OUT LEARNING

Sekolah Harapan Bangsa has a program called Small Excursion, a kind of learning method where students and teachers do outdoor learning. The school runs the program every year and the moment of the activity is awaited. Pandemic Covid 19 has stopped the program for two years. The situation now is getting better and the government has stated that  PPKM (restrictions on community activities) is over and the society can do the activities in the normal way.

After two years of waiting, we finally did it. On Tuesday 21 February 2023, we went to Godong Ijo in Sawangan Depok. Before the activity was held, the committee, involving grade 3 and 4 teachers, did a survey to make sure that the place we were going to visit  is suitable for students to do the small excursion.  Finaly Godong Ijo was chosen by the committee.

In the morning of Tuesday the 21st , we departed from Sekolah Harapan Bangsa at 8.15. It was 45 minutes late because there was heavy rain and wind.  We waited until the rain stopped at first and got on the bus first using the SHB shuttle bus. The journey to Godong Ijo was smooth so we arrived there at 9.15 am. The members of Godong Ijo’s Event Organizer were already there and didn’t wait too long. All students joined in each class in one place called a dome.

Students started their activities by watching movies about global warming. It explained the reasons why it happens, the effects of global warming and how to overcome the problems. This helps students to realize the importance of real actions to save the Earth. The movie was about 15 minutes long and all students were separated in groups according to their class.

Grade 3 started with the Kecak dance from Bali. Knowing traditional dances in Indonesia is a way to appreciate the customs that Indonesian has. Unity in diversity is implemented by honor and respect in the differences we have. The students did the dance very well and were happy.

After learning the Kecak dance, grade 3 in turn did these activities; learning about animals such as bats, snakes and  feeding turtles. Students were brave enough to feed a giant African turtle in a reptile corner. The journey continued to a small garden where students learned about some plants that support human life for food. They are white trees (kayu putih) which are used to make herbs, sirsak (soursop), chocolate trees, palm trees (where the red sugar comes from), and many other plants were explained very clearly by the group leader.

At about 11.00 am, grade 3 students were brought to the the place where they learned about different kinds of geckos and lizards and closed by holding a large, long python together. Students then stopped for a couple of minutes, washing hands and having their lunch. We had lunch at 12.10. All students received a box of lunch (rice, chicken fingers, vegetables) and a cup of mineral water. After 30 minutes of having our lunch, all the students went back to their group to continue the programs.

Grade 3 continued with decorating a mask and planting an ashoka plant.

The programs finished at 15.30 and all students went back to the dome where they put their bags. They had extra time to play some traditional games such as clogs (bakiak)  , lato-lato and many others.  Grade 4 did as well. They started with different kinds of programs for each class such as learning to play one traditional music from Jawa Barat, Angklung. Angklung is an Indonesian musical instrument consisting of two to four bamboo tubes suspended in a bamboo frame, bound with rattan cords. The tubes are carefully whittled and cut by a master craftsperson to produce certain notes when the bamboo frame is shaken or tapped. The aim of playing these traditional music instruments is to let students play the local music instruments and appreciate them. In turn they learned to make an Aero Glider. An Aero Glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its lifting surfaces. This activity aims to let students apply energy conversion.   They continued with making an ethnic pencil case holder.