Projekt 2020/21

Level 1
1a

EAA-class is fun!

Why I joined EAA class…
English is a simple and important language in the world. If you speak English, you don`t have to learn 100 languages, because in every country people speak it. English is also important, if you go on vacation and you don`t speak the language of this country.

What EAA-class is like…
If  you want to go to EAA class, you don’t need any knowledge of the English language in the beginning, because we start from scratch. So everybody is able to join it.

What do we learn in our subjects?
We try to include English in all subjects, except for German. For example, our whole Geography book is written in English. If we don’t understand it, we have our teacher, who explains it. Our teachers talk in English almost all the time, but you can understand the subject matter very well. We also have a lot of fun during the EAA afternoons, where we play games and solve riddles. 

How do I like it?
I’m very happy that I joined EAA class because my knowledge and interest in English are bigger than before.

Rosalie Tscheppe, 1 aW


It´s that spooky time of the year again…

The first English afternoon of 1aw took place on October 20th. This means that Halloween is coming closer and closer. Therefore, it is high time for our students of the 1aw to prepare themselves for the spookiest and  most terrifying night in the whole year. And what would be a better preparation for that than creating your own scary pumpkins and skeletons and getting fit during mummy-races?

Level 2
2g

EAA – Covid 19 can’t stop us!

Have you ever heard about “Lucky Hildegard“ or read about “Agent Turtle and the Disappeared Money“?

Probably not because these stories are brand-new and have been created by the students of the 2gk on their EAA afternoons this term. Writing, illustrating and recording a voice-over within 4 short lessons proved to be a challenge for the groups but also made the afternoon simply fly by with lots of discussions and laughter.

Corona does not allow us to invite parents and friends for an evening where we can proudly present our achievements. Our creative YouTube stories may be a welcome alternative for those interested in what students of the 2gk can still come up with – no matter how many weeks of home schooling and class size reductions they have experienced. 

Find the links to 2gk’s wonderful video stories below:

Agent Turtle and the Disappeared Money
Lucky Hildegard
Magic Michigan
My House!
Treasure Hunt
The World Eaters
The Curse of the Pharao
Kennischeé
Defeat Yesshold

Level 3
3a

This year’s topics 

Fortunately, two English afternoons could take place this year. For example, one of our topics was the English royal family. We learned many interesting facts about each person but also about the family tree and the royal palaces. Also, we turned creative and made paper models of sights together, enjoyed English tea time and planned a trip through the UK, which was a lot of fun!

In our English lessons this semester we also talked about important topics like racism or civil rights activists and about how to stand up for your rights. But of course, we also discussed many other new and exciting issues like the countries of Canada and South Africa and we did many other fun activities, too. Moreover, we were able to improve our English skills during all other subjects taught in English, e. g.  history, religious education, geography, biology, music, maths and physics.

Nora Griesbacher, 3aW

Civil rights activists

Emmeline Pankhurst is my favourite civil rights activist because she was a very independent woman and it was so brave of her to start a society called “The Suffragettes“ although many people disliked them. The Suffragettes even went to prison and risked their lives just to achieve voting rights for women. Emmeline never gave up and I’m so glad she didn’t, because I think without her, women would have been allowed to vote only much later. I hope there will be many more people like her in this world.

Nora Griesbacher, 3aW

My favourite civil rights activist is Martin Luther King. There are meany reasons for this, but mainly because he wasn’t afraid to speak up. A lot of people find his “I have a dream“- speech inspiring, but I think it’s actually rather sad, because a big part of that dream was that his children would be able to live without getting judged by the colour of their skin. In my opinion, this should be self-evident! Without Martin Luther King we would not have gotten this far. Although there is still a lot ahead of us, I hope that we will get rid of racism once and for all.

Karla Höcher, 3aW

My favourite heroine is Malala Yousafzai, because when she was twelve years old she was already fighting for women’s rights in Pakistan. Isn’t that incredible? I’m not sure at all if I had done such a brave thing. I also like the way she fought non-violently. When she got shot in the head and recovered, she even continued to fight. That’s why I think she really deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. I do hope she will fight until everyone is treated equally.

