Stage 1

Stage 1 have been exploring their current Unit of Inquiry’s central idea, ‘People can make choices to support the sustainable use of Earth’s resources.’ This started with the boys deciding what humans actually ‘need’ rather than ‘want’ in order to survive (who knew that an Xbox wasn’t essential to human survival?!) The next step was to define what the Earth’s resources are, in order to identify how humans use them.

Food and drink were two of the most obvious choices for human needs and the boys learnt that both are not as freely available as they had previously thought. Although not necessarily defined as ‘finite’ resources, the boys learnt that water in particular can be hard to source and needs to be managed responsibly.

The boys went on an excursion to Warragamba Dam in order to learn about Sydney’s water supply. The dam itself was amazing, 150m deep and with a water supply four times the size of Sydney Harbour!  The boys were absolutely blown away by it’s sheer size. But more importantly, the boys began to learn about sustainability from Rusty, WaterNSW’s excellent education officer. The boys learnt about how the dam water is kept clean, how water levels are maintained and how the water gets from the dam to their taps. They also learnt about the importance of conserving water, particularly as Sydney’s population will grow in the future.

The idea that some resources are finite and need to be sustained responsibly can be a challenging concept to teach students of a younger age, but by going to Warragamba Dam the boys were able to experience it first hand.

In the coming weeks the boys will continue to explore the idea of sustainability and the need to manage finite resources responsibly. We hope that this in turn will encourage the boys to take action, one of the five essential elements of IB Primary Years Program.

Sam Watson and Leonie Russell – Stage 1 Teachers