Newsletter // July 7, 2016

Newsletter // July 7, 2016

by Joannis Kaliampos -
Number of replies: 0
Just before the summer break, here's the preview for the U.S. Embassy School Election Project 2016.

Teach About US Update // Jul. 7, 2016

Dear subscriber,

With the summer break just around the corner or already in full swing in some parts of Germany and the U.S., we want to give you an update on the upcoming U.S. Embassy School Election Project. Most importantly, the preview of the Moodle course is now online and, of course, you can still register your course for the project.

The end of a school year is also a time to reflect on what we achieved and what still lies ahead. We know that you have been with us for most of this way and thank you for your continued support – whether through e-mails, social media posts, or personal interactions during teacher trainings. None of the past school projects could have been possible without your feedback, your commitment to participate in teacher conferences, and your students’ engagement.

On behalf of the Teach About US team and our partners, I wish you a pleasant and sunny summer break.
Yours,

Joannis Kaliampos
on behalf of the Teach About US Team and Partners
Joannis Kaliampos
Leuphana Universität | Scharnhorststr. 1 | 21335 Lüneburg

Fon +49 (0)4131.677-1662 | E-Mail | Web

This newsletter’s topics at a glance:


U.S. Embassy School Election Project overview



U.S. Embassy School Election Project timeline: U.S. states will be assigned to participant courses during the first week of August 2016

The U.S. Embassy School Election Project will begin right after the summer break and continue until late October with concluding events in Berlin and other parts of Germany during the first week of November (more information in upcoming newsletters).

Although registration is possible throughout the project phase, please register now if you already know that you are participating. We will assign your course a specific U.S. state through our central state lottery taking place during the first week of August. The results will be forwarded to you and posted on Teach About US. (‘Late comers’ will be assigned their state as they register/enter the project after the state lottery.)

If your school has a partnership with a U.S. school, please let us know through the registration form so we can assign your students that state for the project.

The e-classroom for your students will be created shortly after the state lottery in early August. You will receive your classroom’s password and further instructions with a separate email.

Preview Classroom: Take a look at classroom materials for the project



Course structure overview for the U.S. Embassy School Election Project Moodle course

Are you curious about the e-classroom for the project? Then wait not – a preview version is now online. Follow this link or click on the preview tab in the ‘US Elections’ area on Teach About US. You must be logged in to access the preview.

The preview course is still a beta version with some tasks not yet updated and no teaching notes included. However, it does provide a good and precise overview of what to expect for the fall.

We need your help: In each activity and page you will see a comment box in the top right corner. We have included this intentionally so you can directly insert your feedback. If you have recommendations or wishes for a task, spot a typo, or find a link that is disabled, please leave a short note so we can take care of this before the project begins.

U.S. teachers: Partner up with a German group



As part of the TOP Information Tour for STEM educators, U.S. high school teachers met with their German colleagues last week at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin

Are you a teacher in the U.S.? Our German participants would love to connect with you and set up informal or more systematic exchanges with your students. As part of the U.S. Election Project, German students will adopt a U.S. state and research the ongoing presidential campaign in ‘their’ state. This would be a great opportunity to initiate exchanges between both sides, e.g. setting up skype meetings about the campaign, exchanging questionnaires about the American students’ home state etc.

Just like for Going Green, we will set up a contact database for the election project where you or your students can fill out their course profile and look for potential partner courses. If you are interested in partnering with a German group, please also contact our U.S.-based partners at the Goethe Institute’s TOP program in Washington D.C. directly at top@washington.goethe.org. Our colleagues will match you with a German partner school and support you along the way.

Get a discount on Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch - The American Presidency



Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht (141)The American Presidency, guest editors Birte Christ & Michael Butter

We are happy to announce that Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch (141) on “The American Presidency” is available for a discount to subscribers of our newsletter. This June 2016 edition of the teachers’ journal investigates the upcoming elections via visual culture and includes articles and teaching suggestions on analyzing images and working with TV series and feature films on the Presidential election. It also includes an online special with a collection of downloadable and ready-to-print worksheets.

To receive your copy of Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht, please fill out this form and send it to Markus Rocznik at Friedrich Verlag, rocznik@friedrich-verlag.de.

We would like to thank Friedrich Verlag for this offer and allowing us to announce the U.S. Election Project through their journal.

Further down the road: Join us for the third round of Going Green



Going Green participants in Düsseldorf (April 19, event organized by Schulministerium Nordrhein-Westfalen and the US Consulate General Düsseldorf)

The Going Green project will enter its third round next school year. While our attention in the fall will be primarily on the election, participation in the Going Green project is possible throughout the school year. We will have a student competition for outstanding green action plans again as part of the project, which will conclude in the spring of 2017.

If you are interested in both projects, why not make the U.S. Embassy School Election Project part of your classes in the falls and then take up the Going Green project in the second semester of the school year? More information on the upcoming project cycle will be announced through this newsletter and Teach About US.

From our Teach About US Blog

Teach About U.S. Blog

We will continue the Teach About US blog after the summer break with fresh posts and a new team of bloggers. Previous blog posts include:

Just Eat It: A Discussion of Food Waste and Our Environment
by Julianne Troiano

Some Exciting Developments in the Solar Industry
by Brandon Greenblatt

The Ocean Cleanup: An Exciting Project to Remove Plastic from our Oceans
by Brandon Greenblatt

Thanks for Subscribing

The team at Teach About US wants to extend a hearty 'thank you' to all of our wonderful teachers, students, and readers. You've made the Teach About US community shine, and we want to keep that going! If you're not a regular just yet visit the Teach About US website for some exciting student projects, fun and interactive teaching resources on politics and sustainability in the U.S., and much more!
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