:: Ammochori High School » Project in English Language
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Ammochori High School: Class C1 (advanced level)
Subject: English
Project title: CROSS THE BORDER! THERE’S NO OTHER CHOICE.
School Year: 2002-03

HILLSIDE PRESS
  Best School Projects & Works 2003 | State Schools | HILLSIDE PRESS »

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

1. to make students familiar with the concept of human diversity
2. to make students aware that they don’t live in a homogenous environment
3. to make students aware that each social group has constitutional rights
4. to make students aware that social groups share quite a few similar problems
4. to develop students’ respect towards the “other”
5. to develop students’ solidarity
6. to help students develop team spirit

 ...... Participating students:

Alexandridis George,
Apidopoulou Christina,
Georgiadou Avgi,
Mavidis Haralabos,
Xanthopoulou Helen.

Teacher:

Skoudaropoulou Evangelia
CONTENTS

SOCIAL GROUPS

Through selected stimuli the team was led to discussion which defined social groups and named the following at first:
  1. the poor (low income)
  2. people with special needs
  3. children
  4. women
  5. unemployed
  6. single-parent families
  7. large families
 ......
...... Further discussion helped them name more social groups such as:
  1. adolescents
  2. religious minorities
  3. ethnic minorities
  4. people with physical abilities
  5. people with special mentality
  6. immigrants
  7. refugees
  8. living victims of war conflicts
  9. homeless

Common Problems of social groups

Students were asked to think and write down some problems they imagine that each social group faces. The discussion that followed revealed the serious common problems that social groups share. For the students these are: poverty, education, medical care, (un)employment and law protection.

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THE STUDENTS’ HUMAN RIGHTS CHART

The study of social groups, their differences, their similarities and their problems caused arguments (both positive and negative). This was the starting point to create their own Human Rights Chart which includes the following:
  1. everyone has the right to live
  2. everyone has the right to be free and safe
  3. everyone has the right to have food, to have clothes, to have a house
  4. everyone has the right of education
  5. everyone has the right of medical care
  6. everyone has the right to have a job
  7. everyone has the right to believe in a religion
  8. everyone must enjoy law protection
  9. nobody should suffer torture
  10. everyone must be free to travel (to improve life standard, to have holidays e.t.c.)
 ......
...... Peace without
Comes from peace within.
Glenala State High School
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Start a war within yourself
to live in peace with everyone else
Escola Mobile
Sao Paulo, Brazil

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NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

Students studied an article about NGO’s which was published in Views & News magazine. The article provided them with useful information on NGOs’ structure, aims, their relationships with the national governments (Greek case), financial support, e.t.c.
The students were surprised to find out that everyone can support such a NGO and that it is not only a matter of donations.

Internet Research

The Greek portal www.anthropos.gr was the path to discovering various NGOs. They were assigned to find information on one specific organisation but … this was not enough for them. Almost each one chose a NGO, collected the necessary information and wrote it down in their information sheet. They announced their findings, talked in depth and ended up in discovering that all the NGOs they searched, promote Human Rights. They agreed that NGOs are necessary although they would prefer that national governments (or the European Union, the United Nations and other big-international organisations) were more responsible and more hard-working towards social issues.

 .....
.....

The Convention on the Rights of the Child

After it was found on the Internet, it was printed and studied. The language used was quite complicated but the explanation and the analysis of it proved more than useful. They realised that children are also citizens in this world and that they are entitled human rights. The studying of the convention helped them become aware of the tremendous significance of the law and of the high responsibility governments and citizens have in terms of its application. It was disappointing to find out that in some cases the national law overcomes the international (e.g. children become adults at the age of 18 unless the national law permits otherwise)

 

Information sheet »

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CASE STUDY TASK

Students were asked to carry a small research in newspapers and find a case where there is discrimination against a social group. They found more than one cases and since they were tracked in Greek newspapers, they attributed them in English in their case study sheet. All cases were presented in class and naturally discussion and suggestions followed. It was more than obvious - through their reactions - that the degrading of the human being, caused bitter feelings and a strong will to intervene and improve – at least - the situations. The case study task gave them the chance to “travel” to other countries, to “meet” different civilisations, to “admire” people who are great fighters despite their physical disabilities. The specific task also made them realise that nothing can change if people do not stick together as active citizens. ....
....

“Two hearts and a sun in the middle”

Two hearts and a sun in the middle

Maria Stefanidou - Class C2
Ammochori High School (2002-2003)

 

Case study sheet »

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POSTER MAKING FINAL EVALUATION
.... ..... ..... ....
Unfortunately, designing proved a nightmare! So, the team decided to conduct another research in order to find “something” which would convey somehow the message of the project.

The painting: The Threatened Swan by Jan Asselyn was selected because according to the students’ study it is fully metaphorical. The painting was scanned at first and both the title and the subtitle of the project were added afterwards to attract viewers and readers. We all felt that part of John Lennon’s lyrics from “IMAGINE” were necessary to be added.

The poster

The poster

Click for enlarge »

Jan Asselyn

Jan Asselyn, Dutch Painter, C.1615-1652
more »
The project looked very difficult for the students at first. They did not trust themselves but it was not too hard to be persuaded. Class C1 (advanced level) has got only five students. All five though, have been very active and have been participating in environmental and health education projects.

Students had difficulties at the beginning because of the “heavy” new vocabulary (terminology). It was also hard to teach themselves work both as a team and as individuals at the same time. They spent a lot of time in the afternoons, meeting in one house (with the necessary Internet connection) to surf and select the information they needed. The NGOs huge number was a great surprise for them.

They discovered a lot, they practised English (oral and written discourse) and new technologies. Newspaper research and the selection they had to do was a challenge. They had to go through a newspaper’s sections, they made several remarks and were very serious with the case study sheet task.

They said a lot! They expressed their agony, their anger, their disappointment as well as their hope for a better world! They expressed their hate towards wars and the fear since they have been reading that another one is being planned (the Iraq case – chemical weapons).

Three of the five took part in a special event which was organised in the school library for the Children’s Day, reciting poems and reading articles from the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

They all said that the project was a different, positive experience. The atmosphere in the class has changed. They talk much more than before, they work much more than before and it looks like they enjoy it!

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