Learning Stories

The educators and children embark on a shared learning journey as they co-construct experiences, meaning and learning about the world around them through inquiry.

Inquiry Question: “How might we discover and influence in our environment through the ways we engage with it?”

Key Concept: Discovery, Change, Cause and Effect

Lines of Inquiry:

• What changes do we notice in our environment, and how do they happen?
• What happens when we interact with our environment? How do our actions create changes in the environment?
• How can we care for and influence our environment positively?

Observing the Weather and Environmental Changes

We began by immersing the children in daily outdoor observations and explorations, inviting them to notice how weather changes the environment. Through their senses – seeing, feeling, hearing and smelling – they began toform deeper connections with their surroundings and observed how the environment transforms with and is shaped by different weather conditions.

On sunny days, they felt the warmth of the sun, noticing how it cast shadows and altered the light, creating bright and dark spaces in their environment.

When the rain came, the children’s excitement grew as they listened to the sounds of the raindrops, watching raindrops hit the ground and forming puddles, before jumping into them. The sensory experience extended as they listened to the rhythmic sound of the rain, observing how it changed the smell of the air and the texture of the ground beneath them.

Through these experiences, the learners develop an awareness of how weather shapes their environment, fostering curiosity and a deepened sense of connection to the natural world. Their reflections and discoveries will continue to inform our ongoing inquiry into the relationship between weather, sensory experiences, and the environment.

Exploring Water and Its Movement

As we observed weather’s impact on the environment, we were drawn to water as a powerful agent of transformation.

Our inquiry deepened as the children explored water’s movement. They observed how it flows down slopes, creating spontaneous ‘water pathways’, and watching how it may influence the movement of other natural materials (such as leaves, flowers and sticks). They were captivated by how water adapts, moves, and sounds—whether in streams, fountains, waterfalls, or puddles.

The exploration went further as the children discovered water’s ability to blend with nature and materials. They experimented with extracting colors and fragrances from flowers and leaves, and observing how colours move in water from dyed pasta (i.e. movement of the dye in water). Through such experiments, they experienced water’s role not only in movement but in holding and carrying the essence of the world around them.

These moments of discovery showed them how water connects and transforms everything it touches.

Exploring Soil: Part 1 – Its Textures

We then turned our attention to soil, a familiar material found around our school and Gardens. Using our hands and various tools, the Explorers explored both dry and wet soil, observing closely how the addition of water changed its texture, consistency, and opened up new possibilities for mark-making and creative expression.

The children were encouraged to use their senses to explore:

Smell: “What does the soil smell like when it’s dry? And when it’s wet? Is there a difference?”

Touch: They compared the sensations of dry and wet soil, feeling the smoothness or roughness, and how the soil responded to their touch.

Sound: The children listened carefully to the sounds the soil made—how did the dry soil sound when they sifted it through their fingers? What about the wet soil?

Eva: It’s Squishy! Squelch! Like Brown Bear (referring to the story, “We are going on a Bear Hunt”

Fenix: “Yucky! Dirty!” *as the wet soil or mud stayed on his hands*

Exploring Soil: Part 2 – Mark Making with Soil

The exploration naturally evolved into mark-making experiences. The children used the dry soil like a crayon, discovering the different lines and textures it left behind. As they added water, they watched the soil transform—suddenly, it was no longer dry, but wet and pliable, leading to new forms of expression. Mud balls were created, squeezed, rolled, and splattered onto surfaces, leaving behind marks that captured the richness of their encounter with this earthy material.

Dry soil mark making

Wet soil (or Mud) mark making 

These experiences not only deepened their understanding of soil but also invited them to express their discoveries through their hands and senses, highlighting the many ways in which nature becomes a language of expression.

Connecting with Nature through Mark-Making: Nature Journalling

As we continue our journey of discovery, the Explorers have begun translating their discoveries into mark-making, creating their own nature journals. Using both conventional tools—crayons, markers, and watercolour paint—and more unconventional, natural materials like wet and dry soil. they documented their experience. Each mark told the story of their exploration, turning observation and experimentation into a meaningful, visual record of their journey with nature.

