As we return to school for our final term of this academic year, I would like to share a photo of my provocation for my latest unit of inquiry; I simply entered our classroom and dumped a pile of plastic bottle caps onto my students’ tables. Whilst it seems to be a rather ordinary provocation, it certainly had the intended effect on students, stimulating their imagination for a preliminary see/think/wonder exercise.

The transdisciplinary theme for Term 4 is Sharing the Planet and we will be exploring our rights and responsibilities towards finite resources and our relationship with all living things. This is a particularly special unit to me, as it provides an opportunity for students to get deeply connected to their environment both locally and globally.

Students will engage with a beautifully illustrated picture book (Tokyo Digs a Garden) using an inquiry mindset to question the imagery and possible meanings behind it. They will also research into deforestation and endangered species and engage in various actions to support their learning including Earth Day, litter clean ups in the local village, an in-school excursion to Prem’s Precious Plastics (recycling) studio and an adventure to The Elephant Poopoo Paper Park in Mae Rim.

Cara Templeton

Head of the Intensive English Programme