Driving Question:

How does Japan’s culture perceive the concept of “existence”?

Project Summary:

Koko K., a Grade 10 student at TGs from Japan and Singapore, undertook a personal project titled “Between Nothing and Being.” This project explored Noh, a traditional Japanese theater form dating back to the 14th century. Through her research, Koko discovered that Noh theater requires an actor to possess inner solitude and concentration, allowing them to transcend their body and achieve a unique state of presence and groundedness.

Her project delved into the Japanese cultural concept of existence, using Noh and the pine tree (matsunoi), a symbol of eternity and longevity, as central themes. She examined how Shinto, which emphasizes the worship of nature and inanimate objects, and Buddhism, which focuses on change and impermanence, shape Japanese views on existence.

Koko engaged with multicultural literacy through this project, rediscovering and appreciating her Japanese culture. Her research included analyzing and reflecting on books about Shinto and Buddhism, attending Noh lessons with Kinue Ooshima Sensei, and studying Noh routines. She also compared Japanese concepts of existence with Western philosophical ideas from thinkers such as Victor Frankl, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Aristotle.

Koko concluded that Japanese culture perceives existence as a balance between Shinto’s eternity and Buddhism’s impermanence. In Japan, the worship of kami (gods) in nature symbolizes eternity, while the frequent natural disasters and seasonal changes emphasize the impermanence of life. This cultural balance is reflected in the construction of buildings like shrines, which are designed to be periodically destroyed and rebuilt.

In her final summative product, Koko aimed to manifest this concept of existence by performing the Noh routine “Yuya,” striving to achieve neutrality in her physicality and mentality. She reflected on her learning process, acknowledging the need for better time management and a more chronological approach to her research.

Overall, the project deepened Koko’s understanding of Japanese customs, values, and beliefs, helping her to embrace her Japanese identity with confidence.

Driving Question:

How might we understand the relationship between physics and human performance in aerial and aquatic environments?

Module Summary:

The module Over/Under: Air, Water & Physics explored the relationship between physics and human performance in aerial and aquatic environments. Their project involved taking trapeze classes for five weeks, where they learned and practiced various tricks, reflecting on the physics involved in their movements. They focused on understanding forces, pendulums, and the transformation of kinetic and potential energy.

Midway through the term, they participated in a workshop in Cairns, where they learned additional aerial arts and tight roping, and completed a water safety diving course. This course included pool training in breath-holding techniques, streamlining, and basic swimming skills, which they later applied in a lake, encountering real-world aquatic conditions, such as swimming with a crocodile. They also visited the Great Barrier Reef, where they swam with turtles and saw sharks.

The educational components of their module emphasized the physics of trapeze, such as gravitational, centripetal, and air resistance forces, as well as pendulum motion and energy transformation. In diving, they focused on swimming strength, equalizing pressure, rescue techniques, and efficient breathing.

Rianon T.’s final product is a physical scrapbook titled “A Physicist’s Guide to Trapezing and Free Diving!”. This scrapbook serves as an educational and informative overview of the physics involved in trapezing and free diving. Throughout the module, she focused on developing the 21st-century skill of adaptability and managing complexity. This was exemplified through various activities, including trapezing, creating physics experiments, building a car, launching a baking soda rocket, experimenting with pendulums, learning to free dive, and adapting to new challenges constantly.

She found this module particularly engaging and enjoyable, especially the trapezing aspect. The open-ended nature of the summative assessment allowed her to creatively interpret your learning, resulting in a fulfilling and engaging final product.

Driving Question:

How can I collect and analyze behavioral data to inform if species can survive and thrive in an artificial environment?

Project Summary:

Shangrila X, a Grade 10 student from TGs, undertook her first personal project around the topic of animal psychology and behavior. Initially inspired by Australia’s wildlife, she adjusted her project to study animals at the Melbourne Zoo, due to the lack of accessible wildlife in the urban area where she was studying.

