Module 2

Virtual Field Trip

Context:

This module is part of a unit on the family in the Middle East and North Africa. Different societies define family differently and choose to live with their families in different manners. The architecture of traditional homes accross the region reflects the needs of the family unit. Learning about the layouts, sizes, features, room usages, and building styles of traditional homes will help students to see the similarities and differences between family life in the US and the MENA region while also helping students to apreciate the diversity of cultures within the region.

ACTFL World Readiness Standards:

ACTFL: Communication (Interpersonal Writing & Speaking) - Students will exchange written text and voice messages in Arabic with counterparts in Syria, Yemen, and Morocco, to gather information for their presentations.

ACTFL: Communication (Interpretive Listening) - Students will take notes about their peer's presentations and turn the notes in for a grade.

ACTFL: Communication (Presentational Speaking & Writing) - Students will present 360 panorma photos to the class of traditional houses. Students will also create poster diagrams of traditional houses with short explanations of the key points of the house, in Arabic and English, which will be displayed at their school.

ACTFL: Communities (School and Global Communities) - Learners use the language outside of school via exchanging international text messages with counterparts in Syria, Yemen, and Morocco, to gather information for their presentations.

Learner Outcomes:

Students will be able to speak and write about architectural features (describe houses and their features)
Students will be able to describe family living relationships (who lives in/uses which rooms of houses and why)
Students will gain apreciation for the simliaries and differences of traditional family living arrangements and relationships accross the MENA region.

Video on Houses in the Pictures

Part 1: Pre-Trip Preparation

1) Students will work in pairs and be matched up with a person from each of these countries via WhatsApp. They will choose two 360 panorma of traditional houses from the same country and region as their Whatsapp partner. They will share their panorama with the person and exchange text and voice messages in Arabic with their person to learn about the houses, neigborhoods and how people live in them. They may use GoogleTranslate to facilitate conversation (all communication will be monitored by the teacher)

2) Each pair will conduct research online and keep notes of their research and sources in L1 or L2 in a Google Doc which is shared with the teacher for monitoring purposes.

3) Each pair will create a list of 5 to 10 vocabulary terms which will be new to their classmates, that will be used in their presentations. The list will be shared with classmates via the app Flashcards by NKO and classmates will study these words prior to the trip/presentation day. After the trip enon-presenting pairs will compete against each other in a vocabulary tournament, inside the app Flashcards by NKO using game Q-Battle, of the presenting pairs vocabulary terms and the pair who wins the tournament will be rewarded with a piece candy.

Interpersonal Writing & Speaking

International texting for research

360 Panorama

Traditional house in Fez, Morocco

Studying Vocabulary

Studying with Flashcards by NKO

Part 2: The Virtual Field Trip

Pairs of students will present 360 Panoramas of traditional houses in Syria, Yemen and Morocco, explain how the families live in them, how the rooms are used and by whom the rooms are used. Each pair will present 2 panorama. During the presentation one student of the pair will move the panorma and while the other talks, the partners will then switch roles. The presentation format will be the same as in the video, with presenting students standing in front of the image and explaining the image while their partner moves the image to match the presentation.

Non-presenting students will take notes in English (which will be turned in and graded) and each individual student will ask verbally one question and a followup question, in Arabic, of the presenting student for each panorama.

Presentational Speaking and Interpretive Listening

Part 3: Post-Trip

Students will create a poster through drawing or other means, of a house in a county that they presented on and label and describe in short descriptions (in Arabic and English) the rooms of the house, their uses, and who lives in them, architectural features, etc. . The poster will be displayed in hall of the school.

Students will write a half page reflection, in English, about how the style of a house (division of the rooms, size...) reflect different ideals for how families should live together, who is considered family in different societies and definitions of privacy which are reflected in how houses are designed and used.

Presentational Writing