2015 IIME REPORTCountrySchoolPartner[ USA ][ Julie Billiart School ] Teacher [ Diane Hughes ] grade ( 7/8 )[ (JP) Shiga Junior High School ] Teacher [ Yoshiaki Tsutsumi ]student number (30)

# Subjects, Activities and Times of the lessons
Subject
Conception of the lesson
HistoryArt

Hours

Research own heritage

15

Painted our side25

# Theme and Message of the mural
ThemeThings that Represent Our Country
Culture exchange, education about other countries and their people

Message# Effects and the Problems
Effects your students have gained
Points for further improvement
Communication and collaboration, exchange of ideas, Would have liked more in depth communication withresearching their own heritage and culture as well as the class from Japanthat of others.

# How has your impression toward your partner country and/or the world changed?
Change in student’s impression
Change in teacher’s impression
This project shows them that students far away are I was so impressed with the commitment myvery similar to themselves even though the food they students have shown in wanting this to be aeat or the clothes they wear are different.
successful exchange. They worked hard and had atrue interest in Japanese culture and the lives of thestudents at Shiga Jr. High# Flow of the Activity
ContentMonthIntroduction

SepResearch

Oct

Composition

Nov/Dec

PaintingJan/Feb

What you did
Your students attitude/reflection
Subject
Introduced my students to Translated and wrote our names in History
Japan through the forum
Japanese – posted to forum with photos researchand messages
art
Had students research and Created an art project displaying ourArt
report on their own heritage, different families and backgrounds –Communi
came up with ideas of whatmailed it to Japan
cationrepresents our countrySketched our ideas for mural

Painted and displayed themural

Appreciation March Mural has been sent back.
Reflection / April

Had each student sketch what they
thought best represented our country
and the layout of mural. We then voted
on which layout to use.
Students worked hard, and invited family
and friends to see the mural. Gathered
personal items to send to Japan with themural
we are now appreciating photos andvideos posted to forum.

ArtMathArt
Math

Reflection# Aim of the Lessons and Result
Aim: Rank A to C in order you put emphasis on (A: very much/ B: much / C: not so much)
Result: Rank 5 to 1 (5: very effective / 4: effective / 3: so- so / 2: not so effective / 1: not effective at all)

Expected Effect

Aim

ResultUnderstanding our own
culturesA

5

Understanding theother’s cultures

A3

B

3

B

2

B

4

Communication ability
in the class/with partners

IT skills
Creating friendshipin the class/with partners

Collaboration

A

3

Attitude in learning

A

4

Expression ability

A

5

Appreciation abilityA5in the class/with partners

How your students have reached it
I had them research, write and present drawings to describe
their own culture. Especially since each one of us has varied
background / culture/ traditions.
The students enjoyed learning about Japan, seeing artwork
drawn by partner school, receiving postcards and food frompartner school
Communication improved between classmates here –communication with partner school was not as often as I would
have liked.
I could get on the forum, photos were hard to upload, had tohave someone else transfer my video to Youtube so I could send
the link to partner school.
Cooperation between class here improved, they enjoyed seeing
partner school photos on forum
Cooperation between class here improved, they enjoyed seeing
partner school photos on forum – would have liked morecommunication with partner school
They loved this project!! They learned so much without evenrealizing it!
I was impressed with the artwork of the partner school but I wasalso impressed with my own students. They were a little
overwhelmed when we first received the mural since our partner
school painted such a beautiful painting. But they really camethrough and did a great job with our side.
I believe my students learned a lot and can appreciate all their
hard work. They will remember this for years to come.