Jump-starting their Unit of Inquiry "Where we are in Time and Place," our Grade 2s explored the local area between Zumikon and Greifensee.
Exploration expands our knowledge and leads to new discoveries, opportunities and understandings. Combining this central idea from their current Unit of Inquiry with a student-led Grade 2 German Integration trip, the students used public transportation and hiking to discover three different routes to Maur. Each class left ICS accompanied by their class teacher and two German teachers.
Where relevant, aspects of the Units of Inquiry are incorporated into the German programme. The students prepared for their trip to Maur during their German lessons, developing leadership skills as they read maps, found important information on timetables and took responsibility for travel documents and spending money. They also reconnected with their previous Unit of Inquiry by making healthy food choices when they bought lunch for the entire group of explorers.
Throughout the trip our G2s used every available opportunity to communicate in German, and they also used the day's experience for purposeful reporting activities after they returned to ICS.
And how good is your German? Here's what some of our G2s had to say about their excursion: "Es war faszinierend, weil wir alles selber herausfinden mussten, wo wir hingehen und so." (Christopher); "Wir waren die ganze Zeit draussen". (Akivah); "Ich hatte Spaß als ich in den Blättern gespielt habe." (Vivienne)
