The harbour offers teachers prepared to think beyond the classroom a wealth of learning opportunities. The CIS Classroom on the Harbour project experimented with several cross-curricular tasks, both site-specific and general. The construction work at Penny's Bay, Lantau, is ripe for exploitation. Students watched land reclamation taking place and speculated about the environmental and economic impact of the Disney theme park. The Kwai Chung docks are the busiest in the world, an ideal location to compare modern-day loading and unloading techniques with those of the 19th century, identify national flags, the country of registration, and work out the meaning of the maritime signal pennants. Tsim Sha Tsui is an interesting spot for students wanting to know more about architecture. CIS students were asked to comment why the KCR terminus in 1916 was so 'grand'. Other activities to pursue through the day include determining air and water quality in different parts of the harbour. Writing letters to newspapers in English, Chinese or any language about the harbour is a useful follow up. For the arts, students can experiment with sketching the Tsing Ma Bridge, photographing large ships, or writing poetry. Quizzes and games during the cruise keep them on-task and motivated.
