Inspiring education at Maropeng

January 18, 2012 – Laura Maggs

The start of a new year is a time to reflect, plan and commit to new goals and challenges. As learners return to their desks, educators are faced with a new group of young minds to motivate and inspire.

Television talk show host Oprah Winfrey, also the founder of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, was recently quoted as saying she feels the standard of school education in South Africa is too low.

With a number of issues to contend with, including poverty, a lack of resources, a shortage of qualified teachers, and the problem of learners struggling to remain locked into their studies, 2012 is certainly a time for growth and change in the country’s education system.

Teachers need to focus on making use of all resources available to them, as well as keeping their learners interested and eager to jump into, rather than struggle with, their studies. Taking initiative and exploring exciting avenues of learning are sure to take the South African curriculum to new and successful heights.

Maropeng is the perfect place to start.

Start off the new year by treating learners to an educational experience they will remember for years to come. Maropeng is kitted out to help teachers transform their classroom subjects into fun, unique and interactive adventures.

A wealth of information is freely available to both educators and learners in the form of Maropeng’s educational resource packs that cover a variety of school subjects. They are aimed at Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners and are a great source of inspiration when putting together lesson plans.

Subjects such as maths and science need no longer be confined to dusty textbooks.

In Maropeng’s illustrated mathematical literacy pack, a diverse range of interesting topics is used to turn homework assignments into thought-provoking and useful study sessions. Instead of mulling over outdated examples and confusing figures on a blackboard, learners can get to grips with important maths skills by constructing timelines detailing the history of human evolution, studying graphs about global warming, and statistics about HIV/Aids, while becoming comfortable with calculations and data.

The physical science pack explores a variety of interesting and important topics, including ecological footprints, energy consumption, global warming, pollution and sustainability.

Each resource pack is rich with information about the Cradle of Humankind, the history and evolution of our planet, the development of humans, and our impact on the environment. This ensures learners engage with their daily classroom subjects while learning about their responsibilities, and the importance of preserving our planet for future generations.

Coupling an outing to Maropeng’s exhibition with working through these resource packs, and extending curriculum learning into new and interesting areas of thought, are sure to lay a good foundation for the year’s workload.

“The educational resource packs, free for anyone to download, are Curriculum and Assessment Programmes System aligned, and offer educators pre- and post-visit worksheet options,” explains Maropeng’s education and marketing executive, Magel van de Venter.

“This year, bring your class to Maropeng to enjoy an enriching, exciting day filled with educational experiences.”

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