School of the world: programs for schools all over the world

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School of the world

Lessons for all over the world

Example: the importance of water

Aims of the lesson for the pupils
This lesson shows pupils that:

water is a topic that is of importance for anyone

water is used during different events: washing, drinking, etc.

it is a necessity for live to have drinking water

water isn’t always clean but polluted for instance with germs or chemicals

polluted water causes diseases even death

it is important that pollution cannot occur

Furthermore the lesson demonstrates that:

there are cultural differences for instance people have different habits when it comes to greeting each other. Also the food can be different for example if one looks at the breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Aims for the schools/teachers
This lesson is a first lesson in order to demonstrate the value of the so called children awareness programs. The main subject of these programs is to enhance the awareness of main world themes like sustainable development. This is done by means by live Internet meetings of schools from all over the world. It is important that children should be aware of the main themes.
Unesco summarises the following themes:

Population and human resources
Industry
Food Security
Species and Ecosystems
The Urban Challenge
Managing the Commons
Energy
Conflict and Environmental Degradation

These are “world themes” and therefore these themes should be discussed in an international context. The psychological impact of the need for sustainable development is much higher if schools of different nations and cultures can have projects in which children can study these themes and communicate with each other.
It creates the feeling that the new generation is a generation where global issues have to be discussed at a global level!
This is really a challenging goal since it introduces a new awareness: the awareness that with respect to many issues we are global inhabitants instead of being inhabitant of a certain nation.

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Initial work
Schools that are planning to work with this lesson in order to have a “joint lesson” have to contact each other first.

The teachers who are in charge in the 2 classes have to:

1. contact each other by means of MSN-messenger since this is the tool that will be used in order to see (video) and hear (audio) each other;
2. know how to work with MSN-messenger in general and in more detail: have to know how the webcam and the microphone that will be used are selected;
3. have to study the complete lesson in advance so they know which tasks have to be performed by the pupils. Sometimes preparation tasks have to be performed. For instance in this lesson pupils have to show pictures of their town/village/ environment. This means that the pupils are instructed to look for these pictures in order to bring them to school;
4. to appoint one of teachers as the “final conductor”. The final conductor determines if a next task can be done by the pupils. The computer screen shows an arrow with the text “next task”. If a task is ready our “final conductor” presses this button.
5. to prepare the word-file that will be used as text for the pupils. This preparation means that sometimes own pictures can be used in stead of the pictures that are already in the document. In this way a lesson can be adapted to the well known environment of the pupils;
6. to print out the lessons in order to hand out this lesson just at the start of the lesson;

Just before the actual lesson will take place there will be a last meeting of the two teachers (by means of MSN-messenger) in order to check if all points mentioned above are OK and to examine if maybe something is forgotten.

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Lesson: the importance of water
Start the lesson
1: Both teachers have iniated MSN-messenger so both classes can see each other. Furthermore the special webpage that is used should be active:

2: Initiate the lesson: press on >lessons > introduction lesson “the importance of water”

3: Enter the names of the two classes. This is important as many times it is indicated which class has to do a certain task. In this document the classes have the names X and Y

4: Adjust the window of MSN-messenger in such a way that almost only the two video screens are visible

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5: Take care that MSN-messenger is always visible:
a: click on
b: click on

6: Start the lesson

First taks
Task 1: greeting each other
School X: all pupils say hello in their own language and they wave into the camera

Task 2: greeting each other
School Y: all pupils say hello in their own language and they wave into the camera

Task 3: 2 pupils greeting each other in the usual way.
2 pupils of class X have to demonstrate this for the camera

Task 4: 2 pupils greeting each other in the usual way.
2 pupils of class Y have to demonstrate this for the camera

Task 5: a child greets a doctor
1 pupil and the teacher demonstrate this. The teacher plays the role of the doctor

Task 6: a child greets a doctor
1 pupil and the teacher demonstrate this. The teacher plays the role of the doctor

Task 7: 5 pupils of class X show pictures of their village/town/house
Now you will see pictures so you have an impression of the environment of the pupils of this class

Task 8: 5 pupils of class Y show pictures of their village/town/house
Now you will see pictures so you have an impression of the environment of the pupils of this class.

