All the fun of the elective fair

The King David High School elective fair on 19 June was an explosion of collaboration and talent, allowing visiting Grade 7 pupils and parents to see how project-based group work facilitates learning that is fun and builds lifelong skills. 

Magnificent projects set up in the Old Gym included models of the French aristocracy’s homes, life-size portraits of apartheid “heroes and villains” such as Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, and “Seas the day” coral reefs. 

The electives at school fall into six bands, namely history, geography, technology, consumers, life sciences, and art. Pupils are required to complete electives in all bands. Unlike with the core subjects of English, Afrikaans, mathematics, science, and Hebrew, electives aren’tpart of the June and November exams. Rather, teachers assess pupils through group work projects that foster 21st century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. 

At the fair, our studios came alive with the paintings, pottery ,and other art work of our talented pupils. At the same time, the singers, dancers. and musicians of our school wowed audiences with niche performances in the new Black Box theatre. 

Cooking took place in the kitchens, food was marketed and sold at the tuckshop, and accountancy Bingo was thoroughly enjoyed, as was the dissection of a sheep’s lung in the biology labs. The Money Maestros were treated to a presentation in the conference room, the Pillar of Fire pupils carried out fun activities to teach audiences about the various aliyas to Israel over the years. The Gemara Kops infused the Beit Midrash with their passion. 

Technology work stations offered activities such as laser cutting and woodwork, 3D printing and micro:bits, as well as Minecraft and coding. 

Our life orientation department offered free career advice together with pamphlets and posters. 

The day was certainly a far cry from the traditional “chalk and talk” model of the former examinations structure. It was a hit with the 120 Grade 7s who came to visit. 

We hope the fair will become a staple on the school’s calendar for many years to come. 

• Jocelyn Angel is deputy principal at King David High School.