Mrs. Dalimonte's 3rd Grade Class

This semester, I will be participating in "Cultural Correspondents," which is a program through "NC in the World". It links a NC college student who is studying abroad with an elementary school classroom in North Carolina (what a brilliant partnership!).

"My class" is Mrs. Dalimonte's 3rd grade class at Clyde Erwin Elementary School. There are 22 students and it is located in Jacksonville, NC (I really hope to visit the students sometime after I return to the US). Our match was based on country interest, student enthusiasm and teacher requests.

Through "Elluminate Technology" and/or Skype, I will be able to teach Mrs. Dalimonte's class about my experiences in Africa. It is so exciting.

Their classroom is involved with "O Ambassadors" (a program created by Oprah Winfrey), with their particular focus being in West Africa. Mrs. Dalimonte mentioned the idea of her students getting involved in the community here, possibly helping me with Project Polaroid.

One of the things the class would like to do, and possibly even through "O Ambassadors" (their local Rotary is interested), is to work with a community in need of educational needs. She told me that there is a program where adults/high school students can go and actually build a school in an area with need. She said that it would mean (her class) raising around $8000. Wow, what an ambitious classroom!

Something that Mrs. Dalimonte said, that will stick with me, was in reference to Jenna Bush's book, Ana's Story--"One of the things that was most precious to Ana was the only photograph she had of her mother, who had died of AIDS when she was a young girl. It is amazing how POWERFUL pictures are!" THAT should be the motto for Project Polaroid.

She told me that the students will explore how we (as humans) are all alike, but how we are also different, which will fit right into comparing life in the US with life in Ghana. As the US approaches the 2008 Presidential election, her class will explore voting and will compare the US system with Ghana's voting system. They will also examine the elected officials in Jacksonville, NC, and in the US, and will compare them with the leaders in Ghana.

From there, Mrs. Dalimonte plans to focus on folktales and native tales, where I hope to incorporate African literature and other tales (such as Anasi the spider tales originating from Ghana).

As the year goes on, the class will focus on different art forms in Ghana and on how art visuals tell their own story as well. Her class will continue the in-depth study of Ghana throughout the year. I hope that my Art History class and other "art days" will enable me to share my African Art experiences.

She told me that one of the things that they will also focus on will be the connection of the economy between US-Mexico-Ghana, with a focus on chocolate as the connector. If it didn't melt, I would love to bring some chocolate back for the kids to try!

I hope to incorporate as many of the opportunities I receive in Ghana with Mrs. Dalimonte's classroom curriculum. Perhaps I can visit a cocoa plant farm, show the class the types of foods at the night market, capture what it means to ride a "tro-tro", etc. All of these experiences will enable Mrs. Dalimonte to intertwine my hands-on experiences with her in-classroom learning, for an integrated style of learning the students can all relate to (and one that they will hopefully remember forever).

Mrs. Dalimonte suggested that during our first contact, I could explain what I had to do to prepare before going to Ghana (such as the passport process; shots and vaccines, amount of travel time, etc.), as well as my first impressions when landing in Ghana. This Thursday, I will meet online with Mrs. Dalimonte, and I will begin my "lessons" within the next week or so.

During the first week of school, the class went from Jacksonvile, NC to Accra, Ghana via "Google Earth" to check out just how far I traveled. They couldn't believe that I traveled so far over the Atlantic Ocean.

Here are a few of the students' first questions (and my responses), after reading my first few blog entries:
"What side of the road does the van drive on?" Ghana is British-influenced (hence the prevalence of the English language), but here they drive on the right side of the road now, (although only up until a few years ago, they drove on the left side of the road--I think they changed it because most of the bordering countries in Africa near Ghana use the rights side of the road, and it was too confusing to keep switching back and forth as you went from country to country).

"Many of the students did not have a picture in mind when you described a painter's van - is it possible to take a picture of one and post it on your blog or e-mail it to me?"
I will definitely try to take a picture of the "tro-tro" the next time I can. Yes, it's some what imaginable, but difficult to completely picture without a photo! And yes, I will post it in my blog as soon as possible.

The last question was "What does goat taste like?"
Hmm...goat--I actually haven't had the chance to taste it yet (although I hear it's all around), but will taste it just for you guys as soon as I can (I try to stay away from any meat here besides chicken, because you usually don't know what it is). Yesterday, I tried "grasscutter", which I will try to also describe in a blog entry.

These are all great questions-thanks class! And, please, keep the questions coming!