One Day Fun Trip in Singapore
Last February 2018, our second graders were able to have an exciting trip to Singapore. Our destinations were Clay Works Singapore and Cheung San Library. This trip was related to our 4th Unit of Inquiry under transdisciplinary theme “How the World Works” about Materials. The main purpose of this fieldtrip is for the students to explore more about materials from different learning experiences.
Our first destination was Clay Works Singapore, at Tampines Hub. This is really an interesting place to visit for the kids, as this place displays many attractive objects that are made from clay which are colourful and creative. These collections have provoked students’ desire to directly engage with in the house activity. Here, the students conducted a small workshop under the trainers’ guidance. Before the workshop started, we had the chance to see around their collections. There are varieties of objects and cartoon characters such as Minions and Jurassic Park. The kids really enjoyed the collections as some of the collections are their favorite characters.
The next session was about product introduction. The trainer gave a short explanation about the characteristics of materials that will be used by the students. When the trainer asked about the characteristics of the clay, most of the students have given perfect answers, such as being flexible and easy to perform. According to one of the trainers, the clay that is be used has different material compare to a common clay. It is soft and flexible, safe for the kids, with vibrant colours, light weight, green, reusable and the most important is that, it is non –toxic. It is easy to shape, and it does not stick to our skin so it can’t make our hand dirty.
Next session was the mini workshop for our Grade 2 students. The students were divided into 5 groups. Each group had 5-6 members with one trainer. They were challenged to make the Bunny character from ‘Bunny and Friends’. The trainer guided them closely and explained each step in making the bunny. They had to prepare hand sanitizer and wet tissue in the making process to keep their clay clean and moist. In this activity, the students also got direct experience about the uses of different tools. There are several tools with different functions such as cutting and shaping and with different designs. During this session, their concentration and passion were really being tested. The students attentively listened to the trainer’s instructions. They too found it difficult to shape the clay appropriately, especially when they wanted to shape the very tiny part of the bunny’s body such as eyes, nose and fingers. But, most of them were excited and started to engage fully with this activity. Finally, they produced their Bunny and brought them home.
Besides, having direct different learning experience, creating something from clay also can stimulate children’s motoric skills, as children can do many finger exercises through this material. One of staff members explained this advantage to the children. The trainer also gave a short trial to the teacher to mix two different colours to produce a new color by pulling them continuously.
We continued our journey to Cheng San Public Library, which is located in Hougang Mall. Related with our learning outcome to develop personal preferences and selecting books for pleasure and information, the kids were free to select their favorite books in this library before we got involved with storytelling as a regular activity in this library. The students participated as the audience in this activity. There were two stories read by the staff members. The kids listened attentively and contributed more in answering some questions from the reader about the story content. They were really enthusiastic and they became responsive members of the audience.
Overall, our second grader has gained new learning experiences which are fun and meaningful through these exciting activities.
--By Ms. Desi Masruhah
Grade 2 Homeroom Teacher