Connecting to Country—Celebrating Nature’s Icons, a teaching video from River School

The River School Yr. 5 students developed a video titled Connecting to Country – Celebrating Nature’s Icons, where they learned about the importance of local endangered animals in the ecosystem and the interconnection of the trees and waterways to the survival of these species.

It is our hope that Conference participants will take away the message that it is important to create learning opportunities that assist children in deeply connecting with the environment. With connection comes value, and a sense of responsibility to care for the world they share with nature.

The video was created over three terms during 2019. The video showcases the student’s learning progression and is a great way to see sustainability in action at our school.
This arts-based inquiry took the students on a journey down the river and back as they learnt about local endangered animals iconic to the region, engaged with Jinibara custodians (local indigenous people) and explored arts processes as a way of embedding their learning and expressing their connection to the local environment.

This film is now being used by the Sunshine Coast University to inspire training teachers to inspire the development of authentic teaching experiences.

Developed for the students’ engagement and deep learning.