Ninth Grade Arabic Class Battles Pollution with Storytime

When it comes to typical class projects, picture books about talking globes are definitely not the first things that come to mind. Even so, Ms. Ahlam Qaddoumi’s ninth grade Arabic class made it work with الكرة الأرضية السحرية, or The Magic Globe– a story about two children who discover the harmful effects of pollution on a journey, starring the anthropomorphous Globey.

Motivated by the trash around the school grounds, the students decided to use this opportunity to tackle pollution in a unique way. “We wanted to write a children’s story about pollution because the school has been dealing with a ton of trash outside,” explains illustrator Minha Alam. “The story is about two kids, Sandy and Randy, who travel the world to learn more about the different types of pollution.”

Mehreen Ahmed, serving as the co-author and publisher, used a site called StoryJumper to get their book printed. Once the hard copies arrive, the students plan to read the story to the younger grades in hopes of teaching them about littering and pollution in a kid-friendly way. “We want them to understand that they shouldn’t litter, and that if they do, the things around them will be harmed,” says co-illustrator Sara Ghawji.

Upon the completion of their magnum opus, Ms. Ahlam took her smaller-than-average class on a “field trip” to Boba Society and the nearby Olive House - leaving the rest of the school envious. But who can complain when it’s all in the name of a cleaner planet?