On 2nd May, we had an awareness day in Mount Temple for the second years about Israel and Palestine as before the Schools Across Borders program, we had never known about the conflict so we wanted to pass on the knowledge we had gotten. Firstly, pairs from our class went to each 2nd year form and gave a presentation to them about Israel and Palestine, finishing off with a quiz.We then all gathered in Mount Temple Hall. Our YAP class had been split into groups and each group was given an activity to complete.
Fact Game
One activity was located on the stage. Myself and Darragh formed a circle with 20 2nd years and we had a foam ball. I started by saying one fact I learned today about Israel and Palestine, then threw the ball to someone else in the circle. They then had to state another fact or piece of information they had learned from the powerpoint, and pass the ball. However if someone dropped the ball, they would have to recite all the information said before them.
The aim of this was repetition, so that when they left they would have a better chance of remembering what they had learned. I was also really fun, because the longer the ball hadn’t been dropped, the more facts that were said, so no one wanted to have to say all of them.
The Art Station
After each 2nd year class was given our presentation on Israel and Palestine, they were brought down to the hall in groups of twenty or so, to take part in the various activity stations. The main aim of these stations were to educate the 2nd years on Global issues and create a fun, hands on environment for them to learn about what we’ve been doing over the past few weeks.
One of the activities was set up on the floor of the hall. A long sheet of paper was laid across the length of the hall and groups of 4 or 5 2nd years were brought over to sit around it. Markers, crayons, and pencils were provided in cups for the 2nd years to take and draw on the paper with. We told them to draw what being a global citizen means to them, and what they think of when they hear ‘Global issues’, ‘Global citizenship’. The activity was a success as they had some really creative ideas and it was apparent that they had learn a great deal from all of the other stations. Below are some of the things written on the sheet.
Painting Masks
Another activity provided to the 2nd years was painting or drawing on masks. This activity involved providing the 2nd years with masks and asking them to draw on the masks what global citizenship means to them.We split them into groups and told them to design the mask in sections with the general theme of "global citizenship". This was really successful and helped us see what their opinions were on global citizenship.
Face Painting
To raise awareness we painted the second year’s faces using red, blue, yellow and green. We took them in groups of fifteen and we just did two simple stripes on each side of their faces. We painted their faces because people who didn’t hear the talk would ask why their faces are painted and they would then tell them about conflict in the West Bank and The Gaza Strip. Most of the second years really enjoyed this.
Petition Signing
During the time in the hall, two TY students took ten second years at a time down to the computer room. We brought five in and left five outside. The five in the computer room, with the help of a TY student, signed a petition about the Gaza strip to send to Eamon Gilmore, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Meanwhile, the TY student standing outside with the five waiting students briefly explained the petition and what they’d be doing.
Once all five had signed the petition, the TY in the computer room would send them back up to the hall with the other TY, who would then collect ten more and bring them down to the computer room. The five second years who had been waiting would go in and sign the petition in the meantime.
T he petition signing was a great success. Overall, we got around twenty signatures, and we would have gotten more if there hadn’t been such a time constraint. You can sign our petition here:http://www.schoolsacrossborders.org/palestine/
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