Exams are not all about sitting behind a desk being tested. This was discovered by the Penryn College grade eights when they visited the botanical garden for a day of outdoor learning recently.
The cross-curricular activities formed part of their exam mark. Learners participated in eight activities, which also afforded them the opportunity to bond as a group.
Finding plant remedies and translating them, pond poetry, suspension bridge maths, a heated deforestation debate, nature art, human rights for the blind, a business opportunity discussion and an analysis of a time capsule all formed part of the activities.
These were scattered around the garden and each group had 10 minutes to navigate from one activity to the next, using a set of clues. These were a mixture of compass directions, maps, written instructions and picture clues.
To top it all, the learners had a two-hour long exam based on their experiences at the garden the following day.
