A trip to the Iziko Museum and Planetarium in Cape Town has opened the eyes of Vision AfriKa learners to both the universe around them and the country in which they live.
The group of 26 Grade R learners went on the outing to the Mother City at the end of May in order to learn more about topics they were studying in class. These included the Solar system planets, as well as their native country of South Africa, its different cultures and wildlife. The aim in visiting the Planetarium was to visit the “Davy the Dragon and the Planets” exhibition. Although one child was initially afraid to enter because the hall appeared so dark, once the cheery music began, everyone enjoyed the fun but educational show, which among other things taught them that Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system, while Mercury is the smallest.
After the performance, the party moved on to the Iziko Museum, where they saw stuffed wild animals, including Africa’s Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino), birds, reptiles, sea creatures, rock art, cultural artefacts and dinosaurs.
The learners were able to view lots of animals that they would not normally be able to see in a zoo – and even had the opportunity to stand inside the mouth of a huge blue whale skeleton.
One of the key advantages of a trip like this was that the children were able to learn by touching, feeling, seeing and hearing in a way that is impossible to do in a classroom and that really helped them to absorb lots of new information.
Written by the grade R teacher and assistant, if you would like to support or follow us, punch in your email address and subscribe at the bottom of our home page or open a new tab in your browser and click for facebook.