Designing Inclusive Playgrounds
In a recent Grade 1 UOI (Unit of Inquiry) lesson, the students had lots of questions about people with disabilities and how they access buildings and structures.
While it was not planned to raise this fascinating topic, it was one that the students were highly engaged in learning more about. Following the student-led learning principles of the IB, the grade ones decided to learn about disability access to buildings and structures.
●Grade 1’s current UOI: ‘How the world works’
●The central idea: ‘The design of buildings and structures is dependent on the environment and the building’s purpose.’
To discover more about inclusiveness, firstly the students learned about children with disabilities who want to enjoy playgrounds with their friends and families. They watched a video and heard from disabled children who were upset about the lack of access they had and how they wished their needs were considered when the playgrounds were designed.
The grade ones then attempted to create a model of a playground which would be inclusive to all people, whether they were disabled or not.
On 11/29, the grade ones finished their designs and, at the end of the lesson, the students presented their models to their classmates. The grade ones thought of lots of great ideas such as swings that were big enough for wheelchairs, lots of ramps for easy access and even vending machines that went sideways instead of upwards so everyone could reach the buttons!
The grade ones did a great job in thinking about playgrounds from other people’s perspective, and deeply considered ways to be inclusive to all members of the community.
Author Profile
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Martin - Elementary HR Teacher (Australia)
Elementary HR teacher of CGK International School. From Australia.
Graduated from Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Internationally award-winning film-maker, TV writer, novelist, playwright, and an accomplished guitarist and vocalist of the band Mamonaku.