USA (Todd's Global Project 2012/2013)

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA?

TODD'S INTERNATIONALSTUDENTS PROJECT

2012 / 2013

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA?

TODD'S INTERNATIONALSTUDENTS PROJECT

2012 / 2013

To Whom It May Concern(by Omid Schwartz / Germany)

3 years ago, I started an e-pen-pal on the project of Mr. Kellaher-USA with one of his students. Her name was Samar and she attended the 6th grade of a

middle school in the United States at that time.Samar and I wrote each other very much. She told me a lot about her family, her school, and her daily life in the United States. I found out that we had much in common. We both shared many common hobbies, such as soccer, the

same kind of music, hanging out with friends, playing the same computer games, and so on. Samar and I wrote about one and a half years. Then the contact

unfortunately stopped, because both of us were under a lot of stress and time pressure at school at that time. Me in Germany and she in the U.S.

Except Samar, today I'm in contact with 4 different guys in the U.S. One in Illinois, 2 more in Massachusetts, and one in Oregon. We chat a lot, and find

that we often watch the same TV shows and sitcoms, (I usually several months later in Europe). We mostly hear the same songs, and we all love to eat at

McDonald's or the like. (Sorry mom, I know you don't like to hear.) Anyway, there is one big difference: 3 of them play American football while I play

soccer (which is common for boys and men in Europe.) For American guys, this is a girls sport. So, we sometimes tease each other about it.

What I generally think about the U.S.? Hey, it's a cool country with great stuff and also some problems, just like you find in my country too - sometimes

similar, sometimes different.

If I want to live there? Why not, at least for a limited time, just as a lot of Americans live in my country for some time. However - if I just think about – I

only would do under one condition: if I don't need to play American football over there, but may continue to play soccer all the time, ha ha ha ha.

Au revoir from France at the moment (hey guys, also a very cool country!!!!)

Sincerely,

Omid

Samar /USA , as well as Omid/Germany in 2010

Student: Madalina Florea

Class: a VIII B

School: Scoala Nicolae Iorga

Town/Country: Ploiesti - ROMANIA

Teacher: Mrs. Cerassela Anghel

Student: Nicoleta Nitu

Class:VIII B




Student: Madalina Antonescu

Class:VIII B




Student: Andreea Sandu

Class: a VIII B




Why I’d like to see America I’d like to see America because of all the

celebrities from there but this wouldn’t the single reason, I would go to America,for another reason: there are things that can’t be seen in Romania on

other countrues.Every country is important ,having their own originality ,even if some countries have borrowed some inventions from other countries because they are successful and they are helping

the people in every country to live more confortable.

If you go to visit America ,you will meet extraordinary people and you will see

extraordinary things.People are working hard for what they want and they are successful in

everything they do, almost everytime.

In conclusion, I’d like to go America because there “dreams come true” and from there I would have

something to learn about.

Student: Sanu Andreea

LUYDMILA'S STUDENTS FROM

DNIPROPETROWSK / UKRAINE

ILLYA (Dnipropetrowsk)

UKRAINE 19 years

As a person, who was born and raised in a post-Soviet country, completed an 11-month long educational program in the U.S., and currently lives in Canada, I may give you a slightly different from what you’ve heard before response.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing that springs into my mind is fast-food. Unfortunately, the following way of thinking can hardly be called groundless. The territory of USA as a whole is packed with all kinds of fast-food starting with a good-old McDonalds and ending with newly established Wendy’s. However, on the other hand that doesn’t imply obesity, which one would believe to be an inevitable consequence. Well I meant not among all the age and social groups.

And now we slowly reached another thing that I personally associate with USA. It is sports. A country created and raised by power is genuinely reliable upon that power in peacetime as well as wartime. And I can hardly think of any better warfare replacement other than sports. The assertion that American high-school athletes are among top-3 in the World might be a safe guess. Sport is everywhere. It is even broadcasted in the fast-food restaurants we mentioned earlier. What an irony, ha?Although realizing I might get blamed for not mentioning dozens and dozens of matters that may characterize USA in a better way, there is one thing I totally can’t miss. It is a concept of a road. An endless road going to where the sun sits down and where dreams begin. The entire American nation is a car on a highway. The route shall not be changed and the stop shall never be an option. Nobody knows where the car is going, nobody knows what is waiting for it at the end. All we know is that this way has a special name. It is the American Way.

Alexey (Dnipropetrowsk)

UKRAINE 15 years

When I am thinking about United States I imagine how huge America`s contribution to politics, economy, science and information technologies is. The nation had brought a personal computer to the whole world what caused incredible IT revolution in the mid-1980s. United States dollar is an international currency being used in almost every financial transaction for over fifty years now. For me, as well as for other people in other countries, it is very hard to imagine today`s world without the US. Americans are the nation I truly admire.

