Jardin Le Coq is a park in the centre of Clermont-Ferrand that most local children are familiar with but Grade 4 students looked at it with fresh eyes as part of their work on exploration. After carrying out research on famous explorers in history, the young adventurers worked in groups to plan, complete and write about an expedition. A well-loved park with a pond and a small group of trees became a New Land with a lake and a forest. The children were able to try their hand at being group leader, cartographer, artist and photographer. Information on the fauna, flora and geographical features of the New Land was recorded and posters were made. In the words of Marcel Proust, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
