International Day ideas

A while ago I helped out a few of my other classmates in dividing the year into groups for International Day; I, being ethnically Russian, ended up in a group with another Russian, Ira, and a Ukrainian, Ilya: we formed the Russo-Ukrainean group for the event. During the CAS sessions we discussed what sorts of activities we could offer to the school in order to make the celebration not only educational, but also very fun. We came up with a moderate list of ideas which I wrote down so that we could have something to refer back to:

Planning sheet

Ultimately, we decided to create two powerpoint presentations based on Russia and the Ukraine, giving our participants some interesting and educational information about our nations; we chose to make this last for at most 15 minutes so that the students wouldn't get tired of listening to us, and to make it more exciting, we will certainly include some fun facts and statistics pertaining to our countries. Afterwards, we will dedicate the rest of the 50-minute session to playing a game called Mafia: having originated in Russia, this role-play is very popular amongst both children and teenagers in Russia, as well as worldwide (currently there are online sites dedicated to this amusement). It is clear to see that we concluded to step away from traditional activities, since throughout most of the years the students chose to portray the more cultural side of Russia; we figured that the pupils mostly know quite a bit about the country as it is since they live in it, which is why a more modern take on the event might actually engage them even further. 

To create a more friendly atmosphere, we will be bringing in some sweet snacks originating from Russia and Ukraine so that the people could not only have a bite or two to quench their hunger, but so that they could also experience a taste of traditional foods. In order to create the relevant atmosphere for the game of Mafia, we will try to find suitable material to cover the windows with, so that it would be dark in the room, making everything feel much more secretive, as it should be with that game. Finally, decorating the room with various images of politicians and historical sites from our countries will generate a feel for the two countries being represented; we selected some rather interesting images which wouldn't usually be seen in the formal media world, as for example the Russian President holding a puppy in his arms. To top it all of, we will be showing some amusing videos from our two countries to, hopefully, make the students laugh and enjoy our activity more. 

Throughout the day itself, we may have to end up making various amendments, however we will try to ensure that everything will run as smoothly as possible by, for example, buying the correct amount of food and trying to explain the complex rules of Mafia in an understandable manner to our participants. Positively, the students will enjoy what we have in store for them since we truly do want to contribute to the overall success of International Day, which is a very important celebration in our school, and we want to maintain a good image of the institution since there will be parents and relatives coming in to take part in the event as well.