Emma Koppin, 3aW

Level 4

4c

Four years of EAA/CLIL class 2018-2021…

What Ienjoy most about being EAA class is that I know so many different words in English and so I can help people if they need me to be an interpreter. 
If I need to study for a test I always summarise everything I have to learn and then study it as if it was a presentation. This method has always helped me to know the things I had to know by heart.
I think it doesn’t make a difference in which language the subject are taught because if you write down everything in English you can study it in English and answer questions with English answers. 
Some advice I would like to give is from a book that we’ve read called “Wonder”: 
If you have been given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind!

Enya Platzer

I think it’s really worth it to attend EAA class because you might go to a school abroad one day and then you will definitely need a lot of English. In fact, I have really enjoyed my time in EAA class.

Annalena Kirchmayr

We can easily communicate with people around the world which is amazing. Especially nowadays, where everyone can go everywhere, it is really important to know the English language. But also having subject lessons in another language was a real adventure. For example, chemistry: In many books that I read, chemical terms are always in English, but lucky for me, I understand them. Aside from Chemistry, all the other subjects were very easy to understand. That’s because our teachers really took their time to explain everything to us and help us understand and learn.
EAA class has helped me a lot, which is especially useful due to my future wish of working internationally. So, if anyone wants to have the best opportunities in his/her future working life, he/she should choose this class. 

Nicole Krebs

Thinking back to the time when I had to make the decision about which type of class to choose, I am very happy that I chose EAA class. It has helped me in so many ways and it forced me to speak more English and that was really helpful for me to improve my knowledge and speaking skills. Above all, it has helped me not to be so shy anymore.  

Eva Kugel

A thing I would recommend to everyone who wants to start in an EAA class is that you shouldn’t be too worried abour your level of English in the beginning. After primary school, I also didn’t know many words and so I was very excited and even a bit afraid but when I started to realise that we were nearly all on the same level, I enjoyed studying subjects in English more and more. I really would make the same decision every time again if I had to.

 Jeremias Marbler

 I chose EAA because I have always loved the language and I also wanted to try something completely new. At the beginning it was quite difficult because it was a new school and you have to get used to how to speak politely with your teachers or how to best deal with the school system, master the daily routine and treat your fellow students with respect. But actually in this respect, it doesn’t really matter if you choose EAA or any other class, because you always have to get used to the new situation.

Livia Pucher

The EAA-afternoons were really funny. All the subjects (except for German) were taught in English and in German. I’m pretty sure the expanded knowledge will be useful in future. Sometimes the language-mix made it a bit more difficult.

Ione Koval

I can still remember the first day in EAA-class. After getting over the shock of not seeing my friends form primary school any more, I found new friends very quickly.

Jan Gornicec

I decided to go to EAA class because English is a world language and can be useful in many jobs in your future life. I’ve enjoyed my time here in this class and so the whole four years have been a very positive experience. 

Selina Neuhold

The first two years I attended English class in Klostergasse. I liked it there. The school building is full of modern design. Week by week, more English was used in class. The level of English was perfect and if you didn’t understand something well enough you were always free to ask. I didn’t have any problems in any of the subjects. You just have to pay attention, and then it works out just fine. After the second grade we swapped buildings to Wagnastraße. At first, that was a big change. But here as well as there, the teachers were very nice and everything turned out fine.

Lisa Rauch

The thing I like most about EAA so far is just the variety of not having to speak German all the time. It’s also exciting because you learn something new every day and for me it makes some subjects more interesting. Sometimes it’s hard in completely new subjects, for example in chemistry, but that‘s more due to the fact that I don’t understand it in German and not due to English. And if I don’t understand the material, I can always ask again and it will become more understandable by the time.

Sophia Schlatte

I learned picking up new vocabulary very fast and started speaking English freely with my friends, even outside of school. My parents were fascinated that I‘ve become better at speaking English than them so quickly. 

Nowadays, I can’t imagine my life without the ability to speak English. This language is so important because you can use it in so many different countries. I feel very grateful!

