11 May, 2001

Gymnasium Rudbecksskolan

Hej! (Hello!)

It is another nice day in Stockholm with a few clouds in a brilliant blue sky.

I was picked up at the Icebreaker Oden by Sven Lidstrom, the Technical Communications Officer for the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, for my visit to the Swedish High School called Rudbecksskolan. "Gymnasium"  is the Swedish word for high school, which consists of just grades 10, 11, and 12. Students there choose a major in high school and then take specific classes to complete it along with certain core classes. Sven wanted to be my guide for the day because he had graduated from this high school 10 years ago and was interested in seeing it again.

We had lunch with the headmaster then visited a Natural Science class for a lecture on chromosomes in Swedish. I had a little trouble following the lecture but science there is the same as science here! The students in Sweden look very much like students in the United States, but there were only 17 students in this parcticular classroom (Photo 1 ScienceClass). They were very nice and were interested in what I teach and also what major Sven was in high school and what he had done after he graduated (he has been to Antarctica four times!).

We also met up with Emilia Hagman, a student at this school, at her chemistry class. She is the daughter of Ingegerd Hagman, from the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. Emilia spent a year as an exchange student in a small town in Idaho so I asked her many questions about the differences between Swedish Gymnasium and U.S. High School. I gave Sven and Emilia El Capitan High School T-Shirts so we have some new Vaqueros in Sweden! (Photo 2 NewVaqueros)

Adjo (goodbye) until tomorrow!

Dena Rosenberger

Science for Swedish students

Emilia and Sven with their new El Capitan High School shirts. Smile!