Lend a Hand: 2014 Grade 5 Exhibition of Learning

David Kainey, Former PYP Coordinator, East Campus

Speak to Grade 4 students nearing the end of the academic year and the conversation will lead to what life will be like as a Grade 5 student and inevitably the challenges and excitement associated with the learning journey that is the Grade 5 Exhibition of Learning.

This year the Grade 5 students of UWCSEA East had the opportunity to identify some real world issues to pursue, in the category of either a social or environmental nature.

In the early weeks, the students were grouped according to similar interests and together they set up collaborative norms to abide by throughout the eight weeks they would be working together. The groups then worked together resiliently in their quest to understand how service organisations support communities locally, regionally and globally. They identified their big ideas and generated essential questions to guide their research.

Guest speakers were integral to the process, with informative presentations on a range of social issues from representatives from Global Concerns groups, UWCSEA East parents and, of course, Middle and High School students. The researchers were encouraged to take advantage of the wide range of expertise at the College and in the community. The success of this approach resulted in the effective use of Primary Resources becoming a key a feature of this Exhibition of Learning.

Teacher Day (aka Lao Shi, Professor or Professeur Day) is a popular component of the annual Exhibition of Learning, in which the Grade 5 students are tasked with planning a unit of work (in either Mandarin, Spanish or French) in Lending a Hand for Kindergarten 1 and Grade 2 students. The Grade 5’s relished the challenges of planning, communicating and sharing their learning outcomes with the younger students. Interdisciplinary collaboration was also strongly evident in the integration of Art and Music into the Exhibition of Learning.

Mentors, many of whom are teachers in other parts of the College, helped support and guide students throughout the entire process. Their role is integral to guiding and supporting the students’ ideas and goals, and asking questions to guide the students in the regular mentor meetings. The commitment of the mentors to supporting the students was sincerely appreciated by all.

In planning their research strategies some group collaborative norms had to be revisited to ensure the best possible outcomes would be achieved. The students conducted face-to-face interviews on and off campus and via Skype and emailed organisations in their efforts to be informed of multiple perspectives on the particular issue they had identified for research. The students were involved in evaluating and citing their information sources, and when planning their display boards, the students were encouraged to follow the principles of CARP (Contrast, Alignment, Repetition and Positioning), with guidance from the Digital Literacy Coaches.

The East Campus Grade 5 students presented their Exhibition of Learning with an opening to the parents in the Auditorium, on Wednesday, 21 May, followed by a walk through their exhibits. Artwork linked to the Exhibition of Learning that included a personal student message or statement related to their group research was also on display.

Comments from students reflecting the value of the Exhibition of Learning include:

“Being able to work collaboratively not only helped me in the exhibition, it will be a skill I will need through my life.” – Ryan

“During the exhibition, focusing on the UWCSEA Skills and Qualities helped guide our group through the process.” – Jina

“Researching was a big part of the exhibition, we had to plan ahead and ensure we were organised.” – Brooke

“Mentors really helped to discuss any issues we had, they encouraged us to think of new ideas and helped us with our group’s challenges.” – Connor

“Presenting to our parents was the best part because they could see that all our hard work had paid off.” – Antara

“My group is still working at taking action, we are hoping to start a GC next year and raise awareness of how technology can make a positive difference in developing communities.” – Ayesha

The second day of the Exhibition of Learning welcomed students and community members from both UWCSEA campuses as well as other international and local schools. This was a demanding day as the students shared their learning with a diverse audience, tailoring their communication accordingly.

The UWCSEA profile, skills and qualities the students have developed during their time in the Primary School, and will continue to be developed through their transition to Middle School, will stand them in good stead to be life long learners—and indeed take a role in making our world a better place.