St Mary’s Primary School (Barr) - Comparing lives

Location: 3 School Road, Newry, BT34 1SX

Entry Date: 20 November 2017

As part of a ‘Jungle’ theme, P2 spent time comparing life in the African Savanna to how they live. A questioning approach was used, with pupils looking at a colourful picture book, Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne. The book is set in Kenya and follows a young girl, Handa, as she tries to bring some delicious fruit to her friend in a neighbouring village.

Pupils discussed the illustration on the cover of the book and made predictions about what the story was going to be about. They then read through the book with their teacher, noting similarities and differences between Handa’s experiences and their own lives. To further build on this, pupils also engaged in an activity where they sorted photos from different countries into categories they chose themselves e.g. Nice places/Not nice places, Where we live/Somewhere else, Rich/Poor, etc.

These activities provided critical thinking opportunities and encouraged empathy for others around the world. Children were given a chance to share their feelings on what was discussed.