"Among All Nations"
The halls of OCCS are empty of students, but they are full of evidence of the life, learning, and activity that took place not long ago. The week before the threat of Covid-19 closed schools in Iowa, the middle school students of OCCS had the opportunity to participate in Concentrated Studies. Each year, teachers choose and plan activities for a country of study. Students spend the week in teams of 5th-8th graders, moving from teacher to teacher to learn about the country's culture, history, language, religion, and so much more. This year, the country Iran was chosen. Students learned about the Iranian Revolution, the Persian language, Iranian folk tales, Islamic clothing, and holidays. They constructed mosques with minarets, 3-D maps of Iran's geography, and practiced Iranian calligraphy. They listened to Iranian music and played cricket. They learned about the country's main religion, which is 97.8% Islam, and how it impacts their government and laws. The e