Jasmin Pinnitsch

4g

OUR DIGITAL WEEK IN IRELAND

On Tuesday, April 6th, our digital week in Ireland started.
First we introduced ourselves to our teacher Caroline. Then we were divided into groups where we had to discuss various topics and received some general information about Ireland, for example that the capital of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin. We also learned that the colour green is very important in Ireland.
On 17th March, Irish people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day as Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. On this day parades take place and people meet for a drink. Interestingly, the first parade took place in Boston, in 1737. You have to wear something green on that day: even the beer or the muffins may be green.
We also found out that every leaf of the shamrock has a different meaning and that it is the symbol of the Holy Trinity. Since the shamrock is also green, this colour is even more significant to the Irish people.
On Wednesday we talked about how to survive in special situations. For instance, how would you react if you fell into a river with your car? Most of the students said that they would open the car door and leave the car as fast as possible.
After that we dealt with Irish slang. For example, ‘c’mere‘ means “come here”; ‘savage‘ can also be something positive about somebody. On Thursday we discussed different themes. We talked about expensive objects and things you can’t live without. We also watched a video about the city centre of Dublin and solved a riddle.
Here is a list of famous attractions in Ireland.

Cliffs of Moher: Famous sight and landmark of Ireland. You can find them near Galway, on the West coast.

Grafton Street: It is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin’s city centre.

Kilmainham Gaol: … is a former prison and now a museum for the history of Irish nationalism.

The Ring of Kerry: It is a 170 km long circular tourist route in County Kerry.

Glendalough: Glendalough is a glacial valley in County Wicklow. It’s a good place for picnics and also rock-climbing.

Giant‘s Causeway: … is an area of about 40000 interlocking basalt columns on the north coast of Northern Ireland (it’s a result of volcanic eruption).

On Friday we talked about Irish food. A typical Irish breakfast is called “Full Irish“. It consists of bacon, sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and some cooked leftover potatoes.
We also learned a lot about potatoes, for example that the Spanish people brought them to Europe. We also heard that potatoes already grow in space.
Caroline also told us about different potato recipes (mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, roasted potatoes, etc.).
After that we held our group presentations which we had prepared. Sofie and I spoke about Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer.

I liked the digital week in Ireland a lot. Our teacher Caroline was very nice and we learned interesting things.

Stürzl Melissa, 4gk

EAA Afternoons

With the end of the school year approaching, there are many things that have happened during the school year apart from corona. Speeding towards the end of middle school, I’ve come to appreciate many of the things so easily forgotten. School outings, interesting projects… and one of my favorites, EAA afternoons. I was surprised to realize that the last of them had already passed.
Over the years, each afternoon focused on specific themes. From Halloween to Guy Fawkes Day to Christmas, we were always occupied with interesting cultural aspects and had ample opportunity to talk about all sorts of other subjects. We played games and had fun, learning English vocabulary and practicing our communications skills at the same time.

One of my favorite aspects of these times have been the games.  They are not only fun but also encourage team work and help to expand one‘s vocabulary. 
A recent game we enjoyed was Story Cubes. Each box comes with a set of dice. Instead of numbers, they are adorned with small pictures, the topics stretching from asteroids to everyday objects such as keys. There are multiple sets with different themes, for example ‘Magic‘. ‘Horror‘ or ‘Action‘. Some are simpler, with common themes that relate to daily life, while others are fantastical (some are slightly ridiculous).
A player will throw the dice and then create a story from the pictures they have rolled. These pictures can be used to invent an interesting story or even form a dialogue. The cubes may be arranged in whichever order the participants prefer, and multiple players can even create stories together! 
It’s an entertaining way to improve grammar, learn new vocabulary and satisfy the imagination. My classmates and I enjoyed it immensely and I hope we will play something similar during our next EAA afternoon. 
Another time we composed sketches and then performed them. This was very enjoyable, too, as we could use our imagination and performing skills. It was interesting to see how creative my classmates were.
Our last English Afternoon was by far the most interesting for me. As always we were divided into three groups, each working with one teacher on a particular topic.
In one group we played a game of trivia centering on English-speaking countries. It was a fun way to spend time with my classmates, and I was happily surprised to learn some new things along the way as well. 
In our second group we discussed the clothing industry and its polluting effects. Often, people overlook the drastic impact fashion has on our planet.
Lastly, we spent an hour on racism. I was glad the topic was finally addressed as it is so important to recognize the significance this issue poses to people around the world. Even though racism may be less noticeable here in Austria, this does not mean that it has been eradicated. Ignorance contributes significantly to this problem.
Over the past few years, we’ve experienced many English afternoons. Each came with new experiences, new information and treasured memories. 

