Theme
The 2018 school-wide theme is ‘Treat Me’. This statement lends itself to a broad range of interpretations, and allows us to find suitable, relevant contexts for teaching and learning across all curriculum areas. These will range from the literal interpretation of a ‘treat’, to how we treat others and ourselves, to respect for environmental resources. There promises to be something to engage the interests and curiosity of all our students.
Topic Term 1
The topic for this term is titled ‘Guardians of the Taonga’. Taonga means treasure. The first part of the term has a social sciences focus. Using the Treaty of Waitangi as a context, we are unpacking the following achievement objective:
While building knowledge around the people, places and events of the Treaty of Waitangi, we will begin to explore our role as a bicultural nation in protecting the taonga of our environment. Around the middle of the term, we switch to a science focus, with the context being our seas and oceans. This coincides with the national Sea Week. Students will be learning about interacting systems, in particular, how natural features are changed and resources affected by natural events and human actions.
Term 2
This term we will be learning about Space. Our topic title is Out of This World. We shared ideas and observations about the Sun and the Moon and their physical effects on the heat and light available to Earth. All our learning will be presented at the Student Led Conference at the end of Term 2.
We conducted experiments about day and night and looked at what it takes to become an astronaut by eating dehydrated food and learning more about space travel. It was important to treat the Earth well as there may come a time where we might have to move onwards to live on other planets because of our own actions.
Term 3
In Term 3, in keeping with our vision of ensuring young people who will be confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners we decided to go down the Trash to Flash route. In doing this, we are taking on the Nature of Technology achievement objectives along with Social Science and intervening by repurposing.
Technology uses intellectual and practical resources to create technological outcomes, which expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realizing opportunities. Technology makes enterprising use of knowledge, skills and practices for exploration and communication, some specific to areas within technology and some from other disciplines. These include digitally-aided design, programming, software development, various forms of technological modelling, and visual literacy.
The big idea is to re-purpose an object with one particular use and transform it so it can be used for another purpose.
Authentic task: To make something by re-purposing that students can gift, or be used by their stakeholder.