Published on: 26 July 2018




Our Year 6s were the ‘experts’ this week, delivering presentations on their latest projects to first and second year pre-service teachers at UWA’s Graduate School of Education.

The visit follows a partnership study which our Year 6 teachers have been conducting with the University of Western Australia in the area of differentiation.

“Lecturer in Differentiation and HASS at UWA, Dr Gemma Scarparolo is working closely with our Year 6 teachers to explore how boys respond to having choice in their learning. As such, our teachers created a Choice Board Learning Inquiry that catered for a range of abilities and also challenged the boys,” says Acting Years 5 and 6 Co-ordinator, Mrs Sally Mackinnon.

“Over past weeks, the Year 6 boys have been researching the concept of ethical consumerism in depth as part of our HASS program, using the Challenge-based Learning Inquiry Framework to investigate and tackle this real-world problem. The framework is collaborative and hands-on while also developing a range of 21st Century soft skills such as collaboration and teamwork, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving. Purposeful use of technology is also enhanced, along with skills in researching, analysing and publishing.”

“Integral to the Challenge-based Learning Inquiry Framework has been inviting experts into the classroom to provide the boys with current knowledge and experience. This has included a Skype call from Fair Trade Australia, a guest speaker from OXFAM and talk by Darren Lowman, founder of Greenbatch – a local company involved in recycling plastic bottles.”

Year 6 Teacher Claire Clemons said, “This project has encouraged the boys to become global citizens and taught them how they can be responsible consumers. By working alongside the Graduate School of Education, the boys have been given the opportunity to share their learnings and the experience has proven valuable in allowing the boys to reflect on what they have learned, how they learn and what they could improve on next time.”

This Saturday, four boys will present the work all Year 6s completed last term on the topic of ethical consumerism at the UWA HASS Week Launch. Anyone interested in attending can register here.