Celebratory launch of Schiphol teaching pack for primary school pupils

When did the first plane land at Schiphol? How many passengers fly through the airport every day? How many countries can you fly to from Schiphol? Children can learn the answers to these questions and many more in the new teaching pack, called ‘Kijk op Schiphol’, that was launched today.

This free teaching pack, developed by Royal Schiphol Group and Zwijsen publishers, is aimed at pupils in the final three years of primary education. In these digital lessons, children dive into the world of Schiphol. They learn about the ins and outs of the country’s main traffic hub, as well as about important societal issues like employment, sustainability and intercultural communication. The lessons are in line with various core objectives within the learning areas Dutch and Orientation towards self and the world. The core objectives specify the knowledge and skills pupils should have in each subject by the end of primary education.

‘Kijk op Schiphol’ (available in Dutch only) consists of four lessons: an introductory lesson and three elective lessons. Teachers can choose to go through all of the lessons or make a selection. In the introductory lesson, pupils learn about Schiphol in a film and a quiz filled with fun facts. Lesson 2 is about the people who work at Schiphol, from cleaners to bird controllers and from pilots to baggage handling staff. In Lesson 3, pupils learn about how Schiphol is working on sustainable energy sources, recycling and circular construction. And the final lesson is about Schiphol as a place where cultures meet. Questions including ‘how do we communicate with each other?’ and ‘how can you take differences in language, beliefs and cultures into account?’ are discussed.

Karianne van der Weijden, public and community affairs advisor at Royal Schiphol Group, is very pleased with the teaching pack. ‘Schiphol is a company that many children are curious about. This pack gives all kids the chance to have a unique look behind the scenes and it also contributes to various learning objectives. The lesson about sustainability is also a great chance for the new generation to think about the future of aviation and the relationship with the environment.’

Celebratory launch

The teaching pack was launched on Wednesday 2 November and it was introduced to pupils at primary schools Opmaat in Nieuw-Vennep and Antoniusschool in Kudelstaart. Schiphol employees gave a guest lesson to 88 children, who also got to take a look at the Panorama Terrace and get acquainted with the various jobs at the airport during an excursion.