UOI 2 - Where We Are In Place And Time
An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; and the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilisations, from local and global perspectives.
Integrated Subjects:
- Literacy - Students will be exploring the text type of "Recount". They will be using recounts to write summaries of their experiences on field trips. The students will collaboratively come up with the criteria for what needs to be included in a recount, and will be actively engaged in the writing process (idea generation, rehearsing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing) in order in improve their writing.
How Phuket has changed and continues to change
The Grade 1 classes ventured deep into the Khao Pra Taew jungle to answer the question, "What was Phuket like hundreds of years ago?" We used our observation skills to look, listen and feel what the jungle covering the island was like before humans settled here and cut down the jungle. We saw many plants and were especially intrigued by all the different animals!
While visiting the Kathu Tin Mine Museum, the Grade 1's were tuning into the question, "How has Phuket changed from a long time ago?" They were amazed to see dinosaur fossils, cavemen and replicas of tin mines. They especially like exploring the life sized version of Old Phuket Town, and were very curious about all of the things they noticed from Chinese culture, such as medicine, food, clothing, theatre, and weddings.
We were so lucky to have a visit from Khun Note, Plum's mother. She told us stories of her family moving to Phuket from China to run the largest tin mine on the island. We heard of the history of tin mining on Phuket, why tin mining no longer takes place and what it was like to live in Phuket many years ago.
Grade 1 was also very privileged to have a visit from Colin Mackay (Aila's father). He spent 5 years researching and writing a book about the history of Phuket. Since we were so lucky to have a real expert on Phuket's history come into the class, we spent some time creating questions to ask him. Once Colin got talking, Grade 1 was so interested to hear what he had to say, that we listened for 1 hour! What a great story teller! We learned a lot about what history is, how to find out about history and some interesting information about how Phuket has changed.
Field Trip to Old Phuket Town
The Grade 1's and 3's went on an adventure in Phuket Town. They were on a hunt to find out the significance of historical buildings, but, they only had a picture of the building and a map! The students had to work together to use the map, ask locals and find their building. They then used their research skills and communication skills to determine the history behind the building and why it was important. Later, the teams travelled to two different museums, Thai Hua Museum and the Chinpracha House to learn more about the history of old Phuket Town.
Research Time! Answering our questions
Back in the class the Grade 1's reported back to the class what they found out about the building they visited. However, many students realised that they couldn't quite explain the significance or history of the building they were searching for. So, with a bit of brainstorming, we figured out that we needed to do some more research. The students decided that using the internet could help them answer some of their questions.
We also had many questions about the culture of Phuket. The students put their research skills to use to find out everything they could about the culture of Phuket and Thailand. In pairs, they read books about the culture of Thailand and write down interesting facts on sticky post-it notes. From there, they sorted the facts into different categories such as food, sports, dress, holidays, people, homes and manners. We are working on a class book for Hugo to take with him to England to explain to his new friends about the culture in Thailand.
We also had many questions about the culture of Phuket. The students put their research skills to use to find out everything they could about the culture of Phuket and Thailand. In pairs, they read books about the culture of Thailand and write down interesting facts on sticky post-it notes. From there, they sorted the facts into different categories such as food, sports, dress, holidays, people, homes and manners. We are working on a class book for Hugo to take with him to England to explain to his new friends about the culture in Thailand.
Grade 1 had so much fun examining side by side comparisons of Phuket in the past and Phuket in the present. We used a Venn diagram to compare and contrast these two photos. This exercise has really helped us to use our thinking skills and consolidate our learning about history and the concept of change.