Inside the Transdisciplinary Unit in SIS Grade 4｜走进SIS四年级跨学科单元课堂

At Shekou International School (SIS), learning in Grade 4 extends far beyond the classroom. One standout example is the How We Organize Ourselves Unit, which focuses on economics, marketing, and math concepts. This culminates in Restaurant Day—a hands-on, real-life project where each class opens its own pop-up restaurant. This experience allows students to apply their understanding of event planning in an engaging and meaningful way.

The journey begins with an exciting provocation: Top Chef Shekou, where SIS leadership team members face off in a live cooking challenge to spark student curiosity and excitement.

Over the following weeks, students delve into key economic concepts and explore ethical business practices, including how to recognize and avoid "greenwashing."

They visit local restaurants to observe real-world operations, then conduct market research, develop business proposals, and apply for startup loans. Each group presents their plan to a panel of SIS leaders and Parent Support Association (PSA) members, hoping to secure 500 RMB in funding.

Once approved, students purchase ingredients, test recipes, and begin designing their restaurants. They take on all aspects of running a business—cooking, decorating, budgeting, and teamwork—as they prepare to open their doors.

This year’s creative themes included “Just Like Home Café”, inspired by family traditions, and “Are You Gonna Eat Those Fries, Bro?”, which served healthy air-fried fries with a humorous twist. Other groups offered global cuisine, health-conscious wraps, and imaginative concepts like the “Minionraunt.”

Grade 4 Learning Lead, Mr. Van Der Merwe explains, “The restaurant day is a powerful educational experience. Rooted in a transdisciplinary Unit of Inquiry (UOI), Restaurant Day integrates learning across multiple subject areas: mathematics (decimals, fractions, measurement), social studies (economics and sustainability), and literacy (advertising, business proposals, persuasive writing). Beyond academics, students also develop key communication, collaboration, and self-management skills.”

So what Does a Transdisciplinary Unit Look Like at SIS? We hope you now have a better understanding of how SIS brings real-world learning to life. We warmly welcome you to join us—and experience the excitement, collaboration, and creativity of learning at SIS.

在深圳市蛇口外籍人员子女学校（SIS），四年级的学习早已突破传统课堂的边界。其中，“我们如何组织自己” 跨学科单元便是典范，该单元融合了经济学、市场营销和数学概念。以 “餐厅日” 作为华彩终章 —— 每个班级开设专属快闪餐厅，让学生们在真实场景中运用所学，让课本理论知识转化为趣味十足的实践体验。

一切始于一场别开生面的 “蛇口顶级厨师” 挑战赛。学校领导团队成员现场展开烹饪对决，瞬间点燃学生们的好奇心和探索欲。

随后数周，学生们系统地学习了经济学核心概念与商业伦理实践，例如识别和规避 “漂绿”（greenwashing）等营销陷阱。

学生们走访当地餐厅，观察真实运营流程，完成市场调研、撰写商业计划书，并申请“创业贷款”。每个小组需向学校领导团队和家委会（PSA）组成的评审团展示方案，争取500元启动资金。

方案获批后，学生们就开始采购食材、调试食谱，并设计餐厅风格。全面负责烹饪、装饰、预算管理和团队协作等各个环节，为开业做足准备。

今年的餐厅主题创意迭出：受家庭传统启发的 “家的味道咖啡馆”，以幽默方式推广健康空气炸锅薯条的“兄弟，这薯条你吃吗？” 。其他小组则提供了全球美食、注重健康的包装，甚至还有 “小黄人餐厅”（Minionraunt）概念的童趣餐厅。

四年级教学负责人Van Der Merwe老师指出：“餐厅日是极具冲击力的教育实践。作为跨学科探究单元（UOI）的核心，它融合了多个学科领域的学习：数学（小数、分数与测量），社会学（经济学原理与可持续发展），以及语言文学（广告文案、商业报告和说服性写作）。在课本之外，学生们在实践中培养了沟通、协作、自我管理等终身受用的核心能力。

那么，深圳市蛇口外籍人员子女学校（SIS）的跨学科单元究竟是什么样的？希望你通过这段实践案例，更直观地感受到SIS是如何将现实世界的学习融入课堂。我们热忱欢迎你走进SIS，亲身体验在这里充满激情、协作与创意的学习生态。