“The Out of Eden Walk is not one person’s journey. It is a unifying voyage that belongs to humanity.” – Out of Eden Walk Coalition (LINK).
Watch Paul’s newest video which gives an excellent overview of his journey and it’s many connections. If you enjoy storytelling, travel, and photography, as well as topics that focus on global connections, the environment, mass migration, climate change, and people to people connections, then you will find Paul’s journey amazing. In a time when news seems worse then ever, check out Paul’s journey and join his coalition of followers through his blog, National Geographic articles, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter feed. I have enjoyed doing the Out of Eden Learn project with students in Chennai and Lusaka.
Image source: GuommyBear@23Image source: GuommyBear@23Image source: Rob MartinImage source: SourPatch9876Image source: Bumble_Bee_1420Image source: m_n_m71Image source: Swedish-IKEA12Image source: @purple_endermanImage source: A_Random_PersonImage source: NoobM@ster69Image source: SunspotLF1Image source: Rob Martin
Year two for the Out of Eden Walk at the American International School of Lusaka (Zambia) produced some nice photos. Here are some that resonated with me, along with two photos I took. For many students, walking around their neighborhood is not something they are accustomed to. These students are grade 6 students in a Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Alta Conte’s classroom. I provided support and gave students tips on how to take a good photo. I also showed them exemplars from my former students at the American International School Chennai (India). The instructions from Out of Eden Learn for this footstep (activity) are below:
As you walk in your neighborhood or local area, take photos of things that catch your attention. What do you see, feel, hear, taste, or smell? Try to look at the place and the people who live or work there with fresh eyes. Here are some ideas for different kinds of photos you can take:
Photos that capture a whole neighborhood scene, and photos that zoom in on a detail you find interesting.
Photos where you’re pointing the camera up and photos where you’re pointing the camera towards the ground.
Photos of things that are common or familiar in your neighborhood, and photos of things that might be unexpected or surprising.
Out of Eden Learn, Learning Journey 2 – Connecting Our Own Lives to the Past
BRAINSTORM. Make a list of the ways in which you think our human past or history is connected to who you are and the life you are living or expect to live. You can include events, individuals or groups of people, trends, developments, places that you’ve visited or lived, and/or themes that extend over a few or many years. You do not need to turn in this list.
DIAGRAM. Now use this list to help you to draw a diagram or picture to explain how our human past or history is connected to who you are and the life you are living or expect to live. Organize your diagram in any way you want. If you like, you can use lines or arrows to show connections or influences among the different parts of your diagram. You can draw your diagram by hand and then photograph or scan it, or you can draw the diagram electronically in any application you like. Remember not to include your real name in the diagram.
“Paul Salopek’s project encourages young children and journalism students to walk around their neighborhood and be storytellers themselves instead of just having conversations on various topics on the internet.” – Roshni Chakrabarty
HERE (LINK) is a great article from India Today Education on Paul’s walk and the work of students around the world in Out of Eden Learn. I was pleased to see a recent Tweet of mine from Lusaka, Zambia showing students doing a See – Think – Wonder Visible Thinking Routine while looking at photos taken by former students from Chennai, India.
Here are a few photos from Lusaka, Zambia taken by sixth-grade students in Ms. Conte’s students. I was very pleased with the final products and enjoyed collaborating with her class and sharing exemplars from student work in Chennai, India.
Directions: Plan to take a walk in your neighborhood or local area. It may include places on your sketch map. You can walk by yourself or with a classmate, friend, or family member. As you walk in your neighborhood or local area, take photos of things that catch your attention. What do you see, feel, hear, taste, or smell? Try to look at the place and the people who live or work there with fresh eyes. Here are some ideas for different kinds of photos you can take:
Photos that capture a whole neighborhood scene, and photos that zoom in on a detail you find interesting.
Photos where you’re pointing the camera up and photos where you’re pointing the camera towards the ground.
Photos of things that are common or familiar in your neighborhood, and photos of things that might be unexpected or surprising.
Sixth-grade students in Alta Conte’s I & S class at the American International School of Lusaka do a See – Think – Wonder using exemplars from my previous school, the American International School Chennai, as they prepare to take walks and photos in their neighborhood.
For our last activity of the school year in 6th grade Social Studies, we returned to Out of Eden Learn and to Learning Journey #1 (Documenting the Everyday). Here are the directions below and a few examples of videos made. More products will be added soon:
There are aspects of our everyday life that might be very interesting to other people but which might seem very “normal” to us. There may also be parts of our everyday lives that we usually don’t find time to notice. This is your chance to notice some new things and to share your observations with other people. Choose to focus on one of the following:
PLACE: Document everyday life in a place that you know.
PROCESS: Document how people in your community do something as part of their everyday lives. For example, you could focus on how a type of food or drink is prepared, how an object is made or repaired, or how someone goes about another kind of daily task or activity.
Milestone 55 features Paul’s interview with the first person he meets when he arrives at milestone 55 in India, near Amritsar. You can read this story on this LINK.