Dimitry (Dnipropetrowsk)

UKRAINE 16 years

When I think about the United States I image its symbols: its stars and stripes of the country’s flag, the American eagle on the coat of arms and the national anthem. In addition I associate America with a famous "Uncle Sam", the Statue of Liberty in New York and the White House. And of course America is in such national sports as American football and baseball; fast-food - burgers and hot dogs and apple pies. The USA for me is also New York's Broadway, the Philadelphia Liberty Bell, Washington museums, Harvard University, Boston, Miami, sunny resorts, a fabulous Disneyland, a bright Las Vegas and the capital of the world film industry and show business Los Angeles The United States is considered as the “land of great opportunities”. Any of the fifty American states can be compared to European countries in terms of population and the size. The territory of the US includes everything: snow, desert, wild prairies and forests, agricultural areas, and cultural and economic center. And, of course, it is the home country for different nationalities.

I like history very much, and the history of the US is unordinary. It is full of exciting events, different important dates, which are connected with the development of the whole big country. Since the founding of the young state (1776), the most advanced in all bright, motivated and desperate global minds, who dreamed to break the stereotypes set in their centuries-old powers, to try to realize the most daring ideas and concepts in a new young country came here. Thanks to such a desire, the modern U.S. stands out from the rest of their economic, political, educational and industrial systems, proclaiming the motto «In God we trust! »

Robert (Dnipropetrowsk)

UKRAINE 14 years

When I am thinking of the USA, I remembered about wars and revolutions.The USA’s people initiated many wars. These wars killed many good people and their families. And also I think about the USA’s scientific achievements. They gave the world different kinds of cars, much kinds of food (for example, cacao, tomatoes, corn, potatoes). Their scientists made news machines, found drugs against diseases.

Besides Americans are very busy people. They don’t have much time and they buy semi-finished food. So fast food aooeared in the USA for busy Americans. Billions of people every day eat in these restaurants. Because of this people are very fat

Vadim (Dnipropetrowsk)

UKRAINE 14 years

Americans are good people. They are clever, because they built skyscrapers. These people did a lot of things such as computers, programs. When I think of the United States, I think about the computer game Diablo 3. The game is interesting and exciting. I remember the Statue of Liberty, the Pentagon, Hollywood, the company Ford and General motors, McDonalds, Fanta and Coca-Cola.They have a special holiday such as Thanksgiving Day, Halloween and Independence Day.

On Thanksgiving Day, they eat a turkey and all give thanks for everything good they have. Americans celebrate Halloween in October, 31. Many people make jack-o-lanterns and children wear costumes and go trick-or-treating. On Independence Day in 4 July Americans’ people have a rest. They play baseball. They have picnics.

Kirill (Dnipropetrowsk)

UKRAINE 17 years

First of all, the US for me is the country of freedom and opportunity for prosperity and success. Every citizen wants the American Dream, which contains these values, to come true. The names of Founding Fathers are inseparably linked with the United States Declaration of Independence. Other distinctive feature of the US is Mount Rushmore National Memorial . One more idea which appears in my head is about New York – the world financial centre – and, of course, Wall Street with the New York Stock Exchange. Last but not least, the US has a great number of high-tech companies, which produce computers and components for them,such as Apple Inc., Google and Intel.

RUSSIA ---> USA

_____________________________________________

A very interesting and cute

puzzle-piece on this project

______________________________________________

From: Светлана Ровенских <[email protected]>To: schwartzilse <[email protected]>

Sent: 3:46 Moday, 5 November 2012Sub: What do we know about the USA?

Hello, dear Ilse (Germany),The students participating the activities of the project are 10-11 years old. When I asked them "What do you know about the USA?" they were a bit puzzled, but when I asked " What do you know about Walt Disney?", they

couldn't stop ennumerating their favourite cartoons and charachters.

All in all, our youngest students( 6-7 years old) agreed to draw pictures of their favourite Disney cartoons and name them.

The elder students( 10-11 years old) were happy to help them in drawing. They also made a list of their favourite Disney cartoons and we agreed to see

Disney cartoons in English after the holidays.Our project about the USA is still on.

Svetlana (Russia)

________________________________________________________________________

Dear Svetlana (Russia),Thank you so much for the beautiful photos and drawings of your students from Russia!

Of course I can not speak for Todd in the United States. But when I read your email this morning, my first thought was:

This definitely must be answered and commented by Todd in the United States, as well.

Dear Todd (USA), what are the most important criteria (3, 5, or so) for 10-11 year U.S. American children, if they had to explain their home land, the United States of America, to 6-11 year old Russian

children in South Siberia today?

