Year 1

Learning from the Experts! 

The Year 1 students are inquiring into the central idea ‘Humans' roles in the natural world contribute to the survival of animals’, for our fourth UOI of the year, under the transdisciplinary theme Sharing the Planet. This unit has provided the students with the opportunity to develop their research skills by gathering new understandings and knowledge from a number of primary sources.  

On Thursday, 8th January, the Year 1 students went on a field trip to the BXSea Oceanarium. Seeing animals up close made learning come alive: students watched fish swim, noticed how shells and scales protect sea creatures, and observed how different animals move and find food. Friendly aquarium guides spoke to the class, explaining what ocean animals need to survive and giving real examples of how pollution, plastic, and habitat changes can hurt sea life.

During guided talks and close‑up viewing, students practiced important research skills. They asked questions and compared what they had learned in class with what they saw in person. Watching expert staff feed animals and care for habitats showed students how conservation work happens every day -  from cleaning tanks to designing safe spaces for animals to live.

The trip also included hands-on moments: students handled (safely and supervised) touch‑tank creatures, tried simple observation activities, and completed quick reflection tasks to record new ideas. These activities helped them understand cause and effect — for example, how water quality affects animal health — and encouraged empathy for living things.

Seeing real animals and hearing from aquarium experts helped students connect scientific vocabulary (like habitat, adaptation, and pollution) to real examples. Many students left inspired, sharing plans to reduce waste at school and at home after learning how small actions can help ocean animals thrive.

Here are a few learning statements from our students reflecting on what they learnt during the field trip.

On Tuesday, 20th January, the students took part in a Guest Speaker session with BOSF (Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation) to learn why orangutans are an umbrella species and what conservation work looks like in practice. Hearing directly from BOSF helped students understand both the challenges orangutans face and the concrete actions people and organisations take to help them.

Here are a few learning statements from our students explaining what they learnt during the guest speaker session.

Why Learning from Experts Matters

• Real experiences make concepts memorable: Observing animals and hearing expert explanations helped students connect classroom ideas to the real world.

• Primary sources build research skills: Students practised asking questions, listening to specialists, and evaluating reliable information.

• Inspiration for action: Meeting conservationists and seeing animal care in action motivates students to make choices that help the environment.

Community Comes Together: Small actions, Big impact