An excerpt:
I met my new walking partner, the Indian nature photographer Arati Kumar Rao, at the militarized India-Pakistan border, and we walked almost 15 miles along the Grand Trunk Road to Amritsar. Amritsar is the spiritual capital of the Sikhs. Arati marched without complaint through her blisters on the boiling tarmac. When I offered to carry her pack, she nearly karate-chopped me in the neck.
The Art of an Interview (photo by Rob Martin)
Paul always takes photos of his feet at every milestone (100 miles). This was a milestone moment for Mr. Martin meeting Paul. (Photo by Rob Martin)
Paul and Don Belt conferencing with Delhi-based journalists about the stories they were writing for the workshop. (Photo by Rob Martin)
Paul Salopek and me outside Karim’s Hotel and Restaurant in Old Delhi. (Photo by Rob Martin)
Paul, Don and me at Karim’s. (Photo by Prem Panicker)
Mr. Martin’s Out of Eden Walk in Old Delhi. (Photo by Rob Martin)
Mr. Martin’s Out of Eden Walk in Old Delhi. (Photo by Rob Martin)Mr. Martin’s Out of Eden Walk in Old Delhi. (Photo by Rob Martin)Mr. Martin’s Out of Eden Walk in Old Delhi. (Photo by Rob Martin)
Old Dehi (Photo by Rob Martin)
Jama Masjid Mosque (Photo by Rob Martin)
A poster for the National Geographic workshop on Slow Journalism. (Photo by Rob Martin)
Karan’s photo for our Out of Eden Learn Planetary Health club was featured today on Out of Eden’s social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With thousands of students in OOEL, it’s quite something to have your work featured. This is the information that Karan wrote about this particular photo:
During my neighborhood walk in Chennai, India, I saw a Coconut seller. Coconut water is really refreshing and is great to drink on hot days. As the Coconut grows, some of the Coconut water stays as Coconut water, but the other half of the Coconut water turns into a white type of pulp that is called Coconut meat. 94% of Coconut water is water which means it provides a lot of water which helps dehydration. However Coconut milk is a whole other thing . Coconut milk is made by adding water to the cut coconut meat. Usually, Coconut milk contains about 50% water. A Coconut takes about 10-12 months to fully grow. Coconut water comes from young Coconuts about 6-7 months old. Coconut water is very healthy and contains many nutrients.
Ask Karan to show you his other photos. They were really nice! Congratulations.
This week wraps up our work on Out of Eden Learn, Footstep #3 (Learning from Past Generations). If you did not post your story and photos to the Out of Eden Learn platform, please do it by Sunday. Mr. Nick and I really enjoyed seeing the primary source objects you interviewed someone about for this activity. I was also delighted to hear from many of you that you had learned new things about your family history and that, for some of you, you had never heard the story or history of this object. In the process of doing this activity, we also hope you improved your interviewing, note-taking, and writing skills, as well as learned more about the the job of historians. Great work! We will have an opportunity next class to see each other’s work before starting the last unit of the school year. I think this was my favorite Out of Eden footstep project. Here are a few photos of the types of objects we saw.
A few of the many GREAT examples we saw from Out of Eden, footstep #2 (Connecting Our Lives to the Past). Below are some great reflections I read from students. I Tweeted some because they were commendable.
"I learned that I don't normally think about the connections between my life and the past, and this (project) really broadened my understanding about how my life connects to the past." – Nature (grade 6 student @AISChennai for @OutofEdenLearn#proudteacherpic.twitter.com/JuwdV30JGI
This week we learned more about the Silk Road and how it is was not just one road, but many interconnecting routes – a network – that connected China, the Indian Subcontinent, Arabia, the Horn of Africa, Persia and the Roman Empire. We worked on our ability to summarize the main idea of a text or listening passage, as well as defined vocabulary related to our current unit. Our essential question is: Which three factors of the Silk Road had the greatest influence on trade, and why? Here are some class photos of students collaborating to review vocabulary.
We also began a new Learning Journey for Out of Eden Learn, The Past and the Global. We have new schools in our walking party and you wrote footstep #1, an introduction to your walking party. All posts should now be on Out of Eden. Please read and comment on other posts in our walking party and respond to any questions you are asked.
Check out this really cool feature on Out of Eden Walk on Paul’s walk through the Silk Road. It features photos, videos, maps and much more! If you use Instagram, you will like the photos on Out of Eden Walk.
Students this week are interviewing an adult who lives or works in Chennai. This person could be someone they have never spoken to before, or someone they already know. Among questions students will create, they need to ask the person for a story or memory about Chennai, for example: How did they come to be in this place? How have they seen the area change over the years? What are some of their memories about the area? Do any particular events in the area stand out in their mind? Students will write up the highlights of their conversation (or a Q & A). Alternatively, they can upload an audio file retelling their story in their own words.
In class this week, Mr. Martin modeled an interview with Ms. Priya (B, F, and H blocks) and Ms. Lakshmi (D block). Students also had an opportunity to ask a wide range of questions (yes/no, open-ended, and follow-up questions). Students will edit their work in class on next Monday and Tuesday and post their work on Out of Eden Learn.
