Earlier this year, the Maple Bear Canadian School in Brazil, invited TK grade 1 students to be part of their virtual trip to Singapore, a country they were curious to learn more about. What a great way to have a truly authentic learning experience!

As part of their interactive journey across the world, Brazilian students visited a virtual Singapore tourist information centre and our grade 1 students were there to answer their questions.

With iPads and the Book Creator app, our students shared cultural aspects of our school community based on these questions sent by our new friends in South America:

• What does your school look like?

• What kind of transportation do you use to go to school?

• Does your school have a soccer field?

• Are the fruits you eat the same kind as ours?

• What are your favourite fruits?

• Do you have a collective snack and lunch? Is it a school lunch or from home?

• What do you usually eat?

• What kind of games do you play at school?

• Who is a famous singer there?

• Do you have pets?

• How long is your school day?

• How are the islands?

• How do you celebrate losing a tooth?

To prepare for their “visit”, our Brazilian guests learnt some practical life skills including packing clothing appropriate for the weather, making lists of things to take, writing in their journals about cultural observations, preparing their passports and “buying” flight tickets.

1. The make believe simulation day at Maple Bear Canadian School saw teachers step into the roles of pilots, flight attendants and customs officials as the students’ flight to Singapore “took off” and landed! View the youtube video to get a glimpse of their incredible travel experience.

This exciting cultural collaboration is a genuine example of how our youngest primary students are capable of taking action through international inquiries. Through guided communication with digital tools, grade 1 students from opposite sides of the world have made a meaningful global connection in celebration of learning within their communities.

Thank you to all the grade 1 teachers and students who participated in this project!