从户外发现到色彩痕迹

PN Courage · 颖鑫与康轩的学习故事

探究背景

在近期的户外散步中，教师观察到颖鑫和康轩会停下来注视地面上的树叶，并尝试伸手触摸、拿起和移动这些自然材料。为了回应幼儿对周围环境的关注，教师邀请他们走进户外，寻找和收集不同颜色、大小与状态的叶子。

这次探究从户外环境中的自然发现开始，并逐步延伸到叶子的收集、连接、移动与色彩表达。

一、发现环境中的叶子

康轩用手掌触碰叶面，并把注意力停留在叶片的形状和纹路上。颖鑫则握住枝条，反复观察并触摸叶片与枝干。在探索过程中，他们接触到绿色、黄色和褐色的叶子，也看见了新鲜叶片、干枯叶片以及不同大小的枝条。

二、收集我们的发现

教师提供篮子，邀请幼儿保存他们的户外发现。康轩提着篮子继续寻找，颖鑫则站在植物旁观察地面及周围的自然材料。篮子成为他们共同收集与保存发现的容器，也让这些材料能够被带回教室继续探索。

三、当叶子连接在一起

教师使用透明胶带将幼儿收集到的叶子连接起来，并留下可以握住的一端。颖鑫把手掌从一片叶子移动到另一片叶子，尝试让不同颜色和大小的叶片贴在胶带表面。康轩则举起叶子，从不同角度观察它。

当叶子连接成一条长长的“叶子小路”后，颖鑫和康轩分别握住胶带的一端向前行走。随着脚步移动，叶子在地面上滑动、转动并重新排列。幼儿有时继续向前走，有时停下来回头观察身后的叶子。原本散落的自然材料，因为幼儿的动作产生了新的移动方式。

四、从自然颜色到颜料颜色

回到教室后，教师再次提供先前收集的叶子、画笔和颜料。颖鑫移动画笔，使颜料覆盖叶片的不同位置；康轩则持续观察画笔与叶面接触时产生的变化。幼儿通过涂抹动作重新认识户外收集的材料，并发现颜料能够覆盖叶面、叶脉和边缘。

我们看见的学习

在连续的学习体验中，颖鑫和康轩通过行走、观察、触摸、拿取、收集、按压、拉动及涂抹等动作探索自然材料。他们发现叶子具有不同的颜色、大小和状态；散落的叶子可以被收集、连接和重新排列；叶子能够随着身体的移动在地面上滑动；颜料也能够覆盖叶面并突显叶片的形状与纹路。

幼儿虽然尚未使用完整口语表达，但他们通过注视、伸手、按压、举起、拉动和持续参与清楚地表达了自己的兴趣、选择与发现。户外环境中的叶子不再只是地面上的自然材料，而成为幼儿可以触摸、移动、连接和创作的媒介。

与学习目标的联系

• 感官探索材料和环境
  幼儿运用视觉和触觉探索不同颜色、大小与质感的叶子，并通过身体动作感受材料的移动。
• 通过动作、表情和互动表达感受与需要
  幼儿通过指向、触摸、拿取、注视、按压和拉动等非口语方式表达对材料的关注和选择。
• 建立与他人的关系并发展安全感与归属感
  幼儿与同伴共同在户外环境中寻找材料，并在共享空间中进行收集、移动和创作。

教师的回应与下一步

接下来，教师可以继续提供不同形状和质感的自然材料，如小树枝、花瓣、草叶和种子，邀请幼儿比较这些材料移动及留下痕迹的方式。教师也可以提供深浅不同的颜料，让幼儿将涂有颜料的叶子按压在纸面上，观察叶脉、边缘和形状留下的不同印记。

持续探究问题：叶子可以怎样移动？叶子可以留下什么痕迹？

幼儿年龄：3岁

探究主题：探索黏土的触感、变化与痕迹

学习领域：感官探索、科学探究、精细动作、创造与表达

感官初探：认识黏土

我们和黏土展开了一场有趣的探索之旅。

一开始，孩子们面对黏土，忍不住伸出小手去摸一摸、捏一捏。他们用手掌按压黏土，用手指轻轻戳它，也尝试把黏土揉成团、搓成长条。通过触摸和操作，孩子们发现黏土是柔软的、可以变形的。

艾薇：“软软的！”
钟昀芯：“我把它压扁！”
梁芷祎：“它变长了！”

孩子们一边操作，一边观察黏土的变化。原本一块普通的黏土，在小手的探索下变成了各种不同的形状。

水加入后，黏土发生了什么？

当孩子们熟悉了黏土的基本特性后，我们又提出了新的问题：

“如果给黏土加一点水，会发生什么呢？”

