So, after yesterday's receipt of the Swiss materials, and after last night's photo-posting, today I decided to show the Swiss-dvd to my classes--a last minute lesson-plan change, which worked out well since a good chunk of the students were gone for various testing reasons...
I thought I would begin by asking the remaining kids, "So, what comes to mind when you hear the word 'Switzerland'?" The inevitable chorus of responses: cheese, Swiss army knives, chocolate, cows...
But then with one group, mostly freshmen, I asked, "so, what do you imagine the country looks like?" I thought, surely, all the kids will say 'mountainous,' 'green,' 'the Alps,' you know...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMlOqNy5Ut2meTGZx1FEbsWUCnSiG9JdleiKEc2JWw7_zAByQeqJH9VGF-Rx-x8Bh5CGv54t66zFC3iEXHqTUknZSpJdW1FzLg5L9C8gdXis0V2pDzk7F7j9PSh-meH5LjxyXTU8ccri2/s400/1+forest+walk+in+zurichzurich+forest+walk.jpg)
Then I heard the question--"what's an alp?"
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMSPwVW50VMnQHTVZRWBWKfZYqXVUEh7aAMVCj_Z_S9H1bi-5q_xrD2WPef63fKtfaRxvDLWU7JXIU07W2xu2gPwDWnAoHIolnw6guEcNQ24Me4fvLsycE4bx_Hocbn26TbRNVO5iNiQg/s400/1+Murren.jpg)
I guess here in the Desert SW, we are somewhat far away from Europe...
...but really, not knowing or never having heard of 'The Alps'?!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRSgNct6OduaUNhyZx8Kv0oPzBvUD5VTKI-6ZNOQed8nPHiq10ar-lamyW0qXtYscZHNQ3MYGsfShxXSmUf6oUebUPjhJQ5yfaYERONihRfNSrXC7Yu_LeciWjkQY-T7dhayTSqLylQGA/s400/3+from+gondola+up+up+the+Schilthorn.jpg)
Well, now, they have.
They actually oohed and ahhed at the cheesily-narrated but beautiful DVD, for example at the footage of gondolas floating over the peaks--such as the view from above the Schilthorn, above.
"What do they speak in Switzerland?"
"uhh.....Swedish?"
"Umm, no, that's in a different country. Sweden."
"Oh...Swiss?"
Well, now they know that there are four official Swiss languages, depending on the region, but no "Swiss" language:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82o3mf6rGcQCxSBu6JZq74ClOTc3pKcQOMiBPeTljKIF6ZjEFKHltZHBZUx2se1knDy-FShyqd5ckxGFmVQBOd-RG6yuAc6K61ECDKE_sYLbXo-HqcNVVl77KWwq0gxPun-SEj-KlHNTD/s400/1+f+swiss+linguistic+map.gif)
But they do know that the Governator (a.k.a. California's Schwarzenneger) is from Austria.
So, that's encouraging.
Random facts.
Geo-cultural disconnects.
High-school.
are there days when you want to just rest your forehead lightly on the desk when you get those responses from your class? you've the patience of job.
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