| || |
Students in 7th grade Geography and 8th grade Civics students created magazines about environmental concerns in México. Students addressed a variety of topics including air pollution, water pollution, cruelty to animals and biodiversity loss. Middle school students are still learning how to find and synthesize
After finishing their research, students used Pages to create a magazine format and then uploaded their finished document to Joomag, an online magazine platform. Using Pages allowed students more flexibility on the formatting of pictures and text than Google Documents. Uploading the final product to Joomag makes it much easier to share the magazines with the public. Learn more about renewable energy options from Yizel's magazine or water issues related to Lake Chapala from Jaime.
Students gave speeches about the topic of their research in class. Then, on May 12, students presented in the 5th Concurso de Oratoria in the auditorium. Four 7th and four 8th grade students spoke passionately about their topic in order to help their peers understand the environmental issues we face in México today. These eight students demonstrated great speaking skills and impressed their peers and the judges. First place 8th grade student, Andrea Arriaga, encouraged us to support the protection of Bosque Primavera. Mariana Aguilar, the 7th grade winner, spoke about water pollution and water access.
Throughout this project, students used a wide variety of technology to research, plan and produce high quality magazines and inspiring speeches. The structure of the research outline helped them formulate their thoughts and find reliable information. The flexibility to pursue their personal interests and design a visually pleasing magazine engaged and motivated students to learn about the environmental issues facing México and share with the world.