Local Students to Present Petra

May 4, 2005 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Calvin College has coordinated a whole slate of educational activities to
support the Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibition.

Perhaps none is as creative as what will happen on May 11 when students from
two Grand Rapids-area elementary schools will serve as expert guides for the
exhibition.

On that Wednesday evening - from 6:30 to 9 pm - entrance to the exhibition
will be reserved for parents, faculty and administrators from Buchanan
Elementary School and Oakdale Christian School.

Groups of fourth graders from Buchanan and third and fourth graders from
Oakdale will be stationed throughout the exhibition, on hand to teach visitors
from Buchanan and Oakdale all about Petra and its creators, the Nabataeans.

"Normally in schools, teachers teach," says Randy Buursma, the Calvin
communication arts and sciences (CAS) professor coordinating the project.
"What's exciting about this project is that the end result will be third and
fourth graders teaching. They will become the resource that others will use to
enjoy this exhibition."

Buursma's class has been teaching creative drama at the two schools (and
during the fall semester with Potter's House Christian School) as part of a
larger Calvin-led literacy project. Through a $179,000 Teacher Quality Grant
from the State of Michigan Department of Education, Calvin faculty from several
departments are working to support the Four Blocks method of reading and
writing - the method adopted by the Grand Rapids Public Schools. In fact, the
expenses for the two elementary schools' May 11 visit to Petra: Lost City of
Stone will be covered through the Teacher Quality Grant.

Students from Buursma's "Creating Communications Arts in the Classroom" class
are currently helping the Buchanan and Oakdale children research their Petra
projects. The children from both schools share their learning with each other
by posting their findings to "Knightvision," a secure, web-based learning
environment. After the research process is completed, the children and the
Calvin students will create a presentation which could take the shape of choral
readings, dramas, panel discussions or some other aspect of creative drama. On
May 11 the students will be put into 10 groups, corresponding to the 10
sections of Petra: Lost City of Stone. There each group will give their
presentation, explaining their section of the exhibition.

Buursma believes that the performing arts are a powerful way to teach reading
and writing. And the preparation for the event has benefits for the Calvin
students who work at Buchanan and Oakdale he says.

"Many of the Calvin students are experiencing a classroom setting and being
responsible for the learning of children for the first time," he says, "and
understanding that the learning process isn't easy."

Petra: Lost City of Stone is the most comprehensive exhibition of Nabataean
culture ever created, and tells the story, through 200 artifacts and other
media, of the Nabataeans' rise from their nomadic beginnings to their apex of
power as wealthy traders and creators of the ancient city of Petra. It is
housed at Calvin College from now until August 15.

See www.calvin.edu/petra

-end-
Received on Wed May 4 09:04:43 2005