Shangrila’s project was motivated by a childhood memory of seeing a gorilla in distress at a zoo, which made her want to better understand and improve animal well-being in captivity. She utilized ethograms, which are tools for categorizing and defining animal behaviors, to observe and record the actions of zoo animals. Her primary subjects were a Silverback Western lowland gorilla named Otana and Asian elephants.

During her observations, Shangrila noted a significant amount of inactivity in Otana, which she initially found concerning but later attributed to a possible midday rest period. She also observed stereotypic behaviors in the elephants, which are indicators of poor welfare in captive animals. The elephants often gathered at the edge of their enclosure, suggesting they were seeking interaction and stimulation.

Shangrila found that her data was insufficient for drawing scientific conclusions but emphasized the importance of public interest and involvement in animal welfare. She suggested that zoos have improved over time but acknowledged that they can never fully replicate the natural environment for animals. She proposed the use of technology, such as VR, to provide educational experiences about wildlife, potentially improving both public knowledge and animal care practices in zoos.

Overall, Shangrila’s project highlighted the complexity of animal psychology, the limitations of zoos, and the potential for technology to enhance education and animal welfare. She concluded with a hopeful outlook, believing that increased awareness and involvement can lead to a better future for zoo animals.

Driving Question:

How can AI be applied in investigative, opinion, and solutions-based journalism in the context of digital communities in Bosnia?

Module Summary:

The “AI Journalism” module explored the intersection of artificial intelligence and journalism. The module aimed to understand the capabilities and limitations of AI in news writing and its impact on current events.

Students investigated the origins and evolution of journalism in their home countries and Bosnia, comparing human-written articles to AI-generated content. They examined various types of journalism—investigative, solution-based, and opinion—and learned how AI can be ethically and legally integrated into these fields.

The module included excursions to notable sites like the Al Jazeera Balkans, the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Sarajevo Film Festival. Guest speakers provided insights into wartime reporting and modern journalism challenges, emphasizing the irreplaceable human element in storytelling.

Through practical experiences and reflections, students created their own articles, juxtaposing them with AI-generated pieces to discern the unique human touch in journalism.

For instance, senior student Santi D. created an article titled ‘Unraveling the Web of Deceit: Serbian Media’s Role in Spreading Fake News During the Yugoslav Wars,’ which examines the impact of misinformation during the 1990s conflicts in the Balkans. The article outlines how the Serbian media played a crucial role in shaping public perception and exacerbating ethnic tensions through the dissemination of fake news and propaganda.

Driving Question:

How can you use traditional Bosnian carpentry techniques to create innovative product designs?

Module Summary:

The “Carpentry and Innovation” module, tasked students with transforming a plank of wood into an innovative and culturally significant piece over five days. Working closely with local experts in Konjic, the students learned traditional Bosnian carving techniques. They designed and created wooden carvings and objects, using both sketches and 3D models.

Students visited the Zanat factory and a wood carving museum, where they were introduced to different types of wood, carpentry, and woodworking techniques. They also delved into the innovation aspect, learning about the difference between innovation and invention, legal and ethical considerations, and the process of idea protection through patents, trade secrets, and copyrights.

After mastering the basics, the students created their final products in two factory spaces: Elektra, where they worked on sawing, chiseling, and filing their basic shapes, and Zanat, where they refined their shapes, added intricate patterns, and completed their projects with sanding and oiling.

Niko W.’s final product is an oak wooden boat with a unique texture designed to enhance its hydrodynamic performance, akin to the dimples on a golf ball or sharkskin texture. He employed two types of chiseling techniques—flat-headed, curved, and V-shaped—to serve different purposes in crafting the boat. The rip saw, while providing a cleaner cut, required more time compared to the bow saw, which removed more material but left a rougher finish.

Initially using the rip saw for shaping, Niko later switched to the bow saw based on feedback from Alestra staff, prioritizing time efficiency over surface smoothness, as he planned to refine the boat’s sides through subsequent shaping and sanding. To achieve smoother edges and surfaces, he utilized a file initially for its material-removal capability, followed by 80-grit sandpaper to refine the texture further.

Driving Question:

How can I reduce food waste, help dog shelters, and start a campaign in Peru and Oman by creating dog food?

