Year 2 Explores the World: A Journey Through Continent

22 November 2024 Alison Watson

In Year 2, our current PYP unit, Where We Are in Place and Time, has taken us on an exciting global journey as we explore the continents and learn about where our classmates come from. With seven countries represented in our classroom, this has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate diversity and expand our understanding of the world.

Discovering the Continents

We started by learning the names and locations of the continents using fun and engaging activities. Songs, puzzles, and crafts helped the students become familiar with the seven continents. The puzzle activity was a hit—students loved working together to piece it together. Their enthusiasm grew when they decided they wanted to create their own version of the puzzle… but on a giant scale!

Making a Giant Puzzle

To create their masterpiece, the students needed to learn about the shapes and sizes of the continents. They began by sculpting clay replicas of each continent, which helped them understand their forms. Once the clay work was done, we printed a giant map of the continents to work out the proportions for the puzzle.

The class then divided the task among themselves, with each student taking responsibility for recreating a piece of the puzzle. This was a fantastic opportunity for teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity.

Sharing the Results

The final result was a stunning, giant continent puzzle that the students were incredibly proud of. To celebrate their hard work, we invited the Year 4 class to take on the challenge of assembling the puzzle. Year 2 students took on the role of teachers, guiding their older peers through the activity.

The Year 4 students were impressed by the puzzle’s detail and creativity, and our Year 2 students were thrilled to share their work and knowledge. It was a wonderful moment of collaboration and celebration.