Inquiry in Action: Expressions

Welcome to our second edition of our Unit of Investigation (UOI) series, where we dive deeper and understand better how our young DUCKS (Dulwich College Kindergarten School) learn and explore the world beyond concepts and terminologies. This time, we zoom in on their third unit:­ Expression.

At DUCKS, learning is an interconnected journey of curiosity and discovery that builds up on prior knowledge and extends as students grow.

As we mentioned in our first Unit of Investigation (UOI) article, our holistic Programme of Investigation is divided into five UOIs (Units of Investigations). Each unit centres around an age-appropriate Big Idea, aligned with an overarching theme, and is enriched by connections to other subjects such as English, Math, Science, Global Citizenship, and Chinese. Through Provocations — learning experiences designed to spark curiosity, ‘provoke’ thought, or encourage deeper discovery — students engage in Lines of Investigations, culminating in a final project to showcase their learning.

Watch this video to learn more about how we learn in DUCKS

Lightbulb Moment: DUCKS are introduced to Expressions

For their UOI 3: Expressions, each year group approached the Big Idea with increasing complexity.

Nursery explored the world of emotions and artistic expression, with the Big Idea: What Can Be Expressed Through Role Play?

Reception investigated how Performances are an Expression of a Story. 

Year 1 focused on the power of speeches, inspired by The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch, with the Big Idea: Speeches can express ideas and share information.

Year 2's immersive blackout experience, connecting their prior knowledge and experiences from Unit Two, sparked some fascinating discussions! It was the perfect springboard for exploring how debates provide an opportunity to express differing perspectives and gave them the skills they needed to crack the mystery of the missing chocolate!

Exploring Big Ideas Through Lines of Investigation

Nursery

Our Nursery explored three lines of investigation: How to express emotions through story and role-play, and how we use light and dark in role-play, and how we perform through role-play. Teachers facilitated engaging provocations to encourage thoughtful participation, inquiry and questioning. 

Students matched facial expressions to emotion words, created actions to represent each emotion, and then watched artistic media like opera, dance, drama, animation, and a shadow puppetry. They then chose the emotion they connected with the most, sparking insightful discussions about feelings, often using actions.    

Books also played a key role. While reading an art book called “Faces,” students identified emotions in images and used emotion words to describe how they felt that the characters were feeling. One student remarked, “this boy is happy. I feel happy when I see mummy and daddy,” prompting classmates to share their own happiness triggers.  

Next, students experimented with light and dark, discovering how light interacts with transparent and opaque materials. They explored shadows and reflections, then applied their learning to prepare for imaginative role-play activities.

Reception

Meanwhile, Reception explored What is a Story? Where do stories come from? How can they be told? They reflected on how story extends beyond words, encompassing dance, clay, animation, shadow puppetry, and songs. 

Cultural experiences also enriched their learning. Class ROD for instance enjoyed learning about different cultures by listening to their friends’ stories about food, sports, and celebrations. One classmate described a special family dish, sparking a lively discussion about everyone's favourite meals—pizza and dumplings were clear winners!

After developing their own stories, students experimented with various storytelling mediums, including music, comic strips, dance, art, movies, and even theatre to try to tell theirs. A highlight was when families joined the classroom to share stories, creating a rich, interactive storytelling environment.

Year 1

Year 1 were thrilled when Mr Grinling, who looked suspiciously like our Head of College Anthony Coles, the main character of The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch, appeared in the Wodehouse Theatre, exclaiming, “pesky seagulls had eaten my lunch and ruined my basket!” 

But this was just one of several problems Mr Grinling was having, and students spent weeks eagerly brainstorming innovative solutions to his problems, with parents helping bring these ideas to life using mostly recycled materials.

Students then delved into their Big Idea, learning about speeches, what makes them effective and how they can be used to share ideas. They applied this knowledge in persuasive presentations to a panel of “Dragons” in a Dragons Den-style programme (or “Sharks” from the American show Shark Tank). 

Year 2

Year 2’s immersive blackout experience was an exciting adventure that tapped into their knowledge from Unit Two and dive into a mystery! Walking into their classrooms with all the lights and electrical devices off, and tape across the switches, instantly sparked lively discussions about electricity, its role in our daily lives, and what life would be like without it. Why wasn't the electricity working? The children eagerly shared a variety of opinions, each more fascinating than the last!

As part of their tuning-in experience, the students worked in groups, each aligned with similar ideas, to design and create an alternative, non-electrical invention in the Junior School Maker Space. This hands-on project kept the conversations flowing, leading to valuable lessons in how to debate and express opinions while staying true to the DUCKS values. 

Ms Christine Buxton, our Year 2 Lead, explained that this Big Idea also aimed to help students also develop essential debate skills such as communication, active listening, research, critical thinking, and collaboration while reinforcing their understanding and application of our DUCKS values

DUCKS’ Big Finish

Nursery

Nursery students collaborated to create puppets and plan an imaginative puppet show depicting various emotions through role-play. Drawing on their knowledge of emotions, light and dark, and performance skills, they produced a creative show, learning audience etiquette as they evaluated each other’s performances on how effectively emotions were depicted. This engaging activity not only fostered creativity but also encouraged teamwork and critical thinking among the children.

Reception: Story-Tellers Premiere

For their Big Finish, Reception showcased their stories through mediums of their choice — dance, drawing, storytelling and performances — all on film for their families to watch! Throughout this unit, students explored what a story is, where stories come from, and how to share their own, and celebrating their storytelling journey in fun and creative ways.

Year One: Pitching to the Experts 

Year 1 students had the exciting opportunity to pitch their project ideas to Year 10 iGCSE Business students. This cross-school collaboration provided younger students with real-world feedback while allowing older students to share some thoughtful advice and guidance. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration and the vibrant learning community at Dulwich College Beijing, where students of all ages inspire and learn from one another. 

Year Two: The Great Debate

Year 2’s newly acquired skills came in handy when Ms. Francis asked for Year 2’s help to solve the mystery of her missing chocolate. The children became detectives, distinguished between facts and opinions, shared their suspicions about who might be responsible. Was it Mr. Brookes, Mr. Oxley, or Ms. Keily? The excitement was palpable! The students used their debating skills such as active listening, being respectful, taking turns, staying open-minded, and explaining their reasoning using “because”—to present their theories. They even recorded videos of their debates to help Ms. Francis decide who the culprit might be, though unfortunately the mystery remains unsolved... for now! What we do know is that Year 2 has shown an incredible ability to gather facts, express their opinions, and engage in fair, respectful, and open-minded debates. Whenever a mystery arises, we can always count on their enthusiasm, critical thinking, and teamwork to help solve it!

Through their third Unit of Investigation, DUCKS students explored Expressions in meaningful and creative ways, reinforcing their communication skills and deepening their understanding of storytelling, emotions, persuasion, and debate. We can't wait to see what discoveries their next UOI will bring!

Hear more from our student, Aidan C, and hear what he enjoys about his life in DUCKS

Stay tuned for the next part of this series, and read how our DUCKS students learn with curiousity, creativity, and a sense of ownership over their learning!