Reminder: Please submit your summative essay to Mr. Martin for our most recent unit, if you have not already done so. Thanks!
Greetings! I hope you are having a great vacation, whether you are in Chennai or traveling in India or overseas. My family leaves for France tomorrow morning, our first trip there. I really enjoyed your neighborhood photos and shared some of the best ones (there were so many!) in a post below this one. Check them them out! I also shared the photos on my Twitter handle and got some nice comments and ‘likes’ from Out of Eden Learn, Paul Salopek and others. They were very impressive and inspiring! Whether you are in India, in your home country, or traveling, take many photos and choose one to share with me. I will be happy to add it to our class blog when we return from vacation.
There were so many great photos taken for Footstep #3 – Taking Neighborhood Walks. Your task was to walk in your neighborhood and capture images that showed the physical traits and/or cultural characteristics of Chennai, India. Along with your photos, you needed to write a paragraph describing the photos, why you took them, and what wonderings you might have about the things you took photos of. My hope is that you learned more about your neighborhood or saw it in a new way. Great job!
Students in Social Studies finished their presentations on why people migrate. They shared their learning in small groups and received specific feedback from classmates on what they did well and an area they could improve. We also began Footstep #2 for Out of Eden Learn (Creating a Neighborhood Map). Students are exploring their neighborhoods, slowing down and looking for things they might not have noticed before. Be like Paul and practice slow journalism! The directions and rubric have been shared via email and has been posted on PowerSchool.
Student feedback on maps made last year. Photo by Rob Martin
Here are a few photos of your work on your snapshot autobiography from class on Thursday and Friday. Most of you nearly finished in class. Finish them before class on Monday and Tuesday and be prepared to share them with your classmates. Review the expectations and rubric that has been emailed to you and also shared on PowerSchool. Out of Eden Learn begins next week! More details will be provided in class.
Students have completed their final Out of Eden Learn footstep for the year, Learning from Past Generations. Students interviewed someone, typically a family member, about a meaningful and old object (at least 30 years!). They learned to develop their interviewing skills through the types of questions they would create and ask. Each student wrote a story that highlighted the most important details from the interview. Learning the story behind the object and why it is meaningful were key things to learn. I love this activity because students learn new things about their parents and their own family history. Here are some excerpts from some stories:
“Overall, I had an awesome time learning about something that I never knew my mom was carrying with her for the past fifteen years!!” – Emi
“After the interview was over, I thanked my grandmother for letting me interview her. In addition, this interview has helped me get to know my grandmother more. Furthermore, this experience has improved my relationship with my grandmother.” – Nashiha
‘I think this was a valuable interview because I learnt a lot about my mother. I always knew she was nostalgic about most of her possessions and this ring had a great memory. I am so satisfied at the end since I know she was very proud to be in a family which respected female children. As quoted by her, “This ring is so precious not only because it has travelled several generations but also it shows the respect of a female child in my family.”’ – Suman
“At the end of this interview, I learned quite a bit about the dynamics between my mother and grandfather. It’s quite inspiring how inspired my mother was by my grandfather!!! I think my mother will keep this letter for as long as humanly possible!” – Shanmuga
‘“Objects that are from the past are like flashbacks you have on the back of your mind.” I interviewed my grandmother. The object I interviewed her about was a necklace that she had ever since she was a kid. My grandmother has had it since 1956, when she was 5 years old. The necklace is made out of gold. The necklace is about a foot long.’ – Shandaneh
“People have many things that are meaningful to them. These can be an artifacts, heirlooms, or something that reminds them of good memories. For this footstep I interviewed my mom about something that meant a lot to her. This happened to be a stuffed animal. Surprisingly, it is in fairly nice condition considering that it is over 40 years old.” – Owen
“Anything can hold memories. It can be a photo or something passed down from generations. That one thing for my grandmother was a large bowl. The bowl is heavy and is gold in color with black specs on it. It’s shiny and clean, but you can still tell that it is still old. I never really wondered what it was even though I walk past it every day. In conclusion, my interview with my grandmother was very informational. It helped me learn about an object which I thought was just a random artifact in my house. It also helped me learn about my grandmother’s love for my great great grandmother.” – Shiv
“In conclusion, my interview with my dad was very, very interesting because I learned a lot of things about him and now I feel like just listening to this interview again because it inspires me to do a lot of things. For example, achieving a lot of things like helping other people in many ways.” – Lokesh
As we prepare to do interviews for our next Out of Eden Learn footstep (Learning from Past Generations), we will talk more about the importance of asking follow up questions. Here are some helpful videos that tells you more about these questions.
Here is a roundup of some more of the diagrams from our last Out of Eden Learn project. I will be adding some more examples. I was very impressed with the diagrams and the connections you made between your life and the past. There are several I would like to save to share with future students I teach. If you are wondering when we will begin the next Out of Eden Learn projects, they will start again when we are done with our Comparing Places project.
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."
- Maya Angelou
Photos by Barathi Dasan
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