Smarties: Grade 2: Our Australian conference!

What an exciting day we had at school. Throughout this week we have been at a 'conference' in Sydney, Australia! The children have really bought into the whole idea and we have had some priceless comments. Today they entered the conference room (Mrs Whillier's classroom) and saw a prezi on the various aspects of Australia. One of our guest speakers was our very own Australian Shelia (Mrs Regaud) .....

Sheila was amazing! She told the children about her hat (which none of them guessed that the corks were to chase away the flies!) and the Australian flag. She then took them on a little adventure across from Perth to Adelaide and then to a little mining town (they mine opals) called Cooper Peddy

We all sat riveted as she told us about this town where it was so hot that the people have built their homes underground. As she had been to this little town herself she was able to make it SO real for all of us!

Of course she met Crocodile Dundee......

and a Bruce........

The children loved this and wanted to know who she fell in love with and brought home. After a lot of discussion ( a priceless comment from one child .... kiss one and marry the other!) she told them that she had fallen in love with Crocodile Dundee!!

She also explained about the animals .....

Discussion also revolved around the famous Dingo case at Ayers Rock. But no talk is ever finished without local food. The idea that biltong was called Jerky was fascinating for them and there was even more excitement when Shelia hauled out some real Jerky for the children to taste!! One child said " But I don't eat anything kangaroo!" (Mel and I just couldn't keep a straight face.)

Thank you Shelia for a wonderful presentation at our conference!

After their lunch time break ,they returned to split away for a group session! Mel and I had designed a battleships type of game. Each child plotted his/her Australian icons on a marked grid which had the map of Australia printed on it. In pairs they played against each other in the same manner as one plays battleships to see who could find out where the other had placed their icons! It was GREAT fun!