We just received loads of photos and a couple of blogs from our students in Leamington Spa. On their 3rd day they went to Oxford.
At 8 am we met at the language school. From there we road in the bus to Oxford. There we visited the Oxford Natural History museum. There were a lot of different things, like fossils, skeletons, taxidermy, stones and animals that are still alive. After we looked around we had a workshop about different kinds of adaption in nature and evolution by insects. Some of us even held a cockroach in their hands. Most of the things were very interesting and beautiful but there were also some things that were pretty creepy and weird. Overall it was very informative.
After we left the museum we took a group photo and then we got some free time to eat something and do some shopping. Then we went on a tour around Oxford. We went to the kissing gate, sigh bridge and a college where we were allowed to see the chapel, but we were not allowed to stay to long because there were exams going on. Then we had some more free time.
After that we walked back to the bus and road to the cricket club. At the cricket club they explained us how to play cricket and we were split up in groups. All the groups had to practice, play and watch a game of cricket. For most of us this was the first time they played cricket. Learning a new sport was very fun and interesting. Afterwards we got some drinks and some cookies.
Then our host families picked us up and everyone went back to the house they are staying at.
Meyke, Piene, Zoë and Kiki, V2bt
Wednesday morning we woke up at our host families. We had to be at the language school at 8.15 so we could go to Oxford with the coach. The drive was about 90 minutes by coach.
Today we went to the natural history museum in Oxford. There we were divided into two groups: group A and group B. We were in group A and first we had to listen to a little presentation about half an hour where we learned more about insects and a specific shellfish. We could also touch a pretty big kind of beetle: the cockroach! When the presentation was done we could go and see the rest of the museum. There were some stuffed animals behind glass, a stuffed bear that we could touch, skeletons of animals and also some stones with a lot of colours in it. Everyone had to choose one animal to write a report about for biology. You had to make a selfie with it so our teacher can know for sure we didn't copy a picture from the internet or from someone else.
When we went outside the museum we had to make a group picture and say 'Oxford'.
After the museum we got some free time to go shopping or get some food. We had to meet up at a certain point so we could go for a tour. The tour was through Oxford center and the University. They told us some facts about Oxford like these 8 fascinating facts about Oxford:
- Until 1878 there women were not allowed to be in Oxford.
- Hitler and Oxford: Hitler was intending to use Oxford as his capital if he conquered England which is one of the reasons it was not bombed.
- The oldest graffiti is located in Oxford.
- Oxford was the capital of England untill 1642
- Oxford has more published writers per square mile than anywhere else in the world.
- Oxford University has educated 26 British Prime Ministers.
- Oxford University is the oldest English-speaking university in the world.
- Books have been printed in Oxford since 1478.
When the tour was finished we got another 40 minutes free time to get some food. After we drove back, we went to the Cricket club in Leamington. First we we’re explained what cricket was about. After that we were divided into 3 groups and we played the game.
At 8 o’clock our long day ended and we all got picked up by our host families.
Ruhama, v2at