present to the class. One of the items was a suitcase that the student’s grandfather had when he emigrated from Italy to Australia more than 70 years ago. It contained all his worldly possessions and the girls loved looking at it and observing how it was made differently,” Year 1 Teacher Josie Stanton said.
“The suitcase also prompted them to think about what things would they have packed in their suitcase if they were living at that time, and what would they take now. It was an interesting and engaging exercise.”
With their curiosity driving the inquiry, the Year 1 girls examined games that children played in the past, researched a 1945 toy catalogue to note the evolution in how toys were made and used, and analysed the change in modes of transport by creating a sequential timeline. They also designed and built their very own time machine.
Their learning journey culminated in an exciting ‘Time Travel Day’, where the girls dressed up in outfits from the past and participated in a range of activities. The day was designed to help the girls reflect on everything that they had learnt throughout the inquiry and consider what actions they might take to share and act on their learning.
The day began with several parents speaking to the students about their occupations. Compelling presentations from a business owner, dentist, lawyer and psychologist prompted the girls to consider what profession they might like to pursue when they are older. The students then broke into groups and enjoyed a rotation of fun activities, which included playing games from the past, designing and creating garments for the future, and exploring how Probots work to draw and design things with Academic Centre for Enrichment Teacher, Dencker Morrison.
“Our Time Travel Day was a fitting way to celebrate the girls’ learning journey. It was truly inspiring to witness the girls’ growth throughout this inquiry. They were so engaged because they owned the journey, and it was our privilege to nurture their natural disposition to discover more and be researchers,” Year 1 Teacher Lexi Doheny said.