Our Polio Project NAIS Challenge 2020
Grade 6 Core English 2014 The 6th grade students in Mrs. Sebik’s Core English classes at SEV Middle School in Izmir, Turkey and Ms. Emily Sambrook’s 7th grade students from Capital Day School in Frankfort, Kentucky have been working diligently on the global infectious disease polio. This is an international collaboration through the National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) Challenge 2020 program. While the CDS students were busy writing and reading about different global infectious diseases, including polio, SEV students were preparing for a research project on polio. First, SEV students read an article on how germs spread and another one entitled A Sickness Spreads in Syria from their Achieve 3000 on-line reading program. Next, SEV students watched an episode of The Magic Schoolbus called "Inside Ralphie" to see what happens when a virus enters our bodies. Then SEV students read the newspaper article "Poster Raises Interest in Immunization" that the CDS students shared with them. All of this information prepared SEV students for the next step of their project: research on polio, Dr. Jonas Salk and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. SEV students were very fortunate to have a local Rotarian, Burçin Önder, give a presentation at school on the Rotary’s global efforts to eradicate polio. This prompted SEV students to start a fundraiser for eradicating polio. For two weeks, SEV students spent their lunch breaks selling UNICEF cards. All proceeds will be donated to help stop the spread of polio. SEV students are looking forward to sharing their findings with CDS. After which, both schools will develop ideas on how they can help at the local and global level, which is one of the objectives of the Challenge 2020 program. It has been a great learning experience and the students have participated whole-heartedly in this project. Well done! The Water Walk
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Water Deficits: An International Project
Grade 6 Core English 2013 What do St. Catherine’s school in Richmond, Virginia and SEV Middle School have in common? Water deficits, of course! Yes, that’s right. For the 3rd consecutive year, SEV Middle School students are participating in the Challenge 2020 International Project which is organized by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). This year our topic is water deficits. Using the Challenge 2020 portal, students in the project are given the opportunity to publish work, write blogs, post pictures and videos and communicate with each other. Thus far the St. Catherine’s and SEV students have made videos which give a tour of their respective schools, written introductory emails to each other, exchanged information comparing a typical day at school, and done research on topics related to water deficits. The highlight of this project was sharing our research findings via a Skype video conference call. This project will continue through January and we hope to dig deeper in our research and to have another video conference call soon which will help us reach our goal in finding local solutions for global problems. |