Unit: Earth as an Island

Year 5 ended their unit Earth as an Island with an Exit Point this week. During the Exit Point they demonstrated to their parents all their newly gained skills, knowledge and understanding to their parents and other visitors.

The Big Picture: Earth as an Island (Year 5)

(Text from our IPC curriculum)

As a society, people initially lived in extended family units or small villages. However, growing globalisation and interdependence mean that we live in an increasingly interlinked and connected world. While the Covid-19 pandemic might have slowed this down temporarily, as countries closed borders and focussed inwards. The phenomenal growth in technology and in particular social media means that normal citizens – not just experts – can instantly connect with societies thousands of miles away. 

Previous generations may have been isolated in terms of geography and society, but the outward urge to explore new places has driven humans since the earliest explorers travelled from Peru to Polynesia over 5,000 years ago. From the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, who travelled to England and other islands in search of fertile land and resources, to the exploration and subsequent exploitation of the Caribbean islands by the likes of Christopher Columbus. There were also female explorers, like Isabella Bird, who overcame societal prejudices to document life on islands around the world.

Throughout history, humans have chosen to inhabit islands for a variety of social, commercial, and military reasons. Cities as diverse as St. Petersburg (Russia), Male (Maldives), Havana (Cuba), Singapore, and Wellington (New Zealand) are all found on

islands. 

The natural isolation of islands has become less over time, but some islands have been historically used as prisons for those in society that people consider to be a danger. Notable island prisons include Alcatraz in the USA, Robben Island in South Africa, Devil’s Island in Guyana, and Bastøy Island in Norway, all of which have housed both famous and infamous people. 

Islands have also been significant in global developments. For example, the testing of the first atomic bomb in the 1940s, which ushered in the Cold War, took place on the remote islands of Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. In the 1960s, the Bay of Pigs incident in the Caribbean took the world to the brink of World War III. Islands continue to cause political issues of a global nature, including examples such as the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and the Falklands Islands in the South Atlantic. 

The locations of islands have led them to develop some unique features or certain aspects. As a result of climatic, topographical and locational differences, some of the food and cultures are unique to the islands that they originated on. Many islands also have their own musical traditions which we will explore in the unit.

Islands have also had a spiritual significance across many religions. For example, Bali as a centre for Hinduism in Indonesia; Lindisfarne Island in England as a significant place for Christianity; the Cocos (Keeling) Islands off the coast of Australia as a centre for Islam; and the Thirteen Buddhas of Awaji Island in Japan. In Judaism, the Venetian Ghetto, an area Jews were compelled to live on in the 16th – 18th centuries, is an island that is significant – though not in a positive sense. Traditionally, islands have offered a retreat from daily life and enabled devotees to focus on prayer and reflection. 

Moving forwards, island nations are some of the most at risk from global challenges. A 2021 report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the recent rate of sea level rise has nearly tripled compared with 1901 – 1971, while global surface temperature was 1.09°C higher between 2011 and 2020 than between 1859 to 1900. The IPCC states, “It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land”.

Increasing numbers of islands, including Indonesia, Singapore, the Maldives and the Solomon Islands, are at risk from the inherent challenges of sea-level rise. For example, the Carteret islanders have been battling rising sea levels for the last 25 years. In 2005 they were named as the world’s first “climate refugees” and many islanders have since been evacuated and relocated. Many island ecosystems, such as coral reefs, are also under threat from climate change.

Global use of plastics has also had a huge environmental impact on island nations, as plastics are washed from the land and into the world’s oceans, leaving not even the most remote islands untouched. In the Pacific Islands, there are floating masses of plastic known as ‘garbage patches’ which threaten marine wildlife in particular. 

The problems that the islanders of the world currently face require global solutions. This unit therefore looks at the impact of increasing global interdependence before culminating in an Exit Point where children become advocates for minimising the negative effects of this globalisation.

The Earth is the only planet in this solar system that is habitable; thus it is an island in space. Yet our outward urge to explore continues, with both the USA and China aiming to send a crewed mission to Mars (and back) in the 2030s.

People do not thrive in isolation according to John Donne’s famous poem ‘No man is an island’ (1624). You can read the poem and find related activities here:

https://www.mensaforkids.org/read/a-year-of-living-poetically/donne-no-man-is-an-island/ However, while this sentiment has its strengths, it is important to be aware that the connected nature of our modern lives has not come without costs.

What we learned during this unit

In Art, we learned about:

·        Different techniques to represent islands artistically 

·        How artists get inspiration from the shape of the land 

·        Printing techniques. 

In Geography, we learned about:

·        Geographical terms to name and describe features of islands 

·        How island cities have developed over time  

·        How changes on earth are causing issues for island communities 

·        How development of islands is causing issues for island communities 

·        Challenges when relocating island populations 

·        How maps are organised 

·        The climates on different islands and how this impacts life there. 

In International, we learned about:

·        The Sustainable Development Goals 

·        How our daily actions contribute to global issues 

·        How plastic in the ocean causes problems on islands 

·        How we can advocate for positive change. 

In Music, we learned about:

·        The features of different genres of island music 

·        What makes each island's music unique? 

In Physical Education, we learned about:

·        Creating dance routines to move to island music 

·        Orienteering and physical navigation challenges. 

In Design, Technology and Innovation, we learned about:

·        The main food groups and healthy eating 

·        Designing a menu based on island cuisine 

·        Staying safe while preparing and cooking food.