Brexit Is Coming...

Our last couple of lessons in International Studies have been all about Brexit: Britain and Northern Ireland leaving the European Union. The UK Prime Minister Theresa May is due to trigger Article 50 tomorrow so we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the subject and figure out what's really going on!

In order to understand Brexit, we realised that we needed to know more about the history of the EU and the UK (a union made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). We like to explore history a little differently in International Studies... As a result, the students split into two groups and performed ready-made scripts to gain more knowledge on these two topics.

Once the students had learned more about the origins of the EU and the UK, we turned our attention to the present day. We examined the reasons why David Cameron  (the previous UK Prime Minister) decided to hold an EU referendum (or vote). We also looked at the arguments from the "remain" and "leave" campaigns as well as the results.

Our second Brexit lesson focused upon the Treaty of Lisbon (2007) and Article 50. The students learned that the process for a country leaving the EU is not simple at all! Rather, the country must officially "trigger" Article 50 and a two-year negotiation process begins. (Below, we have one student enjoying his Lisbon Treaty hat!)

We explored the differences between a "soft" Brexit and a "hard" Brexit, discussing issues such as the single market and the customs union. For example, in a "soft" Brexit the UK might have access to the EU single market in return for some freedom of movement while a "hard" Brexit might mean no access to that single market.

Our class then focused upon the possible effects of Brexit upon the UK. After all, Scotland's First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon) has already called for another Scottish Independence Referendum (though Theresa May does not approve).

It was soon time for another performance! The class once again split into two groups and performed two stages of Brexit: the voting and the current aftermath. How did the students do this? By using pictures and spoons, of course!

Watch out for our full Brexit video coming soon...

- Chloe

Lisbon Adventures!

Last week was definitely different! I was in Lisbon alongside a Meronjan koulu teacher (hi, Sanna) and six students. This was all part of an Erasmus+ social media project we'd been working on with participants from Finland, Scotland, Spain and of course...Portugal!

The journey to Lisbon began on a rather cool Sunday morning. After two trains and two planes, we arrived in Portugal late into the night. There was no time to feel tired, however, because Monday proved to be the start of a very exciting visit.

To begin with, the students tried some orienteering around the local area in order to get to know each other and see some sights.

Later on, we received a tour of the Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) museum. RTP specialises in national TV and radio. We also checked out their studio. 

The students also had the opportunity to prepare and ask questions to Ana Lourenço, a famous journalist. Lourenço gave some interesting insights into the profession, discussing ethics in particular.

The evening was host to a "Bring A Dish" event, where all of the participants brought food from their countries to the school for everyone to try. There were some tasty treats. I even felt brave enough to try some haggis from Scotland again (which I hadn't eaten since my Edinburgh University days). It was actually really delicious! 

The next day offered a highlight of the week when we visited the town hall. It was grand and beautiful, filled with velvet red furnishings. We even got to go on the balcony overlooking the town square (which was an absolute privilege).

Since this was a social media project, it was only apt that the students got to see how online shows are made. They got a special behind-the-scenes experience of this at Lisbon's Higher School of Communications and Social Media.

Another great part of the week included a visit to Sintra, a stunning little town. There, we explored the News Museum which offered an interactive insight into media and the way that it operates. It emphasised the need for responsibility within media - an especially relevant subject nowadays. 

Yes, we even got to try out some virtual reality goggles! Be warned: you should never stand too close to someone when they're using them. I ended up getting slapped across the face...by accident of course!

The town itself provided some gorgeous views...

Overall, the students had a fantastic time. They undertook fresh experiences, formed deep friendships and gained new perspectives not only upon social media but also upon the world around them. What an adventure! 

- Chloe

Party in May?!

Hello, it's been a while! Hopefully you're all enjoying the break too. For me, it's been the perfect time for snowy walks, books, and unwinding. I guess I'm just an old soul at heart.

Last week was another busy one though. For starters, the first year International Studies students have begun to help me plan a special event for the lukio: a summer fete! In Britain, summer fetes are a big deal. It's a kind of party held outside with a bunch of (crazy) games and, of course, cakes!

On Wednesday we started to create posters, craft decorations and drew up a list of the games we would like to include. I won't spoil the surprise completely but here's a hint for one...

The fete will be held in May and we want it to be one big, quirky end-of-year celebration. We'd also like to take this opportunity to raise money for refugees after learning about the realities faced by many. In the words of one of the students: "we've been touched by what we've seen and want to help."

On another note, our second year International Studies class is extremely excited. We hope to have all of the DNA results shortly! Stay tuned for more on that...

There was plenty happening elsewhere around the area too. More specifically, I had the opportunity to try out skiing with the kindergarten I work in. Everything was going swimmingly until I dared to descend a slope and promptly tumbled into a nearby goal net. As somebody who never grew up around snow sports (England is all about the rain), I have to say that it's been an awesome experience trying some out!

Next week, I'll be in Portugal with some Merenojan students who are visiting as part of an Erasmus+ project so, for now, adeos!

- Chloe