Maps of Abu Dis

Last week we showed our classes maps and explained how they can be useful for finding out about a place. They looked at a map of London and also a map of Camden. We pointed out where Hampstead school is and other places of interest, they particularly wanted to know where the football stadiums are.

In the second class they produced their own maps of Abu Dis, including what is important/prominent to them in their town. They included shops, houses, schools, the university, Dar Assadaqa (a.k.a. Camden) and mosques. Noticeably they also included the Separation wall, the military camp and the watch tower, which reminds us that Abu Dis is an occupied town.

Here is some of their work:

Grade 8 map of Abu Dis

Grade 9 map of Abu Dis

Abu Dis Boys say hello!

We (Charlotte and Claudia – Group 6) have now spent our first two weeks at Abu Dis Boys School. We have been made very welcome by the staff at the school and are happy to be working with two classes of boys (8th Grade and 9th Grade). Whilst there are still ongoing teacher strikes at the school, due to teacher's wages being withheld, we are fortunate that so far our time with them has not been too disrupted.

Here are photographs of the students in our classes

Grade 8 Class

Grade 9 Class

Last week we showed them the letter written by some of the students from Hampstead School. They were happy to receive it and give thanks, see the video of Grade 8's above. We have been helping them to write sentences in English about 'a day in Abu Dis' in response to the letter.

Here are some of their sentences about Abu Dis:

My Day in Abu Dis

I eat my breakfast and get ready for school.
I go to school. I learn English.
I play football with my friends.
I go home.
I talk to my friends on Facebook. 
I read the Quran.
I do my homework.
I play computer games.
I go to my bedroom and go to sleep. 

Cake Sale & Farewell party

By the end of this project we managed to have the cake sale for raising money for a visit by children who are coming from Abu Dis next June. The kids were enthusiastic in volunteering and taking part, helping to run the stall. We handed out certificates to those who attended.

A speech was presented by Noor to thank the kids for their interest and regular attendance, we celebrated the day with cake and biscuits at lunch time.

 

Peparation

Prepartion for the cake sale each one of the students were happy to take over one kind of the cake,
they were so nice and want to help the students visit J

Games :)

A selection of games has been prepared to energise the students, basically the games has a paralleled side of the Palestinian daily life, inside the Ballons there are some papers such as (air, sun, land, ocean, people…) so they should keep the balloons up but if it goes down the one who lost this chance should imagine how life will be without it) after that one we talked about the Palestinian people how do they really suffer from being in prison and they are prevented of seeing sun for a while. So they felt the difference by hearing the stories and thinking of this game as imagination but in Palestine it’s the reality.

Palestine Global villiage

A presentations were made by the students in which they presented cities in Palestine and they illustrated more about the historical places and cultural side there.
at the end each of the students were asked to write one word on how the are finding the Palestinian club so far.