Pupils honour their local heroes in exhibition

An exhibition by Christchurch primary school pupils has celebrated what it takes to be a local hero while putting their multimedia skills to the test.

The Casebrook Intermediate School hall was transformed into an art gallery last week when hundreds of framed black and white photos of community heroes were on display.

The heroes were chosen by pupils and they held a variety of roles in society, from firefighters, nurses and police to sports players, journalists and family members.

“The event was held as a wrap-up celebration for our relationships inquiry unit,” said teacher Samantha Kirk.

Each frame had a QR code and once scanned with a cellphone, “digital artefacts” created by the pupils would pop up on the screen.

The artefacts showed what that hero did and had background information about their lives through podcasts, videos, websites and slideshows.

The pupils gathered the information for the project by interviewing the heroes they chose.

They asked them questions about early childhood, family, education, and their careers.

“We started with a ‘hook’ by hosting community heroes panels in paired classrooms.

“Staff organised firefighters, sports players, policemen and more to be interviewed by students about their life,” said Kirk.

“This way the students were taught how to interview and what makes a community hero.”