春光明媚，正是出游好时机。走出校园，改换学习场所，学子会有什么新的收获？近日，福州西湖国际学校的小学生们纷纷出游，踏入这生机勃勃的春天里。
Spring is bright and it's a great time to go on a trip. What will students learn when they get off campus and change their place of study? Recently, Primary students from Fuzhou Lakeside International School went on a trip to step into this vibrant springtime.
上周五，二年级学子外出郊游。不同以往，这回他们没有去博物馆或动物园，而是来到了福州花鸟市场！各种各样的鱼儿、两栖动物、爬行动物、鸟儿、哺乳动物依次亮相。不过，FLIS学子今天的目的是为自制“小小花园”寻觅配件。
On Friday, March 19, the second grade class went on a field trip. They didn't go on a normal fieldtrip, like to a museum or a zoo—they went to the Fuzhou Bird and Fish Market to look at plants and animals that they sell there. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals were all on display for kids to see. The purpose of the visit was to find items that students could include in their sustainable mini-gardens.
“小小花园”，即自制小植物盆栽，是IPC单元"I'm Alive"学习过程中的一项小任务，由此，学生可以了解可持续发展环境对植物的健康有么多关键、洁净的环境又能如何提升人类的健康生活。照料小小花园令孩子们得以在家庭、学校乃至世界范围内养成保护环境的好习惯。
The mini-gardens, also called terrariums, are great little projects that show kids how sustainable environments are important to the health of plants, and by extension, how clean environments promote healthy living for humans. Caring for the little gardens helps create habits that reinforce caring for the environment at home, at school, and in the world.
大家走走逛逛，不时有热心老板主动为孩子们讲解店内植物、生物的养护知识。看到可爱的小狗小猫咪，以及奇妙的蝠鲼，小朋友们当然难掩兴奋！但这一单元意在令孩子了解活物，包括生物如何移动、生长、获取生存必备品及保持健康。每个学子都为自己的小花园购买了许多配件，经过一番精心装饰，一盆盆亲手种下的春天逐渐成型……未来，他们还将学习动植物自然生长的区域，以及人们如何拯救濒危物种。
Of course the kids were most excited by the cute puppies and the intriguing manta rays that they saw in cages or aquariums, but the purpose of the unit is to learn about living things, including how things move, grow, get the things they need and stay healthy. Students are also going to be introduced to the natural habitats of various plants and animals and how people can help to save endangered species.
三年级小朋友最近进入了“土地、海洋及天空”单元的学习。课堂上大家会讨论、探索动物是如何适应了如今的生活环境的。三年级生将学习不同地域的食物链、研究动植物的生命循环，等等。不止于此，孩子们还将运用所学知识设计一个水族箱！此外，环境变化对珊瑚礁有何影响？学子们将在之后的学习中找出答案。
In G3’s current IPC unit, they are on the topic Land, Sea and Sky. In this unit students will be discussing and researching how animals have adapted to living in their current habitat. They will also be learning about food chains in different world habitats. Students will also research about the life cycles of plants and animals. For the technology task, kids will be planning and designing an aquarium. In their international tasks, they'll be finding out how environmental changes are a threat to the world's coral reefs.
同样在上周五，作为“单元切入点”的一环，三年级生也走出课堂，来到左海公园海底世界。他们不仅看到了各种海底生物，欣赏了海洋动物表演，也聆听导游解说，对海洋朋友们有了更进一步的了解。孩子们惊叹于蔚蓝世界的广博，自在游弋的海龟、憨态可掬的海豹，都令人深深着迷；他们也近距离观察了水母的生长过程，这种缥缈、优雅而轻盈的生物身上隐藏了多少奥秘！
Also last Friday, as part of the "unit entry point," third graders went outside the classroom to the Underwater World in Zuohai Park. They saw various underwater creatures and enjoyed the marine animal show, while also listening to the guide's explanation and learning more about these marine friends. The children were amazed at the breadth of the blue world, the sea turtles swimming freely and the naive seals, which were all so fascinating. They also observed the growth process of jellyfish up close; how many mysteries are hidden in this elegant creature!
在这个崭新的春天，对环境的责任感似乎也在不少学子身上，渐渐萌芽。
In this brand new spring, a sense of responsibility for the environment seems to be sprouting in many students, too.
