Year 5 YACHTS Showcase, 2024

This week Year 5 YACHTS (Young Achievers Creatively Honing Thinking Skills) students showcased their projects to their teachers, parents and peers. YACHTS is an extension program offered to students in Years 3, 4 and 5 at Pacific Lutheran College.

While thinking about the BIG IDEA - “Ancient awakenings – Discovering the Roots of Modern Society”, students were given the Essential Question: How have the innovations and ideas from ancient civilizations laid the foundation for the world we live in today? After weeks of research, investigation and discussion, students proposed a question, designed and completed a project outlining a solution to that question. The breadth and depth of these questions and solutions was excellent. Below is a sample of questions students developed:

• "How does the study of Roman architecture provide valuable lessons for modern building designs in terms of durability, functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability?"

• "How did the laws and rituals of the ancient Aztecs show what they believed about life and death? How did these practices affect their society? And in what ways, if any, do these ideas still influence us today?"

• “How have Ancient Greek and Roman medical practices changed over time and how have they influenced modern-day medicine?"

• "How did the Ancient Greeks choose their gods, and how do these beliefs continue to affect culture and society today?"

• "How has the evolution of writing from ancient civilizations shaped the way we communicate and record information today?"

• "How did the engineering and mathematical thinking used to build the pyramids influence modern structural engineering?"

• “How have the ideas of ancient Greek philosophers shaped the way we think about the world today?”

The afternoon was a great celebration of curiosity and the different thinking styles of the students involved.

Mrs Julie Darr, Teacher - Learning Enrichment