I am really excited about the program I am going to be running this winter/spring at the library. I've been facilitating the Story & Craft Time for 4 & 5 year olds and Kindergarten and First graders for a few years now and this session we will be journeying around the world!
This program could easily be adapted to homeschool lessons for pre-schoolers or early elementary school. I would recommend visiting your local library and taking out a few books on each country.
Each week, we will read about a different country. I usually pull all of the Easy reader books on a country (Dewey decimal call numbers 914-968). If I can find a picture book or two relating to the country, I grab that as well.
I start by pointing out the country on a huge wall map the library bought for this program and we mark the country we are learning about with a map marker.
Next, I will either read the picture book, if I found one, or I will read parts of the non-fiction book about the country. I will show pictures that illustrate the culture, the topography or the people of the country. Then I will pass out all of the books on that country and have the children get into groups to look at the books together. I will ask them to find one or two interesting things to share with the group. They LOVE this part! They get so quiet and intent and point out things they find interesting to their group. They can't wait to share with the whole group!
After we get our fill of looking at the books, we will do a project that relates to the culture of the country. Below is a list of the projects we will do this session. I do skip around the world a bit, so that we study Ireland just before St. Patrick's Day and get to make Russian Faberge eggs for Easter!
Finally, I made each of the children a 'Passport' and at the end of our weekly time together, they can color in the flag from the country in the passport book and I will stamp the corresponding passport page with a library stamp to show that they learned about that country.
Week of
Jan 28 - Japan - Make a Carp Kite
Picture Book: Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Feb 4 - China--Handprint Dragon
Picture Book: Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Feb 11 - Norway - heart ornaments
Feb 18 - Spain - Matador & Picasso inspired self-portraits if there is time
Picture Book: Three Golden Oranges by Alma Flor Ada
Feb 25 - Italy - Mosaic Pictures (we will use small squares of paper and glue)
Picture Book suggestions
March 4 - Greece - Greek Gods toilet paper tube puppets - Athena, Cyclops, Perseus, Medusa
Picture Book - A Child's Introduction to Greek Mythology
March 11 - Ireland - Leprechaun Marionette
Picture Book: The Last Snake in Ireland
March 18- Russia - Faberge eggs ** (WILL GET MESSY!!!); Russian flag
Picture Book: The Littlest Matryoshka
March 25- Africa - Rain Stick
Picture Book: Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock
April 1- Germany - Toilet paper Windmills
April 8- France - Color a French flag, a Euro and a Fleur de Lis
Picture Book: ChouChou or Madeline
April 15- India - Mandala designs
Picture Book: The Road to Mumbai
April 22- color picture of Alps and Swiss instruments
Picture Book: Heidi
April 29- England - Build a paper castle with brown squares
Picture Book: Paddington
May 6- Mexico - make clay bowls
Picture Book: Adelita by Tomie de Paola
May 13- Mexico - paint clay bowls
May 20- Egypt - make a mummy with yarn and a toilet paper tube
Picture Book suggestions
This program could easily be adapted to homeschool lessons for pre-schoolers or early elementary school. I would recommend visiting your local library and taking out a few books on each country.
Each week, we will read about a different country. I usually pull all of the Easy reader books on a country (Dewey decimal call numbers 914-968). If I can find a picture book or two relating to the country, I grab that as well.
I start by pointing out the country on a huge wall map the library bought for this program and we mark the country we are learning about with a map marker.
Next, I will either read the picture book, if I found one, or I will read parts of the non-fiction book about the country. I will show pictures that illustrate the culture, the topography or the people of the country. Then I will pass out all of the books on that country and have the children get into groups to look at the books together. I will ask them to find one or two interesting things to share with the group. They LOVE this part! They get so quiet and intent and point out things they find interesting to their group. They can't wait to share with the whole group!
After we get our fill of looking at the books, we will do a project that relates to the culture of the country. Below is a list of the projects we will do this session. I do skip around the world a bit, so that we study Ireland just before St. Patrick's Day and get to make Russian Faberge eggs for Easter!
Finally, I made each of the children a 'Passport' and at the end of our weekly time together, they can color in the flag from the country in the passport book and I will stamp the corresponding passport page with a library stamp to show that they learned about that country.
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| Click image to access Printable Passport PDF |
Week of
Jan 28 - Japan - Make a Carp Kite
Picture Book: Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Feb 4 - China--Handprint Dragon
Picture Book: Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Feb 11 - Norway - heart ornaments
Feb 18 - Spain - Matador & Picasso inspired self-portraits if there is time
Picture Book: Three Golden Oranges by Alma Flor Ada
Feb 25 - Italy - Mosaic Pictures (we will use small squares of paper and glue)
Picture Book suggestions
March 4 - Greece - Greek Gods toilet paper tube puppets - Athena, Cyclops, Perseus, Medusa
Picture Book - A Child's Introduction to Greek Mythology
March 11 - Ireland - Leprechaun Marionette
Picture Book: The Last Snake in Ireland
March 18- Russia - Faberge eggs ** (WILL GET MESSY!!!); Russian flag
Picture Book: The Littlest Matryoshka
March 25- Africa - Rain Stick
Picture Book: Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock
April 1- Germany - Toilet paper Windmills
April 8- France - Color a French flag, a Euro and a Fleur de Lis
Picture Book: ChouChou or Madeline
April 15- India - Mandala designs
Picture Book: The Road to Mumbai
April 22- color picture of Alps and Swiss instruments
Picture Book: Heidi
April 29- England - Build a paper castle with brown squares
Picture Book: Paddington
May 6- Mexico - make clay bowls
Picture Book: Adelita by Tomie de Paola
May 13- Mexico - paint clay bowls
May 20- Egypt - make a mummy with yarn and a toilet paper tube
Picture Book suggestions
