Tag Archives: social studies

Names & Cultural Identities in Stories of Immigrant Children

Posted on June 13, 2012 | 8 Comments

Here is a lesson plan for elementary school students that discusses personal names, moving from one country to another, and adopting aspects of the new culture while maintaining cultural identity. I have chosen several books representing characters from different countries, for different ages levels, that tell about children that have struggled and succeeded with this assimilation. Many stories show why children have decided to keep or change their name for different reasons. These stories provoke discussion on the significance of our names and identities, the process of adapting to a new culture and language, and the challenges of making new friends.

I have been involved with the immigrant community in teaching, training, and translating for almost 20 years, and I believe that when we allow our children to understand the perspective of others, they will be compassionate and welcoming towards newcomers who might first appear “different.” After a brief summary of the books, I have included a list of discussion questions and writing prompts that ignite critical thinking skills, and allow students to put themselves in the shoes of others. Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa, Around the World, Asia, China, El Salvador, Europe, Japan, Korea, Literature, Sudan, The Americas, Ukraine

Tagged anti-racism, education, ESL, fiction children's books, multicultural, social studies

Using Country Units to Take a Virtual Trip Around the World

Posted on January 15, 2012 | 3 Comments

Using “country units,” many schools and homeschooling families work through the alphabet and study one country for each of letter: A for Argentina, B for Brazil, C for China, D for Denmark, E for Egypt, etc. When kids (and adults!) learn about new countries, it is an exciting journey into a faraway land… it is the thrill of discovering new species, new flavors, and new celebrations… it is learning new ways to communicate to new friends around the world- and in the end discovering universal values and experiences. Here are some excellent resources to start your country units. Whether you do decide to follow the “ABC” model, or simply want to dip your toes into the country pool, challenge yourself to choose lesser known countries to give your students a wider variety of exposure to people and places. Continue reading →

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Posted in Around the World, Geography, Literature

Tagged education, international week, lapbooks, maps, multicultural, social studies

Play and Learn with this Thanksgiving Activity for Kids On-Line

Posted on November 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

Are you looking for an online Thanksgiving activity for kids? What about an activity that is historically accurate, that teaches kids about the different people that lived in the 1600s, and includes primary sources?

On-line Thanksgiving Activity- Kid World Citizen

At Plimoth Plantation on-line learning activity, kids become historians and use multimedia to discover the origins of Thanksgiving

I have scoured the internet for on-line, age-appropriate learning opportunities about the origins of the US holiday Thanksgiving, and this activity from Plimoth Plantation is the best. Your kids will take the role of a historian, and investigate primary sources (such as the first letter to ever mention a fall feast at Plymouth), historical facts about the Wampanoag people and English colonists (such as their housing, diet, and celebrations), and view their relationship on a timeline from both the American Indians’ and the settlers’ perspectives. Along the way they can hear real historians talk about the investigative process, such as how they might determine if something is authentic or a myth. The culminating activity has your kids typing captions under the graphic they choose and explaining what they learned about Thanksgiving. I loved the images, the voice recordings, the information on the Wampanoag people, and the critical thinking skills this activity entails- definitely two thumbs up!

Do you have any more ideas for activities or web sites that can help kids gain a more accurate perspective about Thanksgiving? Share them in the comments! Also check out the book “1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving.” where Plimoth Plantation historians debunk some of the common myths associated with this historically significant holiday and teaches the readers about the Wapanoag people and the group of English settlers that had survived a year in their new, harsh land in 1621.

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Posted in Celebrations, Games and Toys, People, The Americas, United States

Tagged education, educational technology, history, indigenous, multicultural, Native American, on-line activities, social studies, Thanksgiving

Teacher Resources About the Origins of Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

Before you begin to teach about the origins of Thanksgiving, have the students make K-W-L charts. Ask them to create three columns on a sheet of paper:

Column 1: What do you Know about the topic?
Column 2: What do you Want to know?
Column 3: What did you Learn?

They can work individually or with partners to fill out the first column, of everything they know about Thanksgiving, its history, the role of the colonists and the American Indians, etc. After discussing as a class, have them work on the second column. Sometimes students have a more difficult time coming up with what they might want to know (and sometimes they think they already know it all, and sometimes they feel they know nothing). It is helpful to ask the wh- questions of “who? what? where? why? when?” and “how?”

The National Museum of the American Indian (of the Smithsonian Institution) has compiled several free educational resources to teach kids ages 7-14 about the origins of Thanksgiving. Continue reading →

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Posted in Celebrations, People, The Americas, United States

Tagged indigenous, multicultural education, Native American, school resources, social studies, Thanksgiving

“1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving”

Posted on November 21, 2011 | 2 Comments

On the fourth Thursday in November, the United States celebrates Thanksgiving by sharing a traditional feast with our family and friends. If you are in the United States, you have probably grown up with a story about the Pilgrims and Indians sharing a similar meal of thanksgiving, after a plentiful harvest. While some of the story is drawn from facts, some has been embellished, romanticized, or completely made up. In 2001, a new book was published that explored what actually happened in 17th century Massachusetts that fall. This unique Thanksgiving book for kids sheds light on what happened during this historical time.

Be prepared to throw out your stereotypes of pilgrims dressed in black and white, and American Indians with feathered headdresses and beaded vests. 1621 A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O’Neill Grace, Sisse Brimberg, and Plimoth Plantation debunks some of the common myths associated with this historically significant holiday and teaches the readers about the Wapanoag people and the group of English settlers that had survived a year in their new, harsh land in 1621. Published by the National Geographic Society, the stunning photographs depict life in this 17th century settlement, and the feast that later inspired a national holiday. Continue reading →

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Posted in Celebrations, Literature, The Americas, United States

Tagged education, indigenous, multicultural, Native American, non-fiction children's books, social studies, Thanksgiving