孩子们小心地给黏土加入少量水，再用手揉一揉、捏一捏。很快，他们发现黏土的感觉发生了变化。

有的孩子发现：“变软了！”
有的孩子说：“黏黏的！”
还有孩子不断用手触摸，感受着黏土从较干到湿润的不同变化。

通过反复尝试，孩子们开始比较不同状态的黏土，感受到干燥、柔软、湿润和黏腻等不同的触感。他们用自己的双手探索水与黏土之间的关系，也在过程中建立了最初的观察、比较和因果意识。

不同的工具，会留下什么痕迹？

探索还在继续。

这一次，我们准备了木棍、滚轮、刮刀、齿轮、塑料刀具等不同的材料和工具，并邀请孩子们进行探索：

“试试看，它们能不能在黏土上留下痕迹？”

孩子们开始大胆尝试。有的用瓶盖在黏土上按压，留下了一个个圆圆的印记；有的用叉子划过黏土，出现了一条条整齐的纹路；还有的孩子把树叶压在黏土上，惊喜地发现叶子的纹理也被“复制”了下来。

孩子们不断尝试不同的方法：

按一按、压一压、戳一戳、划一划、滚一滚

他们发现，原来不同形状的工具可以留下不同的痕迹，而用力的大小也会影响痕迹的深浅。

发现身边的纹理

当孩子们逐渐熟悉工具留下的痕迹后，我们进一步邀请他们去到周围的环境中探索不同物体的表面。

光滑的、粗糙的、有纹路的、凹凸不平的……各种不同的表面被孩子们带到了黏土上。

他们惊喜地发现：

“这个三角形像披萨！”
“这里有长长的线条！”
“我印出了圆圆的形状！”

孩子们开始主动寻找自己喜欢的纹理，黏土不再只是一团可以捏的材料，而成为孩子们观察世界、记录发现和表达想法的一种方式。

学习的发生

在这次持续的探索中，孩子们经历了一个从感官感知到主动探究，再到创造表达的过程。

他们通过自己的双手：

• 感受黏土不同的软硬和触感；
• 发现加水后黏土会发生变化；
• 观察和比较不同状态的黏土；
• 尝试使用不同工具进行按压、戳、划和滚动；
• 发现不同工具和物体表面能够留下不同的痕迹；
• 通过反复尝试发展解决问题和比较的能力；
• 运用不同的纹理进行自由创作和表达。

这不仅是一场关于黏土的探索，也是一场关于“我发现了什么？”“为什么会这样？”“我还能试试什么？”的学习旅程。

下一步学习

接下来，我们可以继续支持孩子们探索：

• 什么样的黏土最容易留下清晰的痕迹？
• 水加得越多，黏土会发生什么变化？
• 轻轻按和用力按，留下的痕迹有什么不同？
• 还有哪些身边的物品可以在黏土上留下有趣的纹理？
• 鼓励孩子利用不同的纹理和形状进行更丰富的黏土创作。

通过持续的开放式探索，让孩子们在玩中发现、发现中思考、思考中创造。

As our inquiry into “How can we transform our clay?” continued to unfold, the children began to wonder what else could happen to clay after it had changed. Having previously explored how clay could be pressed, rolled, shaped and transformed using their hands, tools and water, they were now invited to revisit dried clay and consider: Could dried clay be changed again? What else could clay become?

As their discoveries continued, the children’s curiosity gradually extended beyond changing clay itself towards exploring what might happen when clay was brought together with other materials.

Inquiry Questions:

• “我们可以如何去改变黏土的形态？ (How can we transform our clay?)”
• “How can clay be combined with other materials to create something new?”

Key Concepts: Transformation, Properties, Possibilities and Expression

What else can dried clay become?

The children had previously encountered clay in both its fresh and dried forms, noticing that each behaved differently. While fresh clay could be easily pressed and reshaped, dried clay had become hard and brittle.

Rather than seeing dried clay as the end of its journey, the children were invited to revisit it and consider:

“What else can we do with dried clay?”

Using mortars and pestles for the first time, the children experimented with tapping, crushing and grinding pieces of dried clay. As they worked, they watched closely as the larger pieces gradually broke into smaller fragments.

Allegra: “We use this tool to crush things!”
Giulia: “Smells like ice cream!”

With continued grinding, the pieces became increasingly fine until the children discovered that the dried clay could be transformed into clay powder. The children experimented with different movements and amounts of force, adjusting their actions as they discovered what helped the clay break apart. Through this process, something that had once felt hard and solid had taken on an entirely different form.

