Page 40 - Waterfall City Issue 12 2022
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Waterfall City Advertorial
The Intermediate Phase (Grades Additional Languages, but all other
4 to 6) took up the challenge of subjects were taught through
investigating problems based on inter-disciplinary, custom-designed
the United Nations Sustainable projects. Our teachers, certified in
Development Goals (SDG) for 2030, the Microsoft 21st Century Learning
which are a global call to action. Design framework, collaborated to
design projects from which students
• Grade 4 explored water poverty could choose, giving them autonomy
(SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation); over their learning.
• Grade 5 investigated food poverty
(SDG 2 –Zero Hunger); and Students selected four projects
• Grade 6 engaged with energy from the 16 projects offered. Each
poverty (SDG 7 – Affordable and project allowed collaboration of two
Clean Energy). subjects. Some examples included
a Business Studies and Information
During the PBL programme, the Technology project in which students
timetable was collapsed on particular had to design a hypothetical
days to enable inter-disciplinary property development using CAD
working across the subjects. The software, develop an integrated
PBL activities were designed to marketing strategy, and create an
develop 21st century skills such advertisement. In another project,
as collaboration, knowledge developed by Physical Sciences and
construction, skilled communication, Music, students learnt about sound
real-world problem-solving, self- waves and constructed a musical
regulation, and the use of Information instrument with which they had to
and Communication Technologies compose a song. Another popular
(ICT) learning. Our students focused project involved designing a crash
on the South African context while test barrier, coding a car to test it, and
investigating global best practices. As then using a chosen programming
part of PBL, our students undertook language to represent the data
tasks such as creating a shopping list visually.
to feed a family of four on a highly
restrictive budget. Our students By engaging in Project-Based
developed their research skills, used Learning, our students become
the design thinking methodology to systems thinkers as they explore and
develop workable solutions, and used make deep connections between
their ICT devices throughout the learning process. ideas. It encourages divergent thinking as they become
problem-solvers. They learn to take risks, engage in iterative
In the High School, the Grade 9 students continued with thinking, and grow to be more empathetic to the challenges
their core subjects of Mathematics, English, and First of our world, both now and in the future.
38 Waterfall City Issue 12 2022
