Fulbright-Hays Curriculum Project Ecuador

1. Fulbright-Hays Curriculum ProjectEcuador/ Galapagos Islands Gary Klotzkin

2. Project Summary Suggestions on how to teach about other nations and cultures, with specific emphasis on Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands How to teach about other nations and cultures to students with ADHD How educators can earn scholarships to travel overseas

3. Questions to Ponder�.. Which country will I teach about next year (choose one as an example)? How will I teach about this country in an interdisciplinary fashion? How can I make this lesson most memorable for the students? How can I modify this lesson for students with ADHD?

4. Land Iguana

5. The Frigate Bird These scoundrels don't like to do much fishing, and so you can see them trying to distract boobies and other birds to snatch the prey caught by others. They are most spectacular during courtship when the male bird inflates the flap of bright-red skin found under his beak. It looks like a great red balloon and is stunningly colorful.

6. Tortoise The Galapagos Tortoise: You can't go to these islands without falling in love with these funny, pre-historic creatures. All turtles found on the islands belong to the group Geochelone elephantopus. They are divided into 14 sub-species (three of which are extinct), differentiated by the form and size of their shell as well as neck and extremities. Unfortunately, if they don't find a mate for Lonesome George soon, there might be 4 extinct species.

7. Life in the Ocean

8. Ecuadorian Rainforest Hunter

9. Ecuadorian Giant Anaconda Squeezing a Cayman for Dinner

10. Wild Macaws Flying Through Ecuador

11. Ecuadorian Rainforest

12. Interdisciplinary Project Ideas Geography= Andes, Galapagos, cities, Amazon River, volcanoes Music= Contemporary, indigenous, Spanish Influence Science=Ecosystems, sustainable development, medicine, oil, fish, reptiles, mammals, vaccinations, Darwin Business=Business ethics, industrialization versus environmental preservation, profit motive, exporting flowers, oil, bananas, shrimp Economics= Dollarization, impact on global trade Food Science= Ecuadorian diet Character Education= Global citizenship, multiculturalism, environmental awareness, social inequality Government= Ecuadorian government Linguistics= Spanish, Quechua

13. Teaching Tips Be very audio-visual when teaching about other nations. Have students peer teach their topics (Harvard Researcher Glasser found that 90%of information is retained through peer teaching). Use the Internet, United Streaming, VCR, DVD, guest speakers, field trips, video-teleconferencing, assemblies, and personal experiences to teach about other cultures.

14. Teaching Students with ADHD Students with ADHD present various challenges in the mainstream classroom. Typically, they are easily bored and frustrated with paper and pencil tasks. Consequently, a hands-on, multisensory approach is key to engaging their interest, maintaining their focus, and facilitating both task persistence and task completion. When learning about foreign countries, it helps to engage the student�s senses, and also to spark their imaginations.

15. Tips for Avoiding Typical Problems Students with ADHD often present difficulty with the approach to a research task. Frequently, students with ADHD are disorganized, leading to LOST papers. Some students have graphomotor delays, resulting in frustration and sloppy handwriting for paper and pencil tasks. This can make note-taking a painful experience. Many students with ADHD have difficulty pinpointing relevant information during the research process. ADHD is frequently associated with being a PERFECTIONIST! This can get a student stuck. On the bright side, students with ADHD are often extremely creative. They naturally �think outside the box.� Summary: Students with ADHD often have difficulty with following directions, maintaining focus, task persistence, task completion, and selective motivation.

16. Simple Solutions Assist with narrowing down the aspect of the foreign country to be studied. Provide a cooperative learning setting in a small group. Carefully select cooperative learning partners, and monitor the role of the student with ADHD. Encourage this student to choose hands-on, multi-sensory modalities of expression, using a computer, music, art, or cooking to develop his/her contribution to the group project. Provide folders to keep project papers together. Encourage all students to staple loose papers into the folder. In this way, everybody stays organized, and the student with ADHD doesn�t appear different from his/her peers.

17. Simple Solutions Accompany written directions with oral directions, and visual cues whenever possible. Repeat directions, as needed. Casually check progress in small increments, to ensure that the target student is on task and on the right track. Provide encouragement and praise as often as possible to build confidence and to keep the student motivated.

18. Web sites on ADHD Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders: www.chadd.org Attention Deficit Disorder Made Easy: http://members.aol.com/bmavin/stein.htm

19. Creative Ways to Teach about Other Countries and Cultures Provide the target student with a list of Web sites to visit. His/her mission is to select pictures and information to support the group effort. This student can serve as a narrator in a program to be shared with other classes. If the target student is adept at using a computer, he/she can help to prepare a PowerPoint presentation using the information gathered by the group.

20. This student can dictate a sample letter to a prospective pen pal to a scribe in the group. He/she can also pretend to be Darwin and write a letter to a friend or relative describing the various species being studied to develop Darwin�s theory. A group member can serve as a scribe and/or co-author. This student can dress up as Darwin and talk about Darwin�s theories. The entire group contributes to the script. Art projects, such as the creation of a volcano, or wildlife scenery, can help the target student remain motivated.

21. Musical students can play an instrument and sing an original song about endangered species. Cooking and serving authentic Ecuadorian recipes can be a palatable manner in which to learn about Ecuador. Food preparation is a worthy hands-on activity. A student can assist in the making of fact-filled flash cards to be used in the teaching of other classes. Hands-on activities, such as setting up exhibits for a school-wide program will keep this student motivated. A student can assist in developing mock travel brochures that depict the special features of Ecuador. A student can teach a group of younger students ten facts about wildlife on the Galapagos Islands.

22. How to Earn a Free Trip to another country as an Educator Some of the best ways to teach about a country is to visit the country yourself. The secret to visiting a country on a teacher�s salary is to attempt to get paid to travel or win a free trip through a variety of ways.

23. And These Ways Are: 1) Apply for an ESL job over the summer. Internet websites such as Dave�s ESCafe.com post thousands of advertisements for teachers to teach ESL. Some of these companies hire teachers to teach for the summer. Many of these companies do not require teachers to have an ESL teaching license. 2) Apply for a Fulbright-Hays scholarship. This scholarship will grant you an all expense paid trip to another country. You apply in the fall and leave in the summer. You spend 4 weeks learning about the country. The application process includes: (a) Submitting your application and resume online. (b) 3 letters of reference on character and academic abilities. (c) 3 essays.

24. 3) Apply for a National Endowment for Humanities summer seminar scholarship. This scholarship pays teachers to learn at a summer seminars and institutes mostly nationally, and occasionally, internationally. 4) Apply for a Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History scholarship. This scholarship will pay teachers to learn. 5) Apply to do research for a university that sponsors programs that pay teachers to travel and learn (e.g., Kean University-NJ History trips). 6) Organize and chaperone an international school trip. You will get a free trip in the process. Examples of companies that give teachers free trips are EF tours, Passport, ACIS (most expensive for the students), Exploric, and People to People.

25. 7) Apply for a study sabbatical. Many school systems will pay teachers to research overseas. 8) Apply to work on a cruise ship for the summer. Sometimes, cruise ships hire teachers, because they have strong interpersonal and leadership skills. 9) Apply to Semester at Sea. Semester at Sea hires accomplished teachers to teach students about other cultures and countries while traveling around the world. Most teachers who work for Semester at Sea hold doctorates or high degrees in their fields. 10) Read teacher magazines, newspapers, and Web sites, and seek out travel opportunities.

26. Closing Thoughts Teaching about countries and cultures can be a truly enjoyable experience that involves all members of the school community Modifying lessons for students with ADHD is simple and effective