Inquiry Based Learning

Lessons and projects done in class are designed using the Inquiry Model with an integration of real-life, authentic scenarios to encourage AssumptionKnights to take on the hats of thoughtful Geographers, empathetic Historians and keen learners of Social Studies.  It often begins with Sparking Curiosity through questions (I wonder): 

Through a Head, Heart, Hands Approach, AssumptionKnights learn through active participation, developing thoughtful considerations and empathy through the real-world scenarios curated for each level of learners to explore the issues at hand. Through socratic conversations and active collaboration, AssumptionKnights build/ extend their learning by translating knowledge into tangible action:

Lower Secondary Geographical Investigations

Through the topics of Tropical Rainforests (Sec 1) and Transport (Sec 2), AssumptionKnights learn through an immersive sensory experience at the Dairy Farm Nature Park and a research study to improve the transport system in Singapore. Besides applying learnt techniques to collect their fieldwork data, AssumptionKnights explore creative avenues of expression to advocate for change / improvement.

Lower Secondary Historical Investigations

AssumptionKnights learn through understanding the lives of our forefathers (early immigrants and victims of war). Besides examining the lives of the key historical figures and early immigrants to explore how these figures had helped transform Singapore into the centre of trade in Southeast Asia at the Sec 1 level, our Sec 2 learners visit the Former Ford Factory Museum to explore interactive artefacts and exhibits to better the historical events during the Japanese Occupation, and to empathise with the suffering that ensued.

Upper Secondary Humanities

With the strong foundations laid at Lower Secondary levels, AssumptionKnights continue towards more open Inquiry processes to guide them through the issues discussed for Humanities subjects. 

For example, in History classrooms, AssumptionKnights develop empathy towards the different groups of people who lived during Hitler’s rule. For Social Studies, learners apply their learnt knowledge into the level Values-in-Action projects in conjunction with the school’s Empathy Week, evaluating if elderly people have sufficient support here in Singapore. Geography students also deepen their knowledge on physical-human interactions through topics in Geography in Everyday Life, Climate and Tourism. Opportunities to exercise their analytical minds are created through more open Geographical Investigations at the upper secondary levels.

G1 Humanities (including Humanities Exposure Modules (HEMs))

The G1 Social Studies syllabuses are organised around broad issues which will anchor class discussions. In exploring the real-world societal issues in the syllabuses using the inquiry-based learning model, our learners learn to extract, analyse and evaluate information whilst working with one another towards common Performance Tasks and HEMs (Geography, History and Literature). Through application, they develop collaborative skills, as well as deepen their understanding of society and the world they live in.