I have been working on getting my final posts updated, and this is one that I am excited about. I asked my students to write down questions or things they were curious about in the Moroccan culture. We didn't limit the questions to one topic, and I think that worked out for the better. The Moroccan students were excited about being able to respond to my students. Below you'll read the Q&A's responses. Many questions overlapped, in this case I was able to combine answers. Thanks for checking this out!
Ithaca High School students - Do you see your questions?
I think I got everyone in there who asked a specific student centered question.
*****
What type of transportation is often used?
Buses (most common), motorbikes, cars, but we walk a lot especially to and from school. Approximately 90% of students walk to school.
How many people are in the average Moroccan family?
There are typically between 4 and 5 family members.
What sports do you play?
Soccer (most popular), Basketball, Handball and Volleyball
What languages do you speak and when do you start school?
Public Schools: We start learning French in 3rd grade and then English in 9th grade.
Private Schools: They start English and French since Kindergarten.
How good are the private schools compared to the public school?
There is a huge difference between private schools and public schools in Morocco. You can say that the teacher in private schools is more dedicated to their work and the students are more serious.
How important is multilingualism in your school?
Very, we speak English, French and Arabic in our classes.
How long is your school year?
10 months and we have a holiday every two months
We go to school from 8 am to 12 pm, and then lunch from 12 pm to 2 pm and back to school from 2 pm to 6 pm.
No, there are not any music programs in Moroccan schools. Sometimes a teacher may bring it into her/his classroom, but it is not like the American education system.
What do people typically wear to school?
The girls wear a white smock to school to cover their clothes as a sign of respect. Girls are not allowed to wear any short clothes or ripped jeans…skin cannot be exposed.
Many students do hope to come to America and attend college.
Where do kids hang out after school?
After school we go to neighborhood parks. We may also read books or play video games. Not a lot of teenagers will go to the movies.
If you were to live anywhere in the world where would it be?
LA or Australia
(Australia is a common place for many students that I spoke too)
Is it normal to have hair dyed in your culture?
It is not normal to do this, but it depends on the person as some do dye their hair.
A musical artist that Moroccan students suggested we listen to is Don Bigg (rapper)
Commonly eaten foods are Tagine and Couscous
Where do you learn how to drive?
There is a driving school that you sign up to learn how to drive. The legal minimum age to get your license is 21. However, you can drive with a permit and another person who is a license carrier in the car.
What native animals do you have that we in America might not have or recognize?
There were a lot of lions and hippos, but they have since be taking out of Morocco or put in zoos.
What is the predominant religion and what daily rituals do you have?
Morocco is a Muslim country so our daily rituals would be to pray 5 times a day – morning (5:45 am), noon, after lunch, before dinner and then after dinner (8:45 pm)
How many different ethnic groups are there in Morocco?
The culture in Morocco is a blend of Arab and Berber’s (Amazigh – pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa), Sahrawi (Western Sahara people) and other African and European groups.
Ithaca High School students - Do you see your questions?
I think I got everyone in there who asked a specific student centered question.
*****
What type of transportation is often used?
Buses (most common), motorbikes, cars, but we walk a lot especially to and from school. Approximately 90% of students walk to school.
How many people are in the average Moroccan family?
There are typically between 4 and 5 family members.
What sports do you play?
Soccer (most popular), Basketball, Handball and Volleyball
What languages do you speak and when do you start school?
Public Schools: We start learning French in 3rd grade and then English in 9th grade.
Private Schools: They start English and French since Kindergarten.
How good are the private schools compared to the public school?
There is a huge difference between private schools and public schools in Morocco. You can say that the teacher in private schools is more dedicated to their work and the students are more serious.
How important is multilingualism in your school?
Very, we speak English, French and Arabic in our classes.
How long is your school year?
10 months and we have a holiday every two months
We go to school from 8 am to 12 pm, and then lunch from 12 pm to 2 pm and back to school from 2 pm to 6 pm.
No, there are not any music programs in Moroccan schools. Sometimes a teacher may bring it into her/his classroom, but it is not like the American education system.
What do people typically wear to school?
The girls wear a white smock to school to cover their clothes as a sign of respect. Girls are not allowed to wear any short clothes or ripped jeans…skin cannot be exposed.
Many students do hope to come to America and attend college.
Where do kids hang out after school?
After school we go to neighborhood parks. We may also read books or play video games. Not a lot of teenagers will go to the movies.
If you were to live anywhere in the world where would it be?
LA or Australia
(Australia is a common place for many students that I spoke too)
Is it normal to have hair dyed in your culture?
It is not normal to do this, but it depends on the person as some do dye their hair.
A musical artist that Moroccan students suggested we listen to is Don Bigg (rapper)
Commonly eaten foods are Tagine and Couscous
Where do you learn how to drive?
There is a driving school that you sign up to learn how to drive. The legal minimum age to get your license is 21. However, you can drive with a permit and another person who is a license carrier in the car.
What native animals do you have that we in America might not have or recognize?
There were a lot of lions and hippos, but they have since be taking out of Morocco or put in zoos.
What is the predominant religion and what daily rituals do you have?
Morocco is a Muslim country so our daily rituals would be to pray 5 times a day – morning (5:45 am), noon, after lunch, before dinner and then after dinner (8:45 pm)
How many different ethnic groups are there in Morocco?
The culture in Morocco is a blend of Arab and Berber’s (Amazigh – pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa), Sahrawi (Western Sahara people) and other African and European groups.