Photoshop

For this assignment, I tried to use photoshop software as an interactive way to have ESL students talk about their home countries.  Using this past summer's World Cup as a topic, I began with a blank world map and inserted a flag for each country that took part in the World Cup 2010.  For most of the countries, I used the 'brush' feature to draw a straight line.  I do have to say that 'Ctrl, Alt, Z' is my favorite feature of photoshop. 

This picture could be used as an activity for ESL students to begin sharing information about their country.  I think using soccer as a shared common interest would be a good introduction to talking about what some countries or cultures have in common.   Each student could take a turn locating their country on the map, talk about their native language and share a couple of customs or traditions they practice.  I think that encouraging awareness of other cultures, languages, and customs would help to improve some of the tensions that are found between some ethnic groups.