English Teacher Jade Uys
This winter camp was held to help children enrich their language and communication abilities, to learn new skills and engage with other children in their age group. The theme was going on Safari! Students discussed and participated in activities related to the African savannah and experiencing wild animal interactions in the Kruger National Park, the largest National park in South Africa. Each day students focused on a different aspect of going on safari. Let’s take a look!
Day 1: Leaving home and arriving at your destination.
The students engaged in reading, writing and craft activities related to international travel by airplane.
The students learned new airport and travel related vocabulary and in the craft activity, they made a passport and passport bag for their trip.
Day 2: Daytime Safari.
Students were introduced to the idea of going on safari, different types of animals, what to expect and how to act around wild animals while on safari with a focus on the animals that can be seen during the day.
Day 3: Nighttime safari.
There are many animals to see during a day safari, but there is a whole new world to explore once the sun goes down. Students were introduced to the idea of nocturnal animals through reading pieces and vocabulary related to animals that are more active at night. Students created a nighttime flashlight craft.
Day 4: The Big 5.
Lion, Rhinoceros, Elephant, Buffalo and Leopard.
The “Big 5” got their name from being the 5 more difficult animals to hunt. Nowadays, they are the 5 most sought after animals to see in the world while on safari and seeing all 5 in one trip is extremely rare.
The students were taught about each of these majestic animals including their habitats, the foods they like to eat and the dangers they face.
Day 5: Jobs to do.
On the final day of the camp, students were taught about different jobs that can be done at a national park or nature reserve including being a vet, ecologist, park ranger or an anti-poaching specialist.
Students were taught about how poachers cause a lot of damage to natural environments by killing animals for their different body parts.
Overall, the students got to experience going on safari virtually through multiple media sources. Students learned a lot about travel, animals, nature conservation, law enforcement and the hospitality industry.
It was a pleasure to teach this year’s winter camp and I hope the students enjoyed themselves.