Communication and Culture in the Themed Classroom

Do you have a year-long theme in your classroom? Do you change your theme each month? In our class, we do both! 

Our year-long theme is "Trip Around the World", but within that theme we focus on a different continent every six weeks or so. 

My rationale for this theme is my strong belief that students benefit from exposure to other cultures and methods of communication. Reading books, watching videos and communicating with students from all over the world allows for meaningful opportunities to see that although there are differences, we all share so much in common! 

My goal is to plant seeds that grows feelings of inclusion, compassion and a greater understanding of our neighbors near and far. Can this ultimately contribute to making the world a better place? I sure hope so!

This is my favorite theme because there's absolutely nothing that won't fit into it somehow! Each year I gather new ideas and try new things (and sometimes learn from things that didn't go over so well!) 

There's so much to say about this, but here are a few quick ideas that work really well for me:

*At the beginning of the year, we learn how to say "hello" in a new language each week. When we do attendance, students may answer in any language they choose.

*Another way of focusing on language and communication is to explore the different types of writing around the world. Students are often amazed to know that not everyone uses our alphabet! We try out lots of different kinds of writing, including Chinese writing hieroglyphics, and even sign language and braille!

*We spend a lot of time learning about the habitats and adaptations of the animals on each continent; it is so engaging and covers many outcomes for both Social Studies and Science. 

They love to read books and watch videos of exotic animals. It's a wonderful way to teach early research skills also. 

*Art is another fun way to explore the animals of the world! We have many projects - you can see them in more detail by clicking the titles below. 

Australian Clown Fish          Arctic Animals          Rainforest Butterfly Mosaics

African Cheetahs       African Lions      Australian Koala Bears         African Animal Masks

You can check out my step-by-step tutorials  by clicking the pictures below.

*We read through the novel series "Magic Tree House", where the main characters travel to a new country in each novel. They are a quick read, highly engaging, and perfect for primary grades.

*Each year we write to pen pals from different countries. This has become so much easier with technology. Rather than waiting for weeks to get a letter, we can email each day and even SKYPE live! A lot of interesting conversations happened. For example, my students here in North America were shocked to hear about all of the dangerous animals and insects their Australian pen pals had to live with. And our Aussie friends were shocked that we had bears rummaging through our yards at night! 

Another time, we had so much fun reading the same novel as our pen pals in China!

*One of my students' favorite things is seeing how children their own age live; what is their school day like?

Here's a fantastic resource from Smartling.com, a website that specializes in translating websites, called "Back To School Around the World". 

There is information in this PDF about what school is like for young students from many different countries around the world. My students were absolutely fascinated by these "fun facts"! 

Click HERE if you'd like to share this free PDF with your class. 

                                                 

How do you teach your students about other cultures and ways of communication? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments or visit your blog!