Video+Pen+Pal+Project+(cross+discipline+social+studies+and+Foreign+Languge)

 =Video Pen Pal Project=

This would be a video/chat cultural exercise hoping to increase understanding of particular cultures using a more direct approach, where the student communicates current societal norms, current /relevant events, and how similar/dissimilar respective cultures are to another student in another classroom, preferably in another country. End result is to afford a better understanding of certain cultures in relation to the student’s social studies standards.
 * Project Abstract**

GCMS-O’connor /Europe NANC-Fellows/Africa/Asia LMS-Ohmer/Americas LMS-Craig /Spanish

[] The above online resource can put you in touch with classrooms that are interested in various different classroom exchanges. Keep in mind you can post yourself to this service in an attempt to find a classroom that fits the specific lesson you want to run.
 * Online resources: **

The main idea is to pair up students with another student in another classroom and get them to exchange a video or audio “letter” several times during the course of the year. Each round of correspondence will choose one of the options/subjects below.

Keep in mind that video chat is impractical due to varying time differences. This approach would only work with North, Central, and South American countries which currently are only 8th grade middle school standards. A more likely approach would be a video journal/blog with each instance concentrating on a specific subject, such as:


 * __ Projects __ **

Video the events of your day and/or document later the events of a typical day.
 * A Typical Day in the Life of the Student: **

Talk about the typical American diet, current issues/concerns about diet in America (bottled water, organic or/versus “processed” foods, the too easy availability of junk food). Talk about the type of food your family eats, whether it’s more of a typical Midwest diet or if it’s more regional or ethnic sometimes, such as Memphis style BBQ, Indian, Mexican, and whether you have a cultural connection to the food you eat ( for example, do you have a special homemade flour tortilla recipe that your grandma makes, or does your dad makes his special Irish potato rolls whose recipe was passed down within your family).
 * What I Like to Eat: **

Explore your societies/family’s belief systems and cultural norms and illustrate them in a video project. Ask the questions what you believe in, where do you worship, or do you specifically not worship. This topic does not have to relate to religion. Any other strong beliefs that you might have (such as maintaining a healthy physical lifestyle or strong opinions on environmental issues will work as well).
 * What do you Believe In: **

What kind of books do you like? Your favorite shows, movies, games to play, ect…
 * Culture, TV and Literature: **

Document an important event in your life (birth of a sibling, an important event like a family reunion, a problem in your life that you overcame or are currently overcoming).
 * Get Personal: **

Take a look at what’s going on in the news and voice your opinion(s) on these currents events. Describe these events and how they affect you, look at a problem you perceive with the current news (such as too much worthless entertainment news) and tell us what you think about it.
 * Tackling Current Events: **

Instead of a message, send a painting, sculpture, photo montage, dance, ect…. We can also show these works through video or pictures in the event it’s impractical to mail them..
 * Craft Exchange: **

Document what you would like to do with your life, where you plan on living, what kind of job you would have, whether you want a family, ect….
 * When I Grow Up: **