Building compassion for the natural world

A teacher facilitates a lesson where students participate in science-based activities, including comparing animals to humans, conducting a litter survey and visiting the school kitchen garden to stimulate student interest through engaging hands-on activities. The teacher believes that active learning in science can help students connect to the natural world through their emotions and senses.

Wooranna Park Primary School is located in a low socio-economic area of Melbourne. The school places an emphasis on students accepting responsibility for their learning. Opportunities are provided for students to pursue personal learning passions and negotiate the curriculum. The school is strongly influenced by the philosophical thinking underpinning the Reggio Emilia Schools of Northern Italy and the work of Professor George Betts on autonomous learning.