Of Sushi and Schoolwork

When the tsunami first hit, one of the kids came up to one of the volunteers, Mark, and started talking excitedly about it and about the session on plate tectonics we'd done last year.

The boy, 11, was football crazy and usually took us a lot of effort to sit still and pay attention. We certainly didn't expect him to come talk to us proactively about Japan and the earthquake. 

So, we decided to plan a couple of lessons around the theme of earthquakes. Last weekend, a group of volunteers who specialize in conflict resolution used the events in Japan in a role play.

The kids had to pretend they were injured the tsunami and had to argue for which of them should be sent to hospital first. Another kid was the "doctor"and had to decide who got priority and why.

It was the first time we successfully got the kids to do any role playing that required speaking. Progress!!

Today, we themed the class around the Ring of Fire. We showed the kids a HUGE atlas and a map of the countries around the Ring. They had to select a place, do research (the vols had borrowed a whole slew of library books) and then do a presentation to the group about their country of choice.

We knew that was kinda touch and go, because it had been difficult getting the kids to speak in front of a group. So, with the books on one of the tables, a mindmap template, off the kids went, each paired with a volunteer.

Boy was I wowed! An hour later, the mindmaps came back with illustrations of sushi, sumo wrestlers, volcanoes...notes on Noh and Kabuki. Of course, most of the kids chose Japan. From the one boy who picked the Philippines, I learned that the country produces the most sailors in the WORLD.

Then the kids presented - most of them paired up with volunteers. Except for one girl, 9-year-old Shaleena,  who presented hers on her own.

And finally we had a quiz based on the info that the kids had presented.

PROGRESS!!

My friend Hui is working on a volunteer handbook and her last page asks "So - WHY do we volunteer?"

With today's class, I think I'm a little closer to an answer.