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Task 9: read the next block
Theory block 1 All plants and animals have to drink water. If we don’t drink good clean water, we will become sick. We can even die. In some regions there is a supply of good drinking water. In these regions drinking water usually is coming from a tap. But there are far more regions in our world that have big problems in delivering good drinking water to people.

During the next task we will see how water is used by yourself.
You have to fill in the next sentences.
If you see # you have to fill in a number.
If you see you have to fill in a time.

a: Most pupils of our class wake up between and
b: Our class has # pupils
c: From our class # pupils wash themselves with water that is drinking water
d: # pupils in our class have water that comes from a tap
e: # pupils in our class have water that comes from a pump
f: # upils in our class have water that comes from a [container| from a reservoir| from the lake| from a well| from a river| from groundwater | from a reservoir of rain water | other] (please select the correct answer).

Now count how many pupils you have to fill in for questions b, c, d, e, f
You have 10 minutes. Your teacher will help you.

Task 10: enter the answers to questions a, b, c, d, e, f Examine with your teacher if there are large differences.

Task 11: now pupils of both classes prepare a table for breakfast. Put the usual items on thisable. By means of a dictionary you can write down the names of these items in the language of the pupils of the other class. Use large cards so the names are visible with the webcam.
You have 10 minutes.

Task 12: a pupil of class X shows the items on the table and calls each item by name (use own language).

Task 13: a pupil of class Y shows the items on the table and calls each item by name (use own language).

Task 14: look if there are important differences between the items on the table of class X and class Y and discuss the outcome with your teacher.
Furthermore you have to discuss with your teacher for what items water plays an important role. You have 15 minutes.

Task 15: read the next block and discuss it with your teacher.
You have 10 minutes.
Theory block 2
Almost 97% of the water on our earth is the water of the oceans. But if you are on a boat you cannot drink this water. This is because the water of the oceans is salt water. If the water of the oceans is heated by the sun, the water evaporates. It is important to notice that only the water evaporates and not the salt that is in this ocean water. So by means of this evaporation clouds of “good water” are formed. This “good water” comes out of the clouds by means of rain and/or snow. So we have water in the rivers and the lakes and furthermore we have water in the ground, the so called ground water.

People get the water from:
a: groundwater: by means of a pump
b: it is coming out of the ground (a well)
c: rivers: first it is cleaned and then it is transported to your place with the aid of a pipe or in cans.
d: lakes: first it is cleaned and then it is transported to your place with the aid of a pipe or in cans
e: it is collected in reservoirs during raining

The great danger is pollution. Water can be polluted by germs or by chemicals. Pollution can come from different sources for instance factories that are polluting rivers, farmers that use forbidden chemicals or even you at home. An example: if the oil of a car is changed it is forbidden to let go the old oil in the ground. Can you image why this forbidden? Pollution is one of the great dangers that effects our world.

Task 16: do you think that in the next 10 years more pollution will occur?
Check this in your class and make the following report:
# pupils think that indeed more pollution will occur
# pupils think that the amount of pollution will be the same
# pupils think that the amount of pollution will be less
You have 5 minutes.

Task 17: look if there are important differences and discuss the outcome with your teacher. You have 5 minutes.

Task 18: time to say good bye. Pupils of class X will sing a song and wave and finally say good bye in their own language

Taks 19: time to say good bye. Pupils of class Y will sing a song and wave and finally say good bye in their own language.

Task 20: disconnect the system.
Now a general discussion takes place with the teachers:
- the importance to learn about cultural differences,
- the need for good water
- that this need is a problem for everyone in the world

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global awareness

communication

education
in a global context