Posted by Hi, I’m Alex. Today the National Geographic Kids expedition team first visited a school in Cairns and the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. We arrived at the Hambledon State School in Cairns this morning and saw children along the sidewalk eagerly awaiting our arrival. At first the children were a bit timid and shy, but after talking to them for a bit they opened up and were very talkative. They taught me all kinds of cool things I never knew. They showed me berries that you could pop on your fingers to appear as if you’re bleeding…
They also showed us how to make bouncy balls with water. Simply fill up a water balloon and tie it up, then put it into three other water balloons and you have an indestructible bouncy ball. Their school was very different from the American schools back home. Their school was completely based upon the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef. All of their courses involved nature education—with the goal of having everyone spread the word about how to conserve our world. That was not the only surprise I had when I entered the school. There were children running about the halls playing tag in bare feet! But out of all the new things that I discovered, the one that astounded me the most was that the kids were able to successfully learn about the world while have fun at the same time (and without No Child Left Behind!).
Hi, I’m Misha. I had a lot of fun today with the rest of the National Geographic team. This afternoon we all went to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. After a hearty lunch and a little shopping in the gift shop, we were given boomerangs to paint in the Aboriginal styles and designs. Everybody set to work and we all came up with some amazing art. As someone who really enjoys art, this activity was real enjoyable. Looking at them after we were done painting our boomerangs, I felt they’re all so nice that I don’t think anyone will actually want to throw them. I think they’ll hang them on their bedroom walls instead. In preparation for taking our boomerangs home, our hosts guided us to a throwing field to practice our boomerang-throwing abilities. Through thespian presentations, we learned about the Aboriginal culture. We heard music that resembled the kind they play in real tribal situations. Now I’m really looking forward to getting to Tasmania to explore a different part of the country.
We won’t be blogging tomorrow because we’ll be flying to Hobart…but watch for Abbie and Mara’s blog the next day.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.