About this Place Of Interest

Bukit Batok Nature Park is an urban park spreading over 36 hectares. Granite used to be mined from the nature reserve in the 1950s but stopped in 1988. Since then the abandoned quarry site has been converted into a scenic reflecting pond, called Plaza Pond, which lies at the foot of a cliff wall. Visitors may follow trails that meander through the secondary forest, leading to several lookout points from where they can further appreciate the beauty of the Plaza Pond. Along the trail, visitors may also encounter various fauna, such as squirrels, monkeys, monitor lizards, birds, dragonflies, butterflies and fish [1]. Various flowers, such as dillenia suffruticosa and heliconias, and native trees of secondary forests, such as Fagraea fragrans and Sea Apple can also be found. As part of the National Parks Board’s reforestation efforts, invasive species of secondary forest, such as rubber trees, have been removed and replaced with native forest trees. Meanwhile, there is also a memorial plaque located within the park and located atop Bukit Batok Hill. The site was once the location of two war memorials, the Syonan Chureito and British Memorial Cross, which were both unveiled on December 8, 1942 [2]. Bukit Batok Hill was chosen as the location of the memorials as it overlooked Bukit Timah. It was also the location of intense battle between the British and Australian forces on one side and the Japanese forces on the other side during World War II in Singapore, which began on December 8, 1941 [3]. Nearly 500 British and Australian prisoners of war were used to build Syonan Chureito, “a 12-metre high wooden pylon crowned with a crass cone” [4]. Meanwhile,the British Memorial Cross, which was built behind the Syonan Chureito, was the place where the ashes of British soldiers were interred. However, when the Japanese Occupation ended in Singapore, local Japanese forces destroyed Syonan Chureito and removed the cross of the other memorial [5]. Returning British forces blew up the concrete foundation and now there is only the flight of steps that lead to the memorials, which is now the location of a television transmission tower [6].

About this Learning Experience

In this Learning Experience, you will learn about the different types of weathering processes and how rocks go through changes when they are subjected to different conditions over geological time. You will also learn the impacts of quarrying and how abandoned quarries can be converted to something more useful and beautiful. This Learning Experience is suitable for learners Year 1 to Year 3. Note: The reflection phase will take place under Point C.

Syllabus Content

• Physical geography in relation to: rocks and weathering.
• Understand how human and physical process interact to influence, change landscapes, environments and the climate; and how human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems.

Resources Needed

Sneakers drinking water face towel earphones notebook stationery.