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Minimbah Indonesian Update

Year 3 and 4

Students have been learning about the rich biodiversity of Indonesian rainforests. The focus has been on animals and deforestation and how this problem directly impacts habitat loss. While the students have been learning words and phrases that describe animals, they have also taken a keen interest in exploring ways in which we can preserve and maintain the environment. It has been wonderful to watch the children learn a language and demonstrate a passion for wanting to take responsibility for the future of the planet. This topic explored the unit of inquiry, Sharing The Planet.

Year 5

The students had fun exploring the art of Indonesian storytelling by learning about the Wayang Kulit. They also used the wayang as an object to name parts of the body in Indonesian. The Wayang Kulit is a traditional type of puppet theatre that is popular throughout Indonesia. It has also been proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, thus preserving this ancient tradition. One of the topics that the children found interesting was using the Wayang Kulit to perform a rendition of Star Wars. This was an important part of our unit of inquiry, How We Express Ourselves, highlighting how globalisation changes communities and traditions.

Year 6

One of the students’ favourite topics is always food! The unit of inquiry, Where We Are In Place And Time, investigates how culture influences and preserves Indonesian cuisine, including fast food. The children learned about different sambals, a popular chilli sauce used in modern and traditional cuisine. As part of this topic, the students are in the process of writing a role play about ordering in an Indonesian fast-food restaurant. This activity is an opportunity for them to practise and develop their translation and speaking skills and learn about local and global perspectives on food.

Sampai jumpa!

TAMARA McKERNIN
Indonesian Teacher