Welcome lucky student! You have been chosen by your school to study in a foreign country of your choosing! But before you start packing, you must select a country. You will use the internet to find the country where you would like to spend an entire school year studying abroad as a foreign exchange student. Once you've made your selection, you will need to research the country and write up a proposal for your principal telling them why you've chosen to study in this country. Choose wisely!
The state standards for this assignment are:
7.2.6.A: Describe the characteristics of places and regions.
7.3.6.A: Describe the human characteristics of places and regions using the following criteria: Population, Culture, Settlement, Economic activities, Political activities
3.4.6.D2: Use computers appropriately to access and organize and apply information
Task:
You are in the position of a student who has just been offered the opportunity to study abroad in any country you choose. Your objective is to find a country, research it, answer several questions about the country and what you can learn from studying there, and compile all of the information into a proposal for your principal convincing them that this is the best country in which to study.
Some things to think about:
What kind of experience do I want to have?
Do I want an adventurous and hands on experience, or would I rather spend my time visiting museums, sitting in on lectures by famous educators?
What kind of environment am I most comfortable studying in?
What type of people and cultures do I want to learn more about?
Process:
Step 1: Visit www.infoplease.com/countries.html or www.countryreports.org and explore the different countries.
Step 2: Select the country that you find most interesting and would like to study in on your "foreign exchange student" adventure. Think about this carefully and choose a country that you would actually like to visit if you were given the opportunity.
Step 3: Research the country you pick. There are many different topics to take into account when planning to study in a foreign country. Use the following guidelines as a base for your research, but feel free to add on any information you find interesting:
*What are the weather conditions like?
*What kind of historical or cultural sites are open to the public?
*What kind of social activities do the native people of the country participate in?
*What are the common food and drink choices?
*Is there currently any political or social turmoil to be aware of? (Wars, protests, etc.)
*What can you learn in this country? (Historical events that occured there, monuments or ruins that can be visited, contributions the country has made to modern society, etc.)
Step 4: Compile your research into a proposal for your principal. The objective is to convince your principal that this country will provide you with a rich educational experience. Tell them about the things you've discovered in your research, what you plan to learn during your studies abroad, and how you think this experience will enhance your knowledge. Your proposal should be at least two full pages in length. Include pictures to support your findings. Compile the written proposal, pictures, and any other information in a folder with the name of your country printed on the front. Include your name and the date under the name of the country. Visit the links at the bottom of this page under "Resources" for help with your research.
Evaluation:
Your proposal will be evaluated based on content (specific information about the country, why you want to study there, what the culture is like and what you can learn there) and mechanics (spelling and grammar).
The following rubric will be used to assess your proposal:
| Study Abroad Proposal Rubric | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Points | 5 Pointes | 0 Points | |
| Country name, location in the world, weather and other physical information | Present with details about the conditions in the country and how the student plans to adapt. | Present with little detail about the physical environment. | Present with no additional information. |
| Social activities and cultural events shared by the native population | Present and detailed. Includes insightful responses about how the student will adapt to changes. | Present with little information about how the student will handle the new culture. | Present with no additional information. |
| Historical ruins, famous places, other areas that can be visited or studied | Present with details about the students intentions at these locations. | Present with little detail about how the student will utilize these locations in his/her studies. | Present with no additional information. |
| Educational value of the visit to this country | Present and detailed with examples of educational experiences the student would like to take part in as well as areas the student would like to study in detail. | Present with little detail about the educational experiences or areas the student is able to study in the country. | Present with no additional information. |
| Mechanics | Less than 2 spelling errors, one or less grammatical mistakes | 2-3 spelling errors, no more than 3 grammatical mistakes. | More than 4 spelling errors, more than 4 grammatical mistakes. |
Conclusion:
Now that you have become an expert on all that your selected country has to offer a prospective foreign exchange student, you have learned quite a few things about the country itself. While you may not have the opportunity to visit this country right now, you know what kind of culture you would encounter if you ever wanted to visit, what kind of physical conditions you would come into contact with, what type of historical events have occurred there, and what this country has contributed to the world.
You were able to research a country you knew very little about and describe its physical characteristics, cultural dynamics and many other aspects of life in that particular country without having to set foot on an airplane. Technology allows you to access information that previous generations could only find through hands on experiences. Maybe one day you will be lucky enough to visit the country of your choice, but for now there is always the glorious wonder of technology.
Congratulations student! You’ve completed your World Traveler Web Quest! Happy travels!
Resources
InfoPlease.com
CountryReports.org
FactMonster.com
StudentsoftheWorld.info
StudyAbroad.com
