From Namibia, to Belgium, to the Maldives, students at Oakview Middle School recently traveled all over the world, without ever having to leave their classrooms.
One sixth grade class, and both seventh grade classes at the school on Lake George Road, recently took part in Oakview’s first-ever International Travel Fair. The project stemmed from a conference attended by Oakview seventh-grade social studies teacher Donna Veara.
Students drew at random the name of a country, and were assigned the task of researching and ‘selling? their country to investors, actually parents, who visited the fair on April 27.
Parents were invited to attend as ‘millionaires,? and chose a country for investment opportunities. The evening also included an African drum circle.
‘The students contacted their country’s embassy for information, and created travel brochures and presentation boards,? Veara said. ‘They also had to have giveaways to be presented at the fair.?
Some students gave away native plant seedlings, while others offered native cuisine to sample.
Through the research process, which began about two months ago, students learned about the needs of their various countries, and also collected donations for World Vision at the fair.
‘They started writing to the embassies in February, and 50 percent of the students received something,? said Veara.
Other teachers involved in the project were Christine Kutchen, seventh-grade, and Sandi Fischer, sixth-grade.
Seventh-grader Kiley Edwards, who is in Veara’s class, said she learned a lot about her country, Sweden.
‘It was lots of fun,? she said. ‘Like learning about the Ice Hotel. I would like to visit Sweden someday.?
Paige Drozdowski, a seventh-grader, said before she had no idea where her country, the Solomon Islands, was.
‘I learned a lot,? she said.
Seventh-grader Tim Trejo also learned a lot about his country, Vietnam, including the language spoken there.
He featured rice and fortune cookies as giveaways at his presentation, as well as mini-paper hats.
‘This was a lot better than just reading about it,? he said of the project.