Believe it or not, I myself am really looking forward to your reply, too. Another question is: What do your 10-11 year old kids in the U.S. classroom know about Russia in general? (Oh yes sir, I love the present day, which allows a free exchange of ideas also between very young U.S. and Russian kids, without the Cold War and insuperable ideological barriers, as in the

time when I was a 10-11 year old child in divided Germany at that days ;-)Happy to get your answer,

Ilse (Germany)

Student: Miruna Dumitrache

Class:VIII B




The funny thing about America is that I already visit it…. In my dreams.Seriosuly, America is an amazing place I would really like to visit because when I hear „America” I think about a lot great and interesting things. America makes me think about:

• Western style- I think America is distinguished by western style. I’d love to spend a “western day” .I’d wear a plain shirt ,short jeans and long rubber boots and I would run of after cows to catch’em with a lasso. I would spend all my day in the garden taking care rmy harvest and my animals but I’d also ride my beautiful horse.In the evening I would cook ham and fired eggs ,even if I do not think that I would eat them…but of course I would cook and I’d eat a cherry pie… and in the night I would sleep in the barn on bales of hay:D.

Inspiration sources-I think that in America great persons lived and arestill living,persons that remain in history for their works, Oprah Winfrey,Steve Jobs,Walt Disney ,Bill Gates are only some of them.These people are an example for me and I admire them because they make me work harder to reach my dreams.

MUSIC-Now all the artists from everywhere sing in English and that’s why all the music makes me think at America.But that’s not the only reason.America makes me think about music because a lot of good music is sung by Americans.My favorite singers are Christina Aguilera,Beyonce,Fergie ,Nicole Scherzinger,Bruno Mars and many others but I am a great fan of Christina.I think that she teaches us different lessons like trusting our own instincts,to love ourselves by her music. Even if I often listen younger singers I love the old and legendary ones like James Brown,Whitney Huston, Michael Jackson,Elvis Presley,Prince,Michael Bolton and many others, too because they are a are kind of parents of music.

•

Thoughts about

America…

Great movies and great actors-There are some movies that are a part of my life because they marked me somehow.”Titanic”,”A walk to remember”,”Love story”,”Home alone” ,”Pride and prejudice”,”Dirty Dancing”,”Ghost”,”Chocholat” and many others.I really love these movies and I want to thank the movie directors and the actors for making golden movies.I also love the new series of movies and serials “Pirates of the Caribbean”,”Twilight Saga”,”The Lord of the rings”,”The vampire diares”,”Pretty little liars”,”Grey’s Anatomy” etc.In America there are some actors that I really really love for their work and I really really would like to meet:Johnny Deep,Brad Pitt,Angelina Joilie,Kate Hudson,Leonardo DiCaprio,Eddie Murphy and others .Thank you .Americans did some excellent animation movies too.Disney movies are part of my childhood and I think that every child in the world love legendary animations like CinderellaThe little mermaid,Snow white and the seven dwarfs,Aladdin,Bambi etc.:)

• Football-everybody loves american football

• Happiness,unity and craziness-In America there are some funny holidays like Chocholate day ,Pancakes Day or some serious days like Independence Day and others and that makes me think that in America there are happy and crazy people:D [but not in a bad meaning] I also think they are united because they all celebrate these days with a lot of joy and involvement.

• Statue of libety-this statue is one thing that makes me belive that America is a powerfull place and people from there are very united and they fight for their country and for their freedom and I think that I would be a little bit crazy when I visit America because I think that I would feel too free.

• Hamburgers-I think America is a kind of mother for hamburgers and Coca-cola.:))

• Niagara Falls-i think that American Niagara falls is a little bit of heaven and I’d like to visit it.

•• “ Old McDonald had a farm, hiahiaho…” –this song is something that

absolutely reminds me of America

• Big Cities-Hollywood-the capital of the movies. -New York-I would die for a week in New York . I really love it and I wish I will visit it until I am 30 years old.(I have a list with things to do until 30 -L.A baby-The city of the angels. It is a wonderful place -Texas-Ihaaa –western style:> -Florida and Hawai

These are only some of the great cities that remind me of America and I hope I will visit some of them…. It is one of my dreams:d America is a wonderful place and I would really like to visit it.I wish it would be closer but I am sure that one day I will arrive on an American airport and I will say to myself”Finally America” and I will spend some great time there and I do not know how but I will take a little pice of America at my home in Romania ,my country that I really love.

GREECE -----> USA

Melahrini Papardeli'sElementary School Students

H A L K I D I K I / G R E E C E :

Imaginations of yery young Greek students about

the USA

Map of the USA

Student: Simona Zazuleac

Class: A VII B




SPAIN -----> USA

Montse Valdés' students

I.E.S. Bernaldo de Quirós

Mieres / Spain

Todd's students in Massachusetts / USA were thrilled by the beautiful images of their Spanish friends in Mieres / Spain.

YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB !!

USA (Todd's Global Project 2012/2013)

Education