The Humanities and Mathematics departments of San Andrea Senior School, L-Imselliet, jointly organised the first ever inter-departmental hands-on learning activity in Mdina. Named Humati-Kynigi, meaning Humantites and Maths hunt in Greek, its main aim was to encourage integrated hands-on learning by linking Mathematics with History, Geography, Environmental Studies, Religion and PSHD.
In preparation for the activity, the teachers of these subjects worked together and also went on site to formulate questions from their subject-content/syllabus and link them with the various important historical places within the Silent City.
On the day of the event, all the students were divided into groups according to their House colour, assigned a supervising teacher and given a workbook which had to be worked out by analysing various landmarks.
Each group had to follow separate trails in Mdina. In fact 24 different trails were set to have all the groups spread out working separately throughout the city.
Groups earned points for each correct answer. The first three groups who succeeded in completing the trail and filling in the worksheets correctly within a given time were then given a clue to 'hunt' for a treasure hidden within the walls of Mdina.
The group that found the 'treasure' was also given extra points for their House. The winning House of Castile were awarded the Humati-Kynigi Cup to keep until the event's next edition.
Through the activity, the students not only applied what they had learnt in class about Mdina to the actual place, but they also linked what they learnt in Mathematics with what they learnt in the Humanities subjects.
It was also an excellent exercise for the students to realise that Mathematics is really all around us. Interaction between the teachers and the students worked excellently and it was great to see the teachers driven by the same interest and transmitting a healthy competitive spirit.
On their way back to school after the event, students were already asking when the next similar activity would be held, and following this success, plans are already in hand to hold another similar activity in the coming scholastic year.
Mr Briffa and Ms Laferla are Humanities and Mathematics co-ordinators at San Andrea School.