69´«Ă˝

Curriculum

Ga. 69´«Ă˝ Use G-8 Summit As Teaching Tool

By Linda Jacobson — May 26, 2004 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

With eight world leaders gathering on Sea Island, Ga., early next month for the G-8 economic summit—along with the many journalists and demonstrators who will accompany them—educators in the coastal counties of the state have had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach about different cultures and the United States’ role in international affairs.

Using lesson plans devised by the G-8 Host Committee and the Georgia Council on Economic Education, a nonprofit organization that provides resources for teachers, students have been learning parts of the languages of the countries that are represented, studying their monetary systems, and researching facts about British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and others who will take part in the June 8-10 meeting.

“We’ve tried to explain what a privilege it is to have the summit in our county,” said Lesley Eagle, a teacher of gifted education at Glyndale Elementary School in Brunswick, Ga., part of the 12,000-student Glynn County district.

Children in the lower grades at Glyndale were each given two of the eight countries to study, while 4th and 5th graders were given four. There have also been art projects and daily quiz questions, such as what does the “G” in G-8 stand for? The answer is “group.”

Greeting the Dignitaries

Third graders from four Glynn County schools will also be greeting some of the leaders when they arrive at Hunter Army Airfield at Fort Stewart, Ga., presenting them with handmade gifts that depict the scenic region, such as sea turtles.

Also among the greeters will be students from Georgetown Elementary School in Savannah, who have been studying about the summit.

They’ve learned about the languages and customs of the Group of 8 countries—which include the world’s leading industrialized powers—and tasted their foods. The 3rd graders at the 700-student school also had to write essays about the upcoming meeting, which the 4th and 5th graders were to judge.

“You see, [the judges], too, have to do research to make sure the facts are right, so it’s a learning experience for them as well,” said Principal Frieda Porzio.

â€What to Expect’

But beyond the academic enrichment that can come with such an event, school officials in the districts near Sea Island are trying to prepare for another type of educational experience—the kind in which children witness tight security procedures and a disruption of their daily lives.

“Our teachers are using this world event at our back door to supplement what they’ve been teaching, but as a community, we don’t know what to expect,” said Jim Weidhaas, the director of public information for the Glynn County schools. “I heard there will be Patriot-missile launchers in the grocery store parking lot. I’m not so sure I’d want my kids seeing that level of security deployment.”

Some parents asked that their children not participate in any of the greeting ceremonies for security reasons.

School officials feel fortunate that the school year will already be over by the time the summit begins. And the Glynn district has furloughed employees for the week because so many roads and highways will be closed.

In Savannah—where most of the news crews will be stationed—James Harvey, the spokesman for the Savannah- Chatham County school district, said officials were expecting normal business hours, “but that may change.”

The children themselves have not been preoccupied with the security preparations, according to Mr. Harvey. Rather, he said, they have been filled with excitement as the event approaches.

Other teachers in districts not far from Sea Island said they would have liked to use the special curriculum materials produced for the occasion, but were too busy preparing for and taking state tests.

“It’s good material, but we got it late,” said Andy Preston, the president of the Georgia Council for the Social Studies. “The problem was just getting it to fit.”

Reporter-Researcher Marianne D. Hurst and Editorial Intern Tal Barak contributed to this report.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the May 26, 2004 edition of Education Week as Ga. 69´«Ă˝ Use G-8 Summit As Teaching Tool

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Curriculum Opinion There’s a Better Way to Teach Digital Citizenship
Many popular resources for digital-citizenship education only focus on good online behavior. That’s a problem.
Alexandra Thrall & T. Philip Nichols
5 min read
digital citizenship computer phone 1271520062
solarseven/iStock/Getty
Curriculum Letter to the Editor Christian Nationalism vs. Spirituality in America’s 69´«Ă˝
A retired teacher responds to the Oklahoma state schools superintendent's guidance on teaching the Bible in public schools in the state.
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Curriculum How Oklahoma's Superintendent Wants 69´«Ă˝ to Teach the Bible
Oklahoma's state superintendent directed schools to teach the Bible and to place a copy in every classroom.
4 min read
A hand holding a magnifying glass hovers over a Bible opened to the Ten Commandments.
Marinela Malcheva/iStock/Getty
Curriculum Should the Bible Be Taught in Public 69´«Ă˝?
Are recent pushes to include the Bible about cultural literacy—or a pretext for politicians who want Christianity in public schools?
10 min read
bible lying on a school desk with a lesson plan and calendar
tamaw/E+