At Mougins British Intrnational School, we know that learning is most impactful when it breaks outside the boundaries of a single subject. Over the past few weeks, our Year 5 students have been fully immersed in a vibrant sequence of cross-curricular lessons, proving just how much deeper understanding can go when subjects are connected.

Where Poetry Meets Engineering

Our recent English lessons centred on Pie Corbett's inspiring poem, "If I had wings." Using the highly engaging 'Talk for Writing' approach, students picture-mapped the text, acted it out with dynamic words and actions, and 'magpied' brilliant vocabulary to innovate their own unique versions of the poem.

This theme of flight didn't stay confined to the classroom - it soared straight into our 'School in the Woods' sessions! Working collaboratively in the great outdoors, students applied their imaginations to engineer their own flying machines using crepe paper, string, and natural materials. We then put these creations to the ultimate test, scoring each group based on aerodynamic distance and creative design.

Exploring the Cosmos and the Canopy

Meanwhile, our young explorers have been travelling from outer space straight into the vibrant rainforests. In Science, we successfully wrapped up our 'Earth and Space' unit by putting the finishing touches on our spectacular papier-mâché space helmets, which students had been working hard on last term.

Bringing our focus back down to Earth, our Geography topic on South America provided the perfect inspiration for our recent Art lessons. Students applied vibrant oil pastels to create large, stunning toucan artworks, seamlessly blending their geographical discovery with artistic expression.

The Bigger Picture

The true benefit of cross-curricular learning is that students don’t just memorise isolated facts; they see the bigger picture. By applying their skills across English, STEM, Art and Geography, our Year 5 students have stayed highly engaged and creatively inspired.

Take a look at the photos above to see our connected learning in action!

Claire Garcia
Primary Teacher & Head of Key Stage 2