Our Grade 2 classes invited people over 50 years of age into the classroom this week to ask them a few questions about what life was like for them in their childhoods. This is all part of their Treasures unit of inquiry. Children learn that history is like a jigsaw puzzle. The treasures archaeologists find provide us with some very important pieces that help us to build up a picture of what people and places were like in the past. They are currently investigating what other sources we can use to investigate the past. One of them is people!
The classes set up stations and interviewed their guests in pairs. They diligently prepared thoughtful questions which they rehearsed before letting the older relatives and friends of LIS into the room. John Ragget, our home work club tutor, and long term friend of LIS, was among those interviewed. He reported that the kids were rather nervous and fidgety but did a great job and asked questions about his childhood home, his school and his family.
Children were astonished to hear that in John’s childhood very few people had cars and holidays were for many a luxury. They asked questions about favourite toys, who the stricter parent was and what school was like.
The fun of interviewing our wider community is also seeing all the different cultures that are represented. One pair of Spanish grandparents in 2JG was accompanied by our secondary school spanish teacher who acted as translator. The kids were spellbound by their animated story telling even though they had to wait for the translation to understand what was being said. Others got to learn what life in the GDR was like.
It was a truly memorable lesson and we are very grateful to all the older people who made time in their day to come and talk to our Grade 2 classes.