Rooted in the Greater Bay Area and bridging China with Hong Kong and Macau, ASJ Foshan organises immersive field trip for students every academic year. Such initiatives take learning beyond the classroom and into real-life contexts, standing as a core hallmark of the IB curriculum.
This April, teachers and students of the Primary School embarked on an interdisciplinary field trip to Hong Kong. Centred on the theme Sustainable Development and Cultural Heritage Inheritance and underpinned by inquiry-based learning, the programme enables students to deepen their knowledge through urban exploration, cultural immersion and interactive exchanges. It extends classroom units to the real world, allowing learners to construct meaning through observation, hands-on experience, critical thinking and cross-contextual connections.
From the cosmos to the city:
The connection between scientific inquiry and sustainable development
On the first day of the field trip, learning stretched from the boundless cosmos to urban life, weaving together two key inquiry dimensions: science and the environment.
At the Hong Kong Space Museum, students brought their learning about the universe and science from the Grade 1 and 2 unit How the World Works into a real‑world setting. From the movements of celestial bodies to the history of human space exploration, knowledge learnt in the classroom was vividly brought to life.
This immersive visit enables students to not only understand how science explains the world, but also recognise that curiosity, a spirit of exploration and continuous innovation are the vital forces driving humanity forward.
Later, focusing on the learning theme of "Pioneers in Zero-Carbon Architecture", students shifted their perspective from the cosmos back to Earth, connecting to their inquiry into the environment and sustainable development within the Sharing the Planet unit.
By learning about green building concepts, students gained insight into how architectural design can reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. This helped them directly comprehend the symbiotic relationship between human activities and the natural environment. Immersed in real‑world settings, they fostered a strong sense of global citizenship and deepened their awareness and commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development.
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From Culture to Environment:
Expression, Heritage and Responsibility
On the second day, learning unfolded through cultural immersion and environmental education.
In the morning, students visited Wing Kei Flower Banner (Hong Kong) Company Limited to take part in an intangible cultural heritage flower banner workshop. As an iconic traditional folk craft of Hong Kong, flower banners are widely featured at festivals, celebrations and temple fairs. Boasting vibrant colours and towering structures, they integrate calligraphy, fine art, traditional frame crafting and auspicious culture. Beyond conveying festive blessings, these artworks preserve Hong Kong’s distinctive urban memories and community heritage.
From material selection and composition to hands-on creation, students explored the historical context and social significance behind flower banners through practical making, forging a profound connection with the PYP unit How We Express Ourselves.
They came to realise that expression exists not only through language and the arts, but also within cultural symbols and social practices. Meanwhile, the experience deepened their sense of responsibility for the preservation and inheritance of traditional culture in modern society.
In the afternoon, teachers and students headed to Noah’s Ark Hong Kong for conservation and educational activities. Within a learning space that integrates nature, geography and environmental education, students further explored Hong Kong’s ecological environment and reflected on topics such as resource sharing and the relationship between humans and nature through interactive experiences.
This not only responds to the core inquiry of the Sharing the Planet unit, but also prompts students to reflect on how limited resources should be cherished, utilised and safeguarded.
From Communication to Understanding: Becoming Learners in Authentic Contexts
On the third day of the field trip, students arrived at the most meaningful stop of the journey — a visit to our sister school, Baptist Lui Ming Choi Primary School, for exchange and collaborative learning. Last semester, the faculty and students of Baptist Lui Ming Choi Primary School paid a visit to ASJ Foshan. This reciprocal visit further strengthens and sustains the long-standing friendship between the two schools.
Through classroom observations and interactive sessions, our students gained first-hand insight into daily school life in Hong Kong. Every observation of classroom atmosphere, learning task design, teacher-student interaction and campus culture brought new perspectives and deeper understanding.
This exchange not only enhanced students’ communication and interpersonal skills, but also enabled them to understand and respect cultural differences while engaging with people from diverse backgrounds. Immersed in authentic social contexts, they have grown into open‑minded learners with global perspectives.
Learning through Connection,
Growing through Experience
These three days have constituted a complete and authentic learning journey.
Stepping outside the classroom, students extended their unit studies into the real world. Within interdisciplinary contexts, they recognised the connections across different areas of knowledge. Through hands-on experiences, questioning and reflection, they developed deeper and more profound understanding. Such learning opportunities transform students from passive recipients of knowledge into active inquirers and meaning-makers.
Guided by the IB philosophy, ASJ Foshan will continue to design authentic, rich and meaningful learning experiences. We strive to nurture responsible, proactive lifelong learners who are well-prepared to thrive in an ever-changing world.
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