"The question is – are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able see an elephant except in a picture book?" – Sir David Attenborough
The commitment to service and sustainability continues at Dulwich College Puxi through their classroom curriculum. Year 5 students have been studying the real life dilemma of human-animal conflict, affecting hundreds of thousands of people in Asia, and resulting in the decimation of the population numbers of the Asian elephant. During their study, the students have gained an insight into the effects of human population growth on ancient migration patterns of elephants, and have debated and explored the rights of humans against the rights of animals. They have considered whether animals should be held in captivity, and how the poorest communities strive to support the protection and safety of elephants in the wild.
Last week, the students invited their parents to participate in a charity bake sale, utilizing their wonderful new teaching kitchen to create delicious treats to sell at break time. This was a wonderful opportunity for parents to be involved in their children's learning, and also to see first hand the passion and commitment the children have harnessed through their exposure to service and sustainability.
The children will research a suitable charity to donate the funds to, and will delve in to the pros and cons of each, before making their final selection. This topic has been a perfect example of how, through education and experience, they can help their children to gain an appreciation of the challenges that people are facing all over the world, and can challenge students to apply their problem solving skills and sense of entrepreneurship to find solutions.
Thank you to the very supportive teachers and parents, and most importantly to the fantastic students in the Junior School for their dedication to a worthy cause.
[All images via Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi]
