The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining us on our learning journey this year. After a busy start to the year, the Second Grade class at DSK International has just wrapped up our first unit of inquiry about how our senses help us to learn about and interpret the world around us.

The unit began with a visit from a special visitor, Mr. E Bin. This strange alien creature came to learn more about the Earth. In order to help him, we first needed to think about how we learn about the world around us. Then we had to take what we knew about ourselves and then apply that to Mr. E. Bin to see if he might learn about the world around him in the same way that we do, by using our 5 senses!

Mr. E. Bin was also very helpful during our "No Show and Tell - Day" as he helped hide some of the items that the other students brought in. Students had to shake Mr. E Bin and listen to the sound it made or reach into his mouth to feel different things before guessing what they were.

As we discovered how our senses help us interpret and learn about the world, we also looked into how people who are missing one or more senses are able to live a normal life. We tried several different activities, such as blindfolded art and a blind walk through the school and down the stairs with the help of a guide. We also learnt about other ways to communicate, such as reading Braille or through sign language with Ms. Kate.

By literally looking closer at our sensory organs (with magnifying lenses) the students came up with more questions to research the answers to. One group examined the eye, while two others checked out the nose and ears. To demonstrate what they learnt, each group made up a diagram and model to use in a presentation for others about how the organs work. This inquiry into how to observe and interact with the world around us will help us out throughout the year as we continue on our inquiry journey.