International Collaboration Project: Destination AUSTRALIA!
The International Collaboration Project (ICP) is a signature program for Level 7 students at Turning Point School. As part of the Environmental Biology curriculum, this program builds connections with seventh graders from Oregon and Australia. Each school participates in a long-term study of local wetlands, then shares information and ideas via e-mail, snail mail, or the shared web site. The ICP enables students to increase their knowledge of environmental issues with a global perspective.
Although all students participate in the ICP while in Environmental Biology class, there is an opportunity for more intense studies of environmental issues as an ICP Ambassador. Ambassadors will travel on a school trip to visit Goulburn Valley Grammar School in Shepparton, Victoria, Australia during March 9-19, 2009, to meet with students from the other ICP schools.
The ICP Ambassadors from each school will participate in several different workshops and topic groups. The workshops will provide an integration of humanities, mathematics, science, drama, multi-media design, and art through hands-on activities. The topic groups will enable the students to choose the environmental issue that most interests them and/or their school, and meet with the other students to brainstorm ideas and solutions. All of this work leads toward creating achievable goals to make each participating school a "Dream Green School." In the afternoon, the ICP group will tour various businesses, farms, and cultural landmarks around Shepparton.
Melbourne
Turning Point School ICP Ambassadors and chaperones will arrive a day early in Melbourne in order to adjust to the time change and to sight see in Australia's second most populous city. We will sleep in a hotel, and will visit such local sights as the historic Parliament buildings and the Yarra River.
Wilson's Promontory National Park
GVGS and OES will join us in Melbourne and then we will travel together by bus to the "Prom," the southernmost point of the Australian mainland. While there, we will sleep in cabins. Our planned activities include:
- A walk to Squeaky Beach with its pure white quartz sand. The beach was once known as the "singing sands" because of the sound made when walking on it
- A tide pool exploration.
- An exploration of and swimming on the beautiful sandy beach along Tidal River at Norman Bay.
- Discussion with Park Rangers of the environmental impact on the park and the future of the Prom.
Phillip Island
We leave in the morning for a short drive to Phillip Island. The island is home to koalas and fairy penguins. We will enjoy a surfing lesson, a hike to see the penguins, and a visit to the Nobbies Centre, a marine animal education center. We will sleep at the Koala Park Resort.
Shepparton (GVGS) - International Conservation Consortium Conference
Upon arrival in Shepparton, students will meet their host families at a school picnic. During these three days, students will participate in Sustainable Art Workshops, Topic Groups focused on issues of environmental concern, and afternoon study tours to local businesses and cultural sites. On the final day of the conference, students will meet a Sustainability Panel of local politicians, business owners, conservationists, and dairy farmers. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions of these community members to further research the environmental work being done in Australia.
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