What’s on the Menu? – Learning Beyond the Classroom
What’s on the Menu? – Learning Beyond the Classroom
Our Grade 2–3 students are currently exploring the IPC unit What’s on the Menu?, which takes them on a journey through the world of food.
Throughout the unit, students investigate where the food on our plates comes from, how different foods are grown and prepared, what healthy and balanced choices mean, and how our everyday decisions can become more responsible and sustainable.
One of the key strengths of the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is that learning is not limited to the classroom. Whenever possible, students are given opportunities to connect what they have learned with real-life experiences. These experiences help make new knowledge more meaningful, memorable and easier to understand, while also encouraging curiosity, questioning and independent thinking.
As part of the unit, our students visited Algyői Ubi, where they could see first-hand how cucumbers and tomatoes are grown in greenhouses. Instead of only reading about food production, the children were able to observe the growing process in a real environment and connect their classroom learning with what happens before food reaches our tables.
Their next stop was Secret 43, where the focus shifted from food production to the world of restaurants. The students revisited what they had already learned about what makes an ideal restaurant environment, how a menu and food selection are created, and what needs to be considered when running a restaurant successfully.
Experiences like these are an important part of IPC learning. They allow students to see that subjects are not separate from everyday life: science, geography, health education, sustainability, communication and social skills can all come together around one meaningful topic.
By learning through observation, discussion and first-hand experience, children do not simply memorise information – they begin to understand how their knowledge can be used in the real world.
We would like to thank Algyői Ubi and Secret 43 for welcoming our students and for helping us provide such a valuable hands-on learning experience.