Dried Clay → Clay Powder

From powder to paste

The children’s discovery of clay powder prompted a new question:

“What will happen if we add water to the clay powder?”

For the first time, the children revisited the powder they had created and gradually introduced water to it. As they stirred and mixed the two materials together, they closely observed the changes taking place.

The dry and loose powder began to darken and clump together. As more water was incorporated, its consistency continued to change until a wet clay paste began to form.

Anya: “I am going to add two scoops of water to the powder”

The children touched, stirred and observed the mixture, noticing how different it had become from the powder they started with.

What began as dried clay had now undergone another transformation:

Dried Clay → Powder → Paste

Through these encounters, the children began to discover that clay could continue to change. A transformation did not necessarily signal the end of the material; it could become the beginning of another possibility.

What happens when clay meets other materials?

As the children discovered different ways of changing clay itself, their exploration began to extend towards what might happen when clay was brought together with other materials.

In preparation for our upcoming Parent Involvement Experience, the children ventured outdoors to search for natural materials that they could later incorporate into their clay sculptures.

As they explored the school environment, the children searched amongst the plants and outdoor spaces, collecting materials that captured their attention. They encountered different textures, shapes, sizes and forms, making their own decisions about what they wanted to bring back for their creations.

Anna: “This one is long enough”
Riley: “I found a heart shape leaf!”

The children’s search continued the following week at the Gardenia Material Wall, where they were invited to select additional loose parts and reusable materials.

The children looked through the available materials and made their own selections, considering what they might want to use alongside clay.

Anya: “I think this will make my clay sculpture look nice”

By involving the children in gathering and selecting the materials themselves, their preparation became part of the inquiry. They were beginning to consider not only what clay could become, but also what they could create when clay was brought together with something else.

Creating together with our families

The children’s preparations came together during our Parent Involvement Experience, where families were invited to collaborate with their child to create an open-ended clay sculpture.

The natural materials and loose parts that the children had gathered and selected over the previous weeks were presented alongside clay for the families to explore together.

Throughout the experience, children shared their ideas with their family members as they manipulated the clay and experimented with combining the different materials. They pressed materials into the clay, positioned and rearranged pieces, built upwards and explored different ways of bringing their ideas to life.

Each family approached the materials differently. Some ideas emerged immediately, while others developed and changed as children and their family members experimented with the possibilities offered by the materials.

The completed sculptures reflected the children’s ideas and the collaborative process shared with their families. Their creations were later displayed in school, allowing these shared experiences between home and school to become part of our learning environment.

Can colour become part of clay?

The children’s exploration of combining materials continued with another encounter. This time, clay was presented alongside diluted red, yellow, blue and green paint.

We wondered:

“What happens when we combine clay and colour?”

The children introduced the diluted paint to their clay and began pressing, folding, squeezing and mixing the two materials together. As they continued working the clay with their hands, they watched as the colour gradually spread through it.

Leon: “I’m going to make a slimy green snake”
Hazel: “Can we mix the colours?”

This combination behaved differently from the loose parts and natural materials the children had previously explored. Rather than remaining visibly separate, the paint gradually became incorporated into the clay, transforming its appearance.

Clay + Paint → Coloured Clay

Through these experiences, the children encountered different ways that materials could come together. Some could be pressed into clay, while others could be mixed with it and change the clay itself.

Revisiting an earlier discovery

As our exploration continued, we returned to something the children had discovered several weeks earlier.

They had already experienced how dried clay could be ground into powder, and how clay powder could be combined with water to form a paste.

This time, rather than simply repeating the process, the children were invited to revisit what they already knew with a new purpose:

“Can clay become ‘glue’?”

To make the clay slip, the children worked collaboratively across three interconnected stations, with each group contributing to a different part of the process.

At the first station, the grinders used mortars and pestles to transform dried clay into powder. At the second station, the children scooped and portioned the clay powder, preparing it for their peers at the final station. At the third station, the mixers gradually combined the powder with water to create the clay slip.

Because the children had encountered these transformations before, they were now able to draw upon their previous experiences as they worked. Their earlier discoveries became knowledge that they could revisit and use again.

Communication also emerged naturally between the stations. When the mixers needed more powder, they let their peers know, prompting the children at the other stations to prepare what was needed.

As the powder and water came together, the children observed the mixture becoming wet, thick and sticky.

This familiar transformation now raised a different possibility:

Could we use this sticky clay to connect something?