Schuppler Sofia, 4gk

CSI Leibnitz

In one of their lab sessions the scientists in 4gk got to know a very special chemical reaction. When one thinks of forensic scientists in TV series, such as CSI Miami, eventually pictures of how they spray around a certain chemical to make traces of blood visible pop up in our minds. Even though 4gk did not try to detect real blood, they simulated the mentioned method by using luminol and potassium ferricyanide. Mixing these two alongside a few more chemicals creates so-called cold light. Below you can see the forensic scientists of CSI Leibnitz at work.

Level 5
5a

The Impact of Waste Management on Climate Change

On Wednesday, June 2nd, we listened to a presentation about waste management given by Prof. Pomberger from the Montanuniversität Leoben. This was part of series focusing on “Klimawissen online”.  The aim was to raise awareness about the production, disposal and reduction of waste.

The presenter started with looking at the history of waste and the role it played in people’s lives then. As people just threw away their waste, diseases like cholera or the black plague were the result. 
Nowadays, we produce so much waste that we need to rethink what we do or not do with all that waste. Waste can and should be recycled more and the remaining waste has to be disposed of in landfills. However, if we recycled or reused materials more instead of using new resources, we would also produce less carbon dioxide. For example, plastic bottles can be recycled multiple times and plastic could also be turned into energy fuel.
There are multiple novel ideas concerning waste management as its effects on our climate must not be underestimated. The Montanuniversität Leoben has developed the ReWaste4.0 project which aims to develop a “circular economy” regarding waste management, involving sector-specific know-how and international technology.

Péter Rath, 5aw

The Impact of Waste management on Climate Change

When trying to name reasons for the occurrence of global warming, a certain set of images and concepts will likely arise in most people’s minds. Those may include the use of fossil fuels to power large machinery or to produce electricity, or the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Yet, one major cause for global warming is often forgotten or not even considered, namely poor waste management.

Professor Roland Pomberger from the Montanuniverstät Leoben gave a presentation on this topic for students, which included our class, 5aw. He pointed out how consumption is increasing rapidly across the globe, which has resulted in more demand for goods and thus also more waste. He believes though that those waste products are resources in the wrong place. So in order to make them more productive and less damaging for the environment, we should adapt certain strategies to optimize the management of waste. However, in order to apply those strategies, one would first have to acknowledge the importance of processing waste effectively.
Firstly, many waste products are harmful to the health of humans. They have, in fact, caused the outbreak of cholera and pandemics like the Black Death, which were responsible for hundreds of millions of deaths. 
Secondly, effective waste management should make efficient use of materials. Recycling is an excellent way to avoid the exploitation of natural resources. Also, the well-managed manufacturing of waste does not harm the environment, but uses, for example, the energy produced when burning remaining waste. This method is already utilized in the cement industry.
However, many poor and developing countries seem unable to establish well-organized waste management systems. They continue to pollute the air and contaminate rivers. Even developed countries have problems with how to best deal with waste. Austria used to export synthetic substances, which are difficult to process, to other countries and as of today only recycles about 25% of its plastic, which is quite concerning. In total, the average Austrian citizen produces 6.7 tons of waste a year – a lot of trash to be handled. 
On the other hand, however, Austria fares a lot better in recycling waste products than it used to and in comparison to other countries. Like most other nations though we aim to improve the efficiency of waste management and to make people aware of the issues. Prof. Roland Pomberger’s presentation, which the 5aw had the opportunity to be a part of, is a good example for this attempt as is the whole series of talks on “Klimawissen online”. Prof. Pomberger calls for improvements on the economic level but addresses the individual’s responsibility as well. He suggests the use of alternative energy sources and claims that businesses should find ways to process garbage better and to develop a functioning waste management system. At the end of the day, it is, however, up to all of us since as consumers we need to purchase the right products and handle waste responsibly.

Grasmuck Lukas, 5aw

Level 6
6a

How I adapted to EAA-class

Two years ago at the end of fourth grade, ten people got the opportunity to join an EAA-class for the upper forms. This was the first time this change was possible and I wanted to improve my English skills, get out of my comfort zone and get to know new people. 

