FRENCH & WORLD CULTURES

World Cultures

This term, our students have continued on the wonderful journey of cultural exploration, focusing on the vibrant countries of the Philippines and Japan. Through engaging lessons and hands-on activities, students have gained an appreciation for these unique cultures, their histories, and their rich traditions.

Exploring the Philippines, students have delved into the country's diverse culture, geography, and traditions. They’ve learned about the beautiful islands that make up the Philippines and the variety of languages spoken there. They’ve had a go at the traditional Filipinno Tinkiling folk dance and had the chance to try their hand at creating Filipino 'turon' (banana fritters) in the classroom (recipe below).

Our exploration of Japan has been equally exciting! Students have participated in activities like origami and creating minature Zen gardens. We’ve also talked about Japan's unique festivals like the Cherry Blossom Festival (Hanami) as well as its famous cuisine. Students loved learning how to make sushi in the classroom and of course, eating it! Some students even had a go with chopsticks! 

Both cultural units have included a variety of activities that help bring these countries’ cultures to life. The students’ curiosity, enthusiasm and willingness to try new foods have been wonderful to see, and I am excited about the cultural awareness they have gained.

As we start to wrap up our 'World Cultures' learning for the year, I encourage you to continue these cultural explorations at home. Perhaps try a new recipe together, explore music from different countries, or look for books and documentaries that dive deeper into their histories. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the diversity that makes our world so fascinating.

I want to take a moment to express how much I have truly enjoyed working with your children this year. It has been a privilege to witness their growth, curiosity, and enthusiasm in all that we have explored together. Thank you for your support and to those who have shared the wonderful feedback about our 'World Cultures' learning throughout the semester. 

April Woods

Turon Recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVw2RPwmKKg 

Turon is traditionally filled with ripe saba banana slices coated with sugar and layered with strips of jackfruit, wrapped in a thin crepe-like spring roll, deep-fried to a golden crisp, and rolled in a crunchy caramel coating. Think of it as a dessert spring roll. 

We modified the recipe by using standard bananas, brown sugar instead of white, no jackfruit and coconut oil for frying. We also skipped the brown sugar glaze at the end. 

Spring roll pastry can be purchased at Coles in the frozen section - we used the Mai Hong Frozen Spring Roll Pastry Sheets.

Sushi Recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb8khXhV4Dg

Ingredients can be purchased at Coles in the International Foods section.