Clay as a connector

To test their clay slip, the children were introduced to wooden building planks.

They applied the slip between the wooden pieces before pressing them together, experimenting with how the clay could help join one piece to another.

Leon: “This feels like glue!”
Yicheng: “So sticky!”

As they continued experimenting, the children began constructing upwards. They positioned and balanced the wooden planks, added clay slip where the pieces met, and adjusted their structures as they observed what happened.

Niki: “I want make a big house here”

The children were now drawing upon a transformation they had discovered earlier and applying it in a new context. Clay powder and water were no longer combined simply to see what would happen. This time, the resulting clay slip had a purpose.

It could act as a connector, helping separate pieces of wood come together to create something new.

• Clay Powder + Water → Clay Slip
• Clay Slip + Wood → A New Structure

Revisiting our clay journey

Across these experiences, the children’s understanding of clay continued to evolve. They discovered that dried clay could be transformed into powder, that powder could become a paste, and that clay could be combined with natural materials, loose parts and colour in different ways.

Most importantly, the children were given opportunities to revisit their earlier discoveries and use what they already knew in new ways. When they returned to grinding clay and combining powder with water, the process was no longer entirely new. Their previous experiences supported them in creating clay slip and exploring its new purpose as a connector.

What began as an investigation into how clay could change gradually expanded into discovering what clay could do when combined with other materials.

Through repeated encounters, experimentation and collaboration, the children began to recognise that clay does not have only one form or purpose. It can be changed and combined in different ways, opening new possibilities for creating, expressing and communicating.

In Term 3, the enduring theme focused on “Relationships and Belonging” as we explored the inquiry question: “How does being in a community influence our beliefs and values?”. This theme aligns with one of our three pillars of education, Community as we discussed how the culture of a community reflects people’s beliefs and values. The lines of inquiry were divided into three key areas: understanding the beliefs and values within communities, examining how our beliefs and values shape our identity and exploring the diverse cultures that exist within communities.

Week 1- Week 2: Gathering the children’s prior knowledge about communities
We kick start the inquiry by gathering the children’s prior knowledge about communities and what the community looks like to them.

Children: “A community is people, places, friends, school, family, construction workers, Gardens by the Bay, our class and Singapore!”

We also further discussed the importance of communities and why they play such a huge role in our lives. Through discussion, the children said: 

Ryan: “To help people!”

Jonathan: “Communities help us to live.”

Jasper: “In case of emergency, they help us when we get hurt and when we get into trouble.”

Grace: “The police help save us from bad guys.”

Hazira: “The trees in our community gives us oxygen and we need oxygen to breathe.”

Emma: “The police catch bad guys so that they don’t catch other children.”

During our outdoor walk, the children also came across some workers in the water and they were curious about what they were doing. The children then approached them and asked them what they were doing. The workers replied that they were clearing up the algae in the water to ensure that the water remains clean. 

Jasper: “These workers are part of our community and they help to keep the waters clean, we should say thank you to them.”

The children excitedly waved and said: Children: “Thank you for keeping the water clean!” 

Week 3 – 4: We did a sketch for our community model and the children made their own 3D community model 

As we continued to discuss about our community, the children said they wanted to build and create a community.  During circle time, we came together as a class and talked about what places or buildings were there in our community. The children came together and drew a blueprint of how their community would look like. The children drew places in their community such as Marina Bay Sands, EtonHouse Garden School by the Bay, police station, fire station, The Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay. 

After sketching out the blueprint, I asked the children how are we going to make the buildings and what materials we needed. They said: Children: “We can use recyclable materials from our gardenia!”

For the subsequent 2 weeks, the children started to work on their community 3D model by choosing what building they were going to create and gathered the materials which they needed. 

Jasper: “I’m making Marina Bay Sands using styrofoam.”

Jasper making EtonHouse using cardboard.

Ryan making the SCDF Kallang Fire Station using cardboard box.

Yi Xing and Jonathan using the safe saw and tinkering tools to build the Singapore Flyer using cardboard.

Jonathan creating the police station using the tinkering tools and cardboard. 

Week 5: How we can show care and concern to our community

After the children were completed with their 3D community model, we had a discussion about how we can show care and concern to our community. We also read the story “Have you filled a bucket today?” and shared about how they can fill the buckets of those in our community. 

Grace: “We can give to our community.”

Emma: “Sharing is caring.”

Jasper: “When someone is sad or hurt, you need to help.”

Jonathan: “Offer help to someone in need.”

