Inquiry-Based Learning @ EPS

Big Questions - Term 1, 2024

If you're new to EPS, welcome, and please familarise yourself with our inquiry-based learning approach.

Late last year our talented and committed teachers created the 2024 Programme of Inquiry (our Big Questions). These Big Questions are highly contextualised to our school and environment, making them authentic and engaging for our students.

The Victorian Curriculum provides a 2-year Achievement Standard for subjects such as:

• Science
• Geography
• History
• Design and Technology

Each year, teachers 'audit' the curriculum to ensure that all content is covered during the 2-year period.  Based on the audit, we create our Programme of Inquiry.

This year has a large focus on transdisciplinary learning - this will assist our students to connect new knowledge and deepen their understanding in a more authentic and meaningful way. For example, if students are inquiring into how life used to be in the past (from the History curriculum), they might be writing historical narratives (in Literacy), examining old technology (in Digital Technologies) and learning about the history of China (in Chinese). 

Our throughline for every Big Question this year is SUSTAINABILITY - Sustainability addresses the ongoing capacity of Earth to maintain all life. It is through this lens that all Big Questions will be viewed this year.

The below boxes contain the following information for each year level in Term 1:

• the Big Question
• the curriculum areas to be covered
• the three key understandings that underpin the learning

Foundation

Year 1 & 2

Year 3 & 4

Year 5 & 6