Project Summary:

Andrea D, a Grade 11 student from Peru, observed the plight of stray dogs and the immense food waste generated each year. With over 300 million stray dogs globally and six million in Peru, many of which forage in garbage dumps, she saw an opportunity to tackle these issues simultaneously.

In 2021, it was reported that half of Peru’s food was discarded, and Andrea realized that this wasted food could potentially feed countless stray dogs. Motivated to make a difference, she founded “Sustainable Kibble,” an initiative focused on creating dog food from food waste.

Through extensive research, Andrea discovered that many commercial dog foods contain harmful preservatives and artificial colorings, which can cause health issues like allergies, high blood lipid levels, and cancer. She found that natural preservatives such as cabbage and beets not only preserve food but also provide natural coloring and make it more appealing to dogs. Additionally, papaya seeds were identified as an effective natural dewormer.

Andrea experimented with different formulations and flavors, even testing the kibble on her own dogs to ensure its effectiveness. Her research, which demonstrated the viability of using natural ingredients in dog kibble, was documented in a paper she encourages others to read.

To broaden the impact of her project, Andrea created a multilingual website (available in English, Spanish, and Chinese) where people can access her research, donate, share information, replicate the project in their communities, and purchase affordable dog food. Her ultimate goal is to establish a non-profit organization funded through donations and sales, with profits used to sterilize stray dogs to help reduce the stray dog population.

Andrea’s vision is to feed and deworm stray dogs while reducing food waste, fostering a compassionate community, and promoting sustainable practices. She invites everyone to join her in making a positive and lasting impact on both the environment and the lives of stray dogs.

Driving Question: How can I de-stigmatize mental illness through information and awareness?

Project Description: For her service-learning project, Class of 2022 Senior Noemie created lessons around understanding the fundamentals of mental health.

These include understanding what mental health is, what factors can affect mental health, understanding mental illness, keeping yourself and others safe, and how and where to reach out or find help. Noemie then presented these seminars to students at TGS due to being unable to complete the seminars at home due to Covid.

Project Reflection:
I learned so much from this experience, and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to complete this project and hopefully help at some people understand this topic better. This project was very important to me as, growing up in NZ, I have had so many experiences seeing the effects of poor mental health on peers and people within my community, so it meant so much to be able to be part of the road to a better future around this topic.

Driving Question: How can I preserve a part of Zapotec history and give it a new life in the form of VR experiences?

Project Summary:

Aarushi and Alex’s video focused on the Central Valley of Oaxaca and the civilization that emerged known as the “Be’ena’ Za” or “The Cloud People.” The Be’ena’ Za thrived and became one of the largest civilizations in Mesoamerica, and today they are known as the Zapotec.

Alex and Aarushi introduce viewers to the world of the Zapotec through a VR experience. Their video takes you back in time on a journey into the magnificent city of Monte Albán. The pair invite you to embrace the wisdom of the Zapotec through astrology, religious, and ancient beliefs.

Student Reflection: This module was really exciting for me. I learned a lot of new things and added multiple new subjects to my skill set. This module was also extremely challenging since I had no real prior knowledge about virtual reality or archaeology, but because of our excursions and guest speakers, I was able to create a video VR experience which I am extremely proud of!”- Aarushi A.

Driving Question: How can I use video to present my investigations (SPEED factors) into the lives of the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, Mexico?

Project Summary: In this project, Zoya looked at the lives of the Zapotec community in Oaxaca, and how their lives are impacted by their exposure to Spanish. Her film explores the different aspects of Spanish language exposure (in education, economy, and stigma) and what it meant for the Zapotec people, with a question left to the audience: What does the future look like for the Zapotec?

Driving Question: How can I use video to present my investigations (SPEED factors) into the lives of the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, Mexico?

Project Summary: For his project, Diego focused on the death of indigenous languages in Oaxaca and how the Zapotec people are fighting to keep their language alive, despite the odds.

Student Reflection:
“Even though I live in Mexico, exploring another side of the culture was really interesting, such as language death. Connecting with people and learning about the story was something special that I can’t really put into words.”