Olivia: “Help others to open the door.”

Evan: “We can like buy things for them.”

Jasper: “We can give food to them.”

Hazira: “We can write thank you letters for them.”

During our discussions, the children shared thoughtful ideas on how to show care and concern for our community, ultimately deciding to create a care package and write letters of appreciation. 

Throughout the week, each child reflected on someone special they wanted to thank and wrote heartfelt letters to express their gratitude. Some chose to write to our principal, teachers, Uncle Lim, our maintenance officer, Aunty Leong, who prepares the school lunch, Aunty Xie and Aunty Liu, who help keep the school clean, our admin staff, and even the workers at Gardens by the Bay. Through their handwritten letters, the children beautifully expressed their appreciation for these individuals.

Week 7-8: Making appreciation letters and care package for our community

The children were thrilled to deliver their appreciation letters to the people they had written to, and seeing the smiles on their faces brought them great joy! We also had a discussion about what items should go into our care package, with the children thoughtfully considering what the workers at Gardens by the Bay might need. They said:

Children: “We can buy a small towel for them so that when they are working under the hot sun and sweating, they can use the towel to wipe their face.” 

Children: “They also need some food so that they can eat when they are taking a break.”

Children: “We can give food like bread and biscuits!”

Children: “They also need water! Water is important and they need to drink more water.” 

The children excitedly decorated their care package and placed the items inside the paper bag as we went around to deliver the care package. 

This inquiry invites children to become storytellers, designers and caretakers of the environment through the creative use of sustainable materials. By exploring recycled, natural and everyday objects, children investigate how materials can be reused, combined and transformed to express ideas, share experiences and communicate meaning.

Rather than viewing materials as objects with a single purpose, children develop an appreciation for their endless possibilities. Through open-ended exploration, they experiment with the properties of different materials, discover new ways to manipulate and connect them, and investigate how discarded items can be given a second life. As children work collaboratively, they consider how their choices can reduce waste while inspiring creativity and innovation.

Discovering Singapore’s MRT system

As children experimented with the materials available around them, they began showing a keen interest in Singapore’s metro system. We visited Bayfront Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and observed the components that make up a train station, including:

• MRT and locality maps
• Passenger service
• Gantries
• Train workers
• Surveillance cameras
• TV screens

Toby: “The cameras are for capturing suspicious or strange activities.”
Yan Song: “Because there are a lot of people using the station.”
Joshua: “The locality map and exit directory tell you which exit you can use to get to your destination.”

Recreating an MRT map

Following these visits, the children collaborated to recreate an MRT map in class using a corkboard and strings. Referring to a printout of the map, they used coloured strings corresponding to the colours of the train lines and pinned them to the board.

They adjusted the lines to match their routes and used problem-solving skills to consider where the lines could intersect at interchange stations. The children worked together to write station names, label the train lines in sequence and talk about how they related to the stations – such as where their homes were, where they had visited over the weekend and which stations they had been to.

Planning our classroom train station

Over the next few weeks, the children worked together to transform their classroom into a train station, incorporating elements such as a train cabin, exit directories and a gantry. To begin the transformation, the children first designed a floor plan. They studied existing residential and school floor plans and considered the classroom’s space and design as they planned where each feature could go.

“Why are floor plans helpful? How do they help us in planning spaces?”
“What do we have to consider when planning a space?”

The children were invited to observe how spaces are organised, discuss why floor plans are useful when planning a space and identify some key considerations when designing an environment.

Natalie: “We can place it there. Then people can tap on the machine when they come in.”
Toby: “They will block our cubby, see? How about we put it by the mats? Put it against the glass so that it won’t block anyone.”
Joshua: “Don’t worry, there will be enough space. So, we will move the tables to the side. Or… how about we use the tables as the train?”

Transforming the classroom

The children worked together to move and reposition suitable classroom furniture according to their floor plan. They transformed existing furniture into station features, using cubby shelves to form the side of the train cabin and adding their MRT map, handmade signs and other elements of a train cabin.

They also used loose wooden parts found at the Gardenia to make their own gantry for the classroom. The children used hinges, nuts, bolts and screwdrivers to put the pieces together.

Reflecting on the learning

Over the term, the children developed their understanding of how spaces and materials can be used to communicate ideas, drawing inspiration from their exploration of Singapore’s MRT system. Their growing confidence in sharing their perspectives and working together demonstrated how real-world experiences could be meaningfully transformed into a shared learning environment.