Lesson plan/presentation

Adventures Abroad: My Teaching Exchange Experience in Ukraine.

  Presentation for Celebration of Teaching for College of Education, University of Idaho, Saturday, April 24. Also presented to Moscow School District, Tuesday, May 11.

Objectives: to introduce new ideas about travel abroad possibilities, to create understanding of the similarities and differences in Ukrainian and US school systems, to share cultural experiences, to establish a basis for further global/cross cultural experiences.

I.                 Introduction of myself, my background, and how I applied to IREX. Distribute handouts on IREX and TEA program.

II.               Explain the items displayed on the table:

a.      Decorated plate: peasant scene

b.      Embroidered table cloth

c.      Cross-stitch Hetman portrait

d.      Hand painted pipe

e.      Traditional scarf and embroidered blouse: vyshyvanka

f.       Home décor: wheat and vegetable safeguard for home

g.      Amber necklaces

h.      Postcards of Lviv

i.       Traditional dolls: motanka

j.       Ostrich feathers from ranch

k.      Pysanka: painted Easter eggs

l.       Bulava: wooden club with spikes

III.              Powerpoint slide show. 105 slides of 476 pictures taken

a.      Overview of hotel, town (Novoukrainka), streets and homes

b.      Photos of school

                                                    i.     Ukranian folk festival presentation

                                                   ii.     Classrooms: 2^nd, 5^th, and 7^th grade; teaching students

                                                  iii.     Stairs, chalkboards, computer availability

c.      Visit of ostrich farm outside of town;  Ukraine

                                                    i.     Walking tour with English language translator; Chernobyl memorial

                                                   ii.     Marketplace shopping

                                                  iii.     Shevchenko forest: visiting 18^th and 19^th century Carpathian peasant homes

d.      Easter tradition: visiting cemetaries to honor the dead; town market

e.      Cereal factory field trip with 7^th form.

f.       Workshops with teachers: 2 days, 30 teachers from around the district, town and villages. “Critical Thinking Using Literature and the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing”; eating at the town restaurant

g.      Spring festival presentation: adaptation of “The Lorax” story

h.      Office supply store; district office workers; public library; “palace of culture”

i.       Bus to Khirovograd: next largest city—200,000.

                                                    i.     Park

                                                   ii.     Local architecture and art museum

j.       Kiev: last stop before flight.

                                                    i.     Touring the center of town

                                                   ii.     Many stunning churches

IV.              Video clips: hotel and town, student group work, school presentations, students singing “This Land is Your Land”

V.               Final comments and questions from audience