Have you ever been to five countries within the course of a day? Well, I have been to Ireland, Greenland, Italy, Dominican Republic, and Greece all within three hours! If you are asking how this is possible, Newark Christian School’s annual Geography Day, hosted by the middle school, has made it possible for the 2nd through 5th grade, their teachers, parents, and school volunteers. This was a successful project to say the least.
The students were paired into teams where they researched a country in order to present as many of the country's highlights that touch the five senses (see, taste, touch, etc.…) for visiting groups of people to experience. For example, Italy created the Colosseum and Ireland had visitors kiss the blarney stone!
This project took middle school expectations to a whole new level. The amount of work and organization needed for this project was vastly different from that of previous projects. Out of our entire classroom, including teachers, three students had done Geography Day before. We had all been to the presentations before, but none of us had seen the process of making it happen. This means that we all learned a lot from this entire experience. That goes for the three experienced students as well as they had to explain concepts on a whole different level.
The students learned how to manage time and resources, listen and work with a partner, and what it looks like to teach effectively. I on the other hand, as a teacher, learned how to make good working charts, to organize each country's progress, and to help students be successful with research and gathering resources. I feel I am growing as a teacher as my students are growing as learners.
Please pray for motivation for my sixth graders in their learning and studying. Please also pray for our eighth graders as they prepare to graduate and move onto high school next year. Lastly, please pray for Newark Christian School’s transition into summer. We will be having summer school for some students, cleaning out and organizing many closets, and many other activities. Your support for this mission and God’s call is comforting. Thank you prayer warriors!
