2019.12.28 This year’s perfect ending

The autumn and winter classes of 2019 concluded splendidly, with only three days left in the year.

In the final class, apart from delving into the United States, which was the main focus of the previous lecture, we had an exciting opportunity to explore major leaders from around the world.

Building upon our recent discussion of women leaders on YouTube, the aim was to broaden our social understanding and expand our knowledge in the classroom.

It was an excellent way to wrap up the year and foster a deeper appreciation for global leadership.

To start off, I quickly reviewed some of the prominent leaders we had encountered before.

Leaders from countries like the United States, Russia, China, North Korea, France, and Germany are often well-remembered. For this session, we decided to incorporate a lottery method by drawing national flags first.

Then, the children would have the opportunity to choose characters from the cards, inspired by the popular Pokémon board games.

I thought it might be exciting to include additional options such as combat power to make it even more engaging.

Typically, as we go through the rounds, the children become more familiar with the leaders, and by the fourth or fifth group, they are often able to guess effectively.

However, the order of choosing doesn’t really matter; the main objective is for everyone to participate and have fun.

So, feel free to choose the characters first and then discover the matching leaders.

This approach ensures an interactive and enjoyable learning experience for the children.

In this session, we welcomed some new leaders:

🇫🇮 Sanna Marin, the young Prime Minister of Finland.
🇳🇿 Jacinda Ardern, the decisive and caring Prime Minister of New Zealand.
🇨🇦 Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister who was caught accidentally gossiping.
🇬🇧 Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister known for his messy hair and involvement in Brexit.
🇧🇷 Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian President who has been criticized for his handling of fires and discriminatory views towards women.
🇬🇭 Aung San Suu Kyi, the once revered democracy fighter who is now a controversial figure as the de facto leader of Myanmar (Burma).
🇸🇽 Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine President known for his outspokenness against drugs and who is currently facing health issues.

Through the process of swapping characters and matching them correctly, we had the opportunity to learn about various leaders from different countries. It became evident that more women are taking their place on the international stage. However, it is important to note that regardless of gender, corruption can be a prevalent issue within the power centers of countries. While we highlighted the emergence of numerous women leaders, we also discussed unfortunate instances where female presidents, like those of Brazil, South Korea, and Ukraine, had to resign due to corruption cases.

Now, let me explain what “corruption” means. Corruption refers to the misuse of power, often involving bribery, embezzlement, or other unethical practices for personal gain. It is a serious issue that undermines the integrity and fairness of governance, hinders development, and harms society as a whole.

By using the Amazon rainforest as an example, we explored various aspects related to it.

One important lesson I have learned over the years is that people are not simply black and white. What a person says or does can vary depending on different circumstances, perspectives, positions, and occasions. Sometimes, it is not sufficient to judge based solely on the outcomes or a general explanation like ‘resignation due to corruption.’ The whole story and the complexities surrounding the matter are likely more intricate than these six words can capture.

Additionally, when looking at the cards, we notice a trend of leaders becoming younger. During the activity, some children pointed to the Prime Minister of Canada and remarked, ‘This one is relatively young, you see… There are no wrinkles.’ They also compared him to Macron, noting that Macron is older and has wrinkles. It’s amusing how children perceive these physical characteristics. It’s delightful to observe this group of children, and in ten years, the world will belong to them. It may not be surprising if someone becomes a president at the age of 30! 😎”

At the end of the class, a parent who had recently returned from Finland shared some exciting stories with us.

They talked about their adventures chasing the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle, visiting Santa Claus, and exploring the Arctic Zoo.

It was surprising to learn that sea otters live in the Arctic! Additionally, the children’s drawings of snowy owls provided us with a glimpse of the true beauty of Mount Lu.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude once again to the parents in the class.

It is because of your support and dedication to the children and this class that we are able to grow together.

Each time I prepare a lesson, I strive to meet the expectations of both the children and the parents who attend the class, and in doing so,

I also learn a great deal. In 2020, let us continue our journey of exploring the world together! 🤝😽

New installments in 2020:

Join us every other Saturday morning from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM for our exciting classes!

Dates:

February 1st, February 29th, March 14th, March 28th, April 11th, April 18th
May 2nd, May 16th

Location:
We are conveniently located near MRT Tiangong Station,

close to the Minsheng East Road/Jilin Intersection.

Suitable for ages 7 and above.