Therefore, since September 2019 I have been a part of the programme and I have learned a lot in this short amount of time. 

I have always been aware of the fact that adapting to speaking English in nearly every subject would be a tough challenge and I would lie if I said I didn’t have problems at the beginning. The other students, who had been in this class for four years, were used to speaking freely, but I really had problems to express myself because I was scared to make mistakes. Sometimes I just switched between English and German because I felt I was lacking the vocabulary. 

My English skills got better by the time, because I tried to ignore the people around me and plucked up the courage to speak, since this was the only way to improve. I have to admit that this year’s online lessons were beneficial for me in terms of speaking, because I only saw the screen and didn’t get distracted as much. Also, I’ve come to realise that I needn’t have worried so much, as nobody around me bothered when I made small mistakes. Still, I used to be hesitant when talking, but this has definitely changed and now I feel much more confident in any of the discussions going on in class.

Attending EAA-class was the best decision I could have ever made, because I have gained a lot of knowledge and this experience will definitely have a positive impact on my future and I am glad to gain more confidence in speaking English every single day. 

Valentina Lausegger, 6aW


Cover design for CLIL materials

Everybody at school knows Laura Lambauer to be extremely creative. There is hardly a time when you cannot see her doodling in a notebook or drawing sketches and comics on her tablet. This time she used her creativity to support Ms. Lechner and Ms. Brandstätter and created a unique cover for the Chemistry workbooks written and compiled by them. You can see the final product below.

Level 7
7a

Klimawissen online – Sustainable Travel 

Philipp Schaudy, a globetrotter, gave a presentation on “Sustainable Travel” as part of the series of talks related to “Klimawissen online”. He told us about his trips around the world – so far he has visited 80 countries, mainly on his bike, cycling 120,000 km.  
He started by saying that travelling was not essential for living but that it was certainly life-enriching. It would be important though to travel in a slow and responsible manner in order to reduce the negative impacts caused by tourism for destinations. This is also why Schaudy mostly uses his bike to get to places as this is not only an emission-free way of travelling but also allows you to experience nature and to get in touch with the local people. These would usually be very friendly and hospitable, offering food and a place to stay overnight. Obviously, something to eat and drink as well as a roof over your head are crucial when travelling. 

In short, sustainable and gentle tourism takes three main aspects – economic, ecological and social ones – into account. Schaudy also felt that we must neither affect nature nor the local communities in any negative way when travelling. Thus he solely uses sustainable vehicles, avoiding highways when using his van on his trips. In Canada, he once went by canoe for two months to explore this country. He said that he was no longer interested in visiting famous sights but rather wanted to find out how people lived in the countries he went to. His favourite place was Spitzbergen where he also takes people as a tour guide.
Schaudy also showed us many beautiful photos that he had taken during his trips. They were a wonderful illustration of our fantastic world and an incentive to rethink the way we travel.
Philipp Schaudy, a globetrotter, gave a presentation on “Sustainable Travel” as part of the series of talks related to “Klimawissen online”. He told us about his trips around the world – so far he has visited 80 countries, mainly on his bike, cycling 120,000 km.  
He started by saying that travelling was not essential for living but that it was certainly life-enriching. It would be important though to travel in a slow and responsible manner in order to reduce the negative impacts caused by tourism for destinations. This is also why Schaudy mostly uses his bike to get to places as this is not only an emission-free way of travelling but also allows you to experience nature and to get in touch with the local people. These would usually be very friendly and hospitable, offering food and a place to stay overnight. Obviously, something to eat and drink as well as a roof over your head are crucial when travelling.  
In short, sustainable and gentle tourism takes three main aspects – economic, ecological and social ones – into account. Schaudy also felt that we must neither affect nature nor the local communities in any negative way when travelling. Thus he solely uses sustainable vehicles, avoiding highways when using his van on his trips. In Canada, he once went by canoe for two months to explore this country. He said that he was no longer interested in visiting famous sights but rather wanted to find out how people lived in the countries he went to. His favourite place was Spitzbergen where he also takes people as a tour guide.
Schaudy also showed us many beautiful photos that he had taken during his trips. They were a wonderful illustration of our fantastic world and an incentive to rethink the way we travel.

Gschiel Clemens, 7aw