Tuesday, July 22nd

Greetings!
Driving through the surrounding areas of the university one would see various home grouped into shacks, like ‘matchboxes’, with tin roofs and homes without plaster. A variety is key; there are various types of homes grouped together. Around other businesses or larger private homes we saw a noticeable amount of barbed wire along the borders. There are many drastic contrasts throughout the country and much of these are seem looking from the right to the left side of the street or simply driving a few moments down the main roads.
South Africa in the winter: most days feel like a late October or early November. When the sun is out it is truly pleasant to walk around outside, I feel the chill early in the morning and late at night. I still haven’t had to bring out the winter jacket. But from what I hear the Western Cape is supposed to be colder and wet. We shall see. Also, the main surprise I had in terms of landscape was how dry and dead looking the grass was. I guess our grass would look like that at times throughout the winter, but it is frequently covered by snow. So when you look around on the sides of the road or into the fields it just looks barren.
Today’s trips were right up my alley!
6th grade social studies teachers pay close attention! J I would also suggest checking out the following web site for more information: www.cradleofhumankind.co.za/
We started our 1st tour through the Cradle of Humankind museum and then the natural cave. This site has been accredited as a World Heritage Site in 1999. The anthropological geek in me may be coming out a little now (beware). Paleo-anthropologists located 15 major fossil sites within the area and the most important fossils were found in the Sterkfontein caves. They found fossils of hominids, “Mrs Ples” (which after further research they were able to discover that it was really a young male, not a mrs, so now Master Ples) and “Little Foot”, and those of plants and animals.
These archaeological sites provided many intact skulls, jaws, and other limbs. I was also interested in the tools exhibit of the Old and Middle Stone ages and the traces of mankind’s development as they learn to use fire, make vocal sounds, use tools, communicate, work in groups, etc. They did a real nice job of connecting the past to modern advancements in those same categories (This was primarily stressed and displayed in a kid friendly way in the Maropeng museum nearby).
As you would imagine I took a whole lot of pictures and will have to come up with ways to integrate them into our power point and SMART board lessons!
Just wondering and perhaps over thinking, but the underlying message of the museum does draw a lot of connections to what we teach about diversity and tolerance and the acceptance and equality that South Africa is trying to reach. Throughout the Cradle of Humankind museum the messages on the walls and within the exhibits stressed that we come from the same scientific background and genetic background. As a human species we have developed and learned how to survive. The message is to stress similarities and connections, even at the most basic and simple root. I wonder if the school groups coming through that day or other days are being taught this message along the way. Along the way these questions of diversity, acceptance, assimilation, and how they are tied to us coming from the same ancestor continue to arise.
A visible sign of acceptance and integration today. Not to offend anyone, but I saw an inter-racial couple with a baby. I learned that it is more common to see as you go further away from the city of Pretoria and closer to Johannesburg.
[As of Saturday night, that was the only inter-racial couple that I have seen in SA.]
Next, we went within the Sterkfontein cave, a limestone cave that is 18 degrees C all year round. There were plenty of times where we had to “watch our heads” and bend over or limbo to get through the tight or low areas. It was similar to some of the caves Ania and I visited in Poland. I got nicknamed the ‘miner’ because I wore Brendan’s head lamp, which did help us look into the cracks and far out (thanks B!).
· Kudos to our tour leader for inviting our bus driver, Thabo, along with us to many of the historical sites and museums. Places that he had not seen and was all smiles about exploring J
Once we arrived back at the Rugby House we went into their theater and watched Molly Blanks’s movie, “Testing Hope”. Her research was to follow a group of 11 and 12th grade students preparing to take their matric exams in the Capetown area. Matric exams are similar to our SAT exams in that they determine what college or university you can go to. The same exam is given to all students on a national level. Just imagine the discrepancy between the public and private schools and the resources available for tutoring and extra resources (similar battle in our country as well!). The other great struggle is that the matric exam is only given in either English or Africana (the ‘white language’). Again the question of fairness and possibility arises, especially when many of the teachers themselves in black schools do not know how to speak either language. If students do not pass they can reenroll in the grade level again and try again next year. The test results are published in the local paper and posted on national TV and so students know who passed and who did not and by how much. The 6 weeks that these students wait are anxiety filled and a time to lay out the future possibilities. And what if you don’t pass ever? What jobs are available to you? What happens next?
· I’m not sure if I mentioned this or not already, but there is definitely no shortage of food on this trip! Jeeez!

Cheers!