Making your first year a success: a classroom survival guide for middle and high school teachers

My mum gave me this book while I was home during observation. Being a teacher, she is usually a good resource for me when I have questions but she teaches at the elementary school level so the challenges she faces are different than what we will be facing. I want to draw everyone's attention to a part of the book titled "Global Connections" which shares a practice that a high school geography teacher uses. He has students draw country names from a hat, then each one has to connect (via the internet presumably) with the country's secretary of state office, their UN representative and the mayor's office from 3 different cities in that country. Different countries shipped different things to the students, one sent travel books, another sent some of the country's currency to display and one received a complete wardrobe that would be worn in that country consisting of a silk shirt and pants, a turban, a pair of ceremonial shoes and jewelry that a young man coming of age would wear during a celebration there. Many students also received formal letters from head's of state.

I think that this type of activity would be amazing to use in a classroom, not only for the possible items that may be sent, but for the experience the students gain. Imagine having all of those authentic resources in your classroom, including the ceremonial wardrobe, for your students to see. I think it's a great way for your class to develop a better global understanding.