Last week was dominated by our ILTs (Integrated Learning Tasks). For three days, from Wednesday to Friday, we suspended regularly scheduled lessons and embarked on a learning experience of a different kind. The Grade 4 learners were ‘abandoned’ on Survivor Island. While on Survivor Island the learners had to apply some of the skills and knowledge that they have gained over the last 6 weeks of school in order to complete various tasks and activities. The learners were divided into small groups of between 3 – 5 and then had to decide on a leader for their group, reflecting on the class discussions we had about good leadership. (Social Science and L.O.)
After watching a Bear Grylls video, to help set the scene with respect to survival, the learners dived into the first activity involving compass directions (Social Science) and deciphering clues (reading and interpreting) to find survival items hidden in various places around the school. The groups then had to discuss and decide which of the items were most valuable and then present their decisions to the class using a mind map (collaboration and communication). In another activity the learners had to use tallying and pictograph knowledge to count birds that are present on the island (Mathematics). The learners had to collaborate and follow instructions given in Afrikaans to correctly colour a picture of the island, and then they had to write cinquain poems about the delicious apples they discovered on the island. At the end of each day the learners then blogged on their iPads, reflecting on the various activities and lessons. The three days of activities were also a wonderful opportunity for the learners to practice collaboration and conflict resolution.
Enjoy the slide show below of some of the class’ cinquains.
The Fabulous Fours 