7th Grade Project for Sister Lillian
International Exchange Schools
Los Angeles, Calif. 90027
Judy Houson, Director
Dear Enthusiastic Student,
Congratulations on being selected as a participant in this year's foreign exchange student program. Out of the thousands of applicants, you proved to be the kind of student we want to represent our foundation.
You are being assigned to the Al-Fulani family in Damascus, Syria. This family is Muslim. Although the family is religious, they realize that you will not be participating in their religious ceremonies. However, so that you will be comfortable and understanding in their faith and customs, it is our recommendation that you learn more about the Islamic way of life before going to spend a semester with the family. During the time you will be with them, the family will be making their pilgrimage to Mecca. You want to explore the history, experiences, and meaning of the Hajj so that you can talk with your host family.
Included in this packet is information about the religion of Islam and activities for you to complete before your trip. We hope you enjoy learning about a culture that may be new to you.
Once again, congratulations and good luck in your foreign studies.
Sincerely,
Judy Houson, Director
Task
You must gather data that will help you understand and appreciate the Islamic way of life so that you will feel comfortable living with a Muslim family in Syria for the second semester of this school year. You may be interviewed by a Fulbright official to ensure your readiness for this trip. You will be expected to keep a scrapbook of your experiences both before and during your stay. You will present your scrapbook to the class at the conclusion of this project. Be sure to look at the list of resources for other sites that will help you with your project.
Process
Step 1 - Daily Life
To begin your search, look at the following site:"Travelogue by Doug Burnett"
Continue your search and look at the poem entitled "This is a Letter to Your Beautiful Mind" at this site: "Poetry page"
The family you will be living with has a 22 year old daughter and a mother who dress as the woman does in the poem. What will your reaction to them be?
Describe the types of clothes you plan to take with you in order to respect the values of your host family.
Read the poem again and find eight phrases that are meaningful to you.
Create a "found poem" with them. A "found poem" is a poem found in a piece of literature.
Copy each of your phrases onto small strips of paper. (You should be able to get about ten three-lined strips of paper from a piece of regular notebook paper)
Move the strips around until you like the way the poem sounds.
Put your poem in your scrapbook
In order to further ready yourself to adapt to the culture, you may wish to read some stories and look at some recipes from the area. Look at the Islam Page to find out more information about Syria
Any recipes you try should be noted in your scrapbook. Be sure to include pictures.
Be sure to include maps and other information
Step 2 - History
Go to Islamic Horizons and read about the Prophet Muhammed, The Five Pillars of Faith, and anything else you may be interested in.
After reading about the Five Pillars of Faith, you must complete the following;
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5.
Resources
Learning Advice
Start your scrapbook NOW! You will need several pieces of 12" by 18" black construction paper. Pretend that you have been a foreign exchange student in Syria for a semester. This project is a scrapbook of your stay and your memoirs. Be sure to include those assignments that you were asked to compete before your trip. Be prepared to share your experiences with the class in a creative way - visual aids, hands-on demonstrations, etc. Hopefully you have taken pictures and written notes about the places you have visited. In other words, do more than just show your scrapbook to your class. Maybe you even recorded sounds or learned a dance or song you could share.
Evaluation
Your journal will be judged on the following areas:
Conclusion
You have had the opportunity to research and learn about a way of life that is different from that which you know. Understanding and respecting other religions and cultures is important to humanity. Perhaps you will want to continue to learn about other religions and cultures.
Reflection
Grade Seven: The Growth of Islam
H/SS Content Standards:
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
Students use a variety of maps and documents to identify physical and cultural features of ...countries.
Research, Evidence and Point of View
Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from incidental information and verifiable from unverifiable information in historical narratives and stories. Students detect different historical points of view on events and determine the context in which the statements ere made.
Language Arts Standards, Grade 7:
Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials): Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material: Students understand and analyze the differences among various categories of informational materials (e.g., textbooks, newspapers...) in terms of their structure and purpose; analyze text which uses cause and effect patterns. Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of world literature. They articulate the expressed purposes and characteristics of different forms of prose (short story....)
Writing Strategies: Students use research and technology to identify topics; ask questions; and develop ideas leading to inquiry, investigation and research. Students write summaries of reading materials that contain materials' main ideas and most significant details, are written in the student;'s own words, except for material quoted from the source, reflect the underlying meaning of the source, not just the superficial details.
Listening and Speaking: Students deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate to the background interests of the audience: [They] organize information to achieve particular purposes and to appeal to the background and interests of the audience; arrange details, reasons, descriptions, and examples effectively and persuasively in relation to the audience. Students deliver well-organized formal presentations employing traditional rhetorical strategies: They deliver research presentations that include evidence generated through the formal research process, [and] cite reference sources appropriately.
Purpose of Lesson:
Length of Lesson:
Materials:
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Language Arts - poetry, short stories, journal writing Math - estimate the cost of the trip to Syria estimate costs of food, clothing, etc
Geography
Adaptations for Special Needs:
To adapt this lesson to a variety of student needs, the teacher can use one or more of the following suggestions:
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Credits:
Judy Houson
Sierra Vista Junior High School
Baldwin Park Unified School District
Email - ViolaSwmp@aol.com
Last Revised 03/12/99