Dear ALC Friends:
We want to start by saying that we LOVE Fnaire and Don Bigg. We watched some videos of them both today. We really wish we knew what they were rapping about. We were introduced to Gnawa music earlier in the year, and we really like Fnaire’s hip-hop fused with Gnawa music. We really would like to know what songs you like best of both Don Bigg and Fnaire, and if you could send us lyrics (and maybe a translation of some lyrics).
In terms of what we know about Morocco, we know a few things, but we are going to learn more about the history of Morocco when we return from Thanksgiving holiday. Here are some things we know. We know about the geography of Morocco, and that Western Sahara is part of Morocco (we just learned about that…thank you). Arabic (darija dialect) is mainly spoken, but French is also used because Morocco is formerly a French colony (with independence of Morocco dating back to the 1950s). We know about the flag and the significance of the 5-pointed star in relation to the 5 Pillars of Islam. We know some things about the king, His Majesty King Mohammed IV, and that the government is a constitutional monarchy. We also know about the religious composition of Morocco, and that it is about 98% Muslim, about 1% Christian, and .2% Jewish.
In terms of our school, we are in school for 6-7 hours a day, 5 days a week. We have between 6 and 7 classes a day, all with different teachers. There are about 800 students at our school, all from different small towns in the area. Some of our classes include Spanish, Biology, Global Studies* (World History and English linked program), wood-working, metal-working, computer technology, art, physics, chemistry, algebra, geometry, automotive technology, culinary arts, agricultural sciences, physical education, music, and many more. Our school system is funded by the government, so it’s a public school. Right now, the state of California is in a financial crisis, and school funding has been severely cut, and class sizes are increasing. We have lots of sports and activities after school, as well as dances and competitions between the classes. Our mascot is the Husky (a type of dog). Our school colors are blue, white, and silver. Our school is very diverse, with people of Native American descent and Latino descent, as well as African-Americans, and Americans of European and Asian heritage, populating our school. (*A note from our Global Studies teachers: The teachers of this program saw a need to increase global awareness in our school community, so we created the Global Studies Program, and this is our first year of the program.)
In terms of California history, it is a very interesting state because it was originally inhabited solely by diverse tribes of indigenous Native American peoples prior to the colonization by the Spaniards, annexation of Mexico, and then the subsequent “Gold Rush” by Americans of European descent. During the Gold Rush, gold-seeking Americans came in large numbers to the frontier of California looking to make quick money, which was devastating to the environment and the Native American peoples. The genocide of Native Americans occurred at that time, which is a sad part of our history. After that, our history is full of stories of immigration from many different countries (like China, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Central and South America to name a few) as California developed and industrialized. Some other important topics in California history include: the history of railroads, the Mexican-American War, the Great Depression, Japanese Internment during World War II (another sad part of California History), Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers’ Movement, and earthquakes (like the Loma Linda earthquake in 1989 in San Francisco).
We are curious about what snooker is. We also would like to know what your forests are like, and how the American Forest got its name. Also, we would love for you to teach us more about current political issues in Morocco and history, including the issue of Western Sahara. Also, can you tell us more about your school? We also would like to share more of our music with you, and some of us would like to post links to our favorite musicians on our blogs. And we’re also curious about what you know about California.
Thank you so much for your correspondence. We love communicating with you, and we’re so excited to learn more about Morocco. We really want to come to Morocco!
Sincerely,
Fortuna High Global Studies
1 comment:
Dear ALC students,
Right now, we are beginning our holiday celebrations. Many of us celebrate Christmas, but not all of us. Some us us celebrate Hannukah and have other traditions associated with this time of year. During this time of year, we like to decorate our houses with lights, spend time with friends and family, and give and receive gifts. We are very curious about your favorite and most important holiday(s). Please also share with us some of your traditions associated with those holidays.
As for our future plans, most of us are going to college, both in and out of California. We have lots of artists in our group who want to pursue art in the future. Jezelle wants to be a tattoo artist. Tiffany wants to be a drummer, Lyssa wants to be a writer, and Hayden wants to be a visual artist. Some of us also want to enter the business community. Brandin and Miguel want to be engineers (only if Miguel can’t be a professional baseball player). Karlee is deciding between being a teacher, an artist, or a humanitarian worker. Jose wants to either get a job working in construction, or join the U.S. Marines. Adam wants to be a comedian. Vince wants to be an electrician. But that is just a few of us.
Here are some of the most pressing issues for teenagers today in America. Although these will seem to be daunting, we are overall committed to overcome them. But here are the biggest issues. There is a high suicide rate among young people, and an especially high rate of suicide among young people who are gay or lesbian. Poverty and unemployment is a big issue for families and teenagers in our area. Disintegration of family structure, parental abandonment, and religious and/or racial discrimination are also big issues. Some teens also deal with body-image issues as well as overall self-confidence. Health problems and drug abuse are realities for some teenagers or members of their families in our area. There is a lot of pressure for young people to grow up very quickly, and there is an issue with teen depression.
To combat a lot of these issues, we listen to music and express ourselves through art. We love sports, biking, and our school community, especially our Global Studies class. The Global Studies class has been opening our eyes to the realities of other people and cultures all over the world, and it feels like a family to us.
We would love to hear about what you think the most pressing issues are for teenagers in Morocco. We are on Christmas holiday until January 3, and we very much look forward to hearing from you. We are hoping that each of you can sign up for your own Blogger account so that we can interact directly as well.
You friend,
Fortuna High Global Studies
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