The Scuola Vivante has a long tradition of engaging with the local community and the wider world. So in view of the commitment shown in projects for the Solidarität für eine Welt initiative, I wanted to find something relevant for students in the 2nd and 3rd Oberstufe to discuss in English.
The moving speech at the recent UN conference on climate change by Yeb Saño from the Philippines shows us one example of what solidarity really means. I used an edited version of this speech (three minutes long) as a listening exercise, reading task and a discussion starter in my lesson yesterday afternoon – with impressive results.
It was wonderful to see the depth of students′ knowledge about global issues, such as the recent super typhoon Haiyan. We should encourage them to understand the key aspects and voice their opinions afterwards. All students were very actively involved in the English discussion. This proved to me that we – teachers and students – must not ignore these difficult issues or keep them out of the classroom. On the contrary, it is our responsibility to discuss them sensitively in order to understand the lives of others and the world we all live in.