Wairakei Air - Exploring China

The tamariki learned about passports, visa stamps, and boarding passes. On our mock plane ride, we delved into safety messages and the workings of the cockpit and pilot.

The next stage of learning began when we "landed" in China and took virtual tours of significant symbols of Chinese culture. Walking the Great Wall of China was a highlight, and the students discovered many fascinating details about this historic structure.

• Kimberley was amazed to learn that the Great Wall took 2,300 years to build.

• Tomas observed that many parts of the wall are deteriorating and require extensive repair.

• Lily found a rubbish bin and a torch in a watchtower and cleverly deduced their importance for safety during night walks.

• Xavier discovered that it would take 18 months to walk the entire Great Wall, as it is approximately 22,000 km long.

• Jett was surprised to learn that the first sections of the wall were made of clay, mud, and reeds, rather than rice and bricks.

• Theo was intrigued to find out that the wall was built to prevent wars that had been raging in the area for hundreds of years, although he speculated that invaders might have just walked around the ends of the wall.

Our students also learned how to take screenshots of our virtual travels and took photos of themselves and their friends using Chromebooks. They then used Canva to remove classroom backgrounds and insert their screenshots to create recordings of their virtual holiday in China.

We virtually visited a panda reserve and took photos of red pandas and giant pandas. Walking the streets of Hong Kong, the students discovered differences between Hong Kong and their towns, noting the large size, tall buildings, and unique architecture with curved edges.

Despite some restrictions on accessing certain digital sites in China, we managed to view important landmarks such as the Forbidden City, the Giant Buddha, and the Terracotta Army using 360-degree views. The students learned about the significance of family, dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and the colour red in Chinese culture.

We even had the chance to wear traditional Chinese clothing, experiencing these garments' warmth and unique feel and exploring Chinese festivals and the vibrant colours that are an integral part of their celebrations.

Our learning journey extended to understanding the schooling system in China. We Skyped a teacher and student from China and asked them the numerous wonderings we had about their uniforms, school day, houses, families, food, sports, hobbies, and language. This interaction provided us with valuable insights and answered many of our questions. 

We are excited to continue our learning journey, discovering more about Chinese culture. Initially, it seemed so different from our own, but we've found many similarities. Both cultures value family, and food, and have high expectations from parents and teachers to do well. We also have important landmarks like maraes and churches, similar to their temples, and statues of significant figures.