We had our second school visit today - Almotanabi High School in Sale, Morocco. It is amazing to see that teenagers are teenagers everywhere in the world. Their energy and excitement was infectious.
I am still amazed at the language acquisition of the Moroccan students. Two groups of students shared presentations about Sale and another about their school, both in English!
Students speak different dialects throughout the country, When they start school, all instruction is in Moroccan Arabic. In Middle School, all sciences are taught in French, even if this is the student's first exposure to French. Many schools are now moving to teaching science in English. I'm still trying to understand the reasoning behind instruction of sciences in a new language for students. I wonder how many students are less successful in the sciences because they are trying to learn difficult content and a new language at the same time.
I was able to see a Biology class at Almotanabi. It was a bit disheartening to see the lack of materials available to the students - no microscopes, no lab equipment. The students are studying Ecology and Environmental Systems using workbooks. It appeared that the students had little to no hands on experiences in class, and then we took a tour of the gardens! All the plants in the gardens and court yards were grown by students over the years. There was an area where seeds were being sprouted. Once the plants started to grow, they were potted and moved to an area where they were watered by "runoff" from the outdoor water fountains. When the plants are large enough, they are transplanted to the gardens. The students have grown palm trees, ornamental oranges, apricot trees and a wide variety of plants. Students are conducting experiments on the olive trees that were grown in previous years. They are also working on a tree grafting project. The students are doing great, hands on Biology!
