Class 4P spent last term immersed in our Humans and Animals Main Lesson, in which we explored how the bodily form of land and marine animals is connected to movement and habitat. The limitations or specialisations expressed through the form were experienced through story, observation, poetry, drawing , painting, movement and drama. The children were fascinated to see how one aspect of the bodily form was specialised in many animals – for example the eye of the eagle or the stomach of the cow.
We saw how the balanced and harmonised body of the human being, with the adaptability of upright posture, free hands and the gifts of speech and reflective thought, allows us to adapt our environment and create tools.
After our classroom exploration we undertook a five-day camp to Mooloolaba and Hervey Bay, where we spent a night in an aquarium, with sharks and rays swimming overhead while we slept; experienced the great wonders of the sea, with whale watching in Hervey Bay and observed the native animals at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
On our return, the children wrote haiku - Japanese poems of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world. I gladly share with you their expressive and heartfelt thoughts on the wonders of the animal world.
Penny Martin
Class 4 Teacher