Children All Around

the World

PART I
OVERVIEW

Goals
By participating in the curriculum theme children will:
1. Observe cultural aspects of children around different countries.
2. Explore different foods, clothing, music, language, homes,
traditions and customs of children around the world.
3. Listen to language, songs, and music from children around other
countries.
4. Use various materials, such as, instruments, traditional clothing,
food utensils, and other props as they explore different cultural
aspects of children around the world.
5. Discuss their own cultural characteristics, such as, celebrations,
food, music, clothing, language and other customs.

November 1, 2015
Dear Families,
It is a pleasure to welcome your bright and talented children into this 2015-2016 school year! Our
class will be exploring and learning many common core subjects. Along side from the general
focus, your children will also gain the knowledge of everyday fundamentals that will help them
to grow and become strong intelligent adults.
We will begin the school year off with the culturally diverse theme of Children Around the World. In
this theme the students will discover the many cultures and traditions about their fellow
classmates. As a teacher, I believe it is important for children to create an open mind to new,
different, and unique cultures and people around the world or even in their very own
neighborhood. The goal of this theme is to:
1.
Observe cultural aspects of children around different countries.
2.
Explore different foods, clothing, music, language, homes, traditions and customs of
children around the world.
3.
Listen to language, songs, and music from children around other countries.
4.
Use various materials, such as, instruments, traditional clothing, food utensils, and other
props as they explore different cultural aspects of children around the world.
5.
Discuss their own cultural characteristics, such as, celebrations, food, music, clothing,
language and other customs.
While on their journey around the world the students will also be involved in various activities that
correlate with the subject matter. Students will create their very own passports and hop on a
plane to various different countries and places. They will also listen and learn dances of
various cultures- this is my personal favorite because the students love this one! Apart from all
these activities our class will have the opportunity to try new foods as well. There are several
different ways in which you as parents can help; read cultural diverse books to your tiny tots,
help create an open minded atmosphere at home, and maybe even introduce them to
culturally different foods.
This theme, Children Around the World, will create an openness to who they are a children. I am
certain this skill will be an assist to them as they grow and experience new topics. I am looking
forward to beginning this theme and can not wait for the students to learn about their fellow
classmates cultures and traditions!
Sincerely,

PART II
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Visual Displays
The following pictures will be displayed in the classroom:

Book Area

Come Over to My House

hildren Around the World
By Theo LeSlieg
By Donata Montanari
This Is the Way We Eat Go to School
This Is the Way We Eat Our Lunch
By Edith Baer
By Edith Baer

ildren Around the World

Celebrate Christmas! Children of the World
By Susan Titus Osborn By Anthony Asael

What We Wear
By Maya Ajmera

Wonderful Houses Aroun

the World
By Yoshio Komatsu

Art Area
Children will learn to express themselves
through art.
Children will create their own passports,
which they will later use in their dramatic
play.
Children will be aware of different artist
around the world.
Teacher will assist students when around
sharp objects. Ex: scissors

Block Area

Children will learn to interact with other

children of different backgrounds.
Children will also work together on different
projects involving blocks.
Children will have visual aids of monuments
from around the world, and will be encouraged
to recreate those monuments using their
blocks.

Dramatic Play
Dramatic Play provides, a variety of roles and ways of being that are important to
the play group and that do not necessarily need language proficiency. These roles
can be good initial entrance opportunities for children who lack skill in English and
who might otherwise be marginalized by other children(119).
Throughout dramatic play the children will use their passports that they have
previously created during their art section. With passports and luggage in hand
the children will hop on a pretend plane and land in a country were one of the
other students is from. Once we land, the children will try a dish from that
students nationality; learn some history by either reading a book or watching a
video or even having a speaker come in. The students will also able to dress up in
that cultures/countries traditional outfits.

Music and
Movement

Activity: A World of Music

- In this activity, children will learn that instruments from
different

Music and Movement Cont.

The students will get instruments
from different parts of the world
and will be asked to play tunes with
their instruments one at a time.
Then, one student will begin playing
their tune, but every 15 seconds a
different instrument will join in until
the whole class is playing their
instruments in unison.

Music and Movement Cont.

Children will be taught Folk Dances from
all around the world such as:
La Raspa https://youtu.be/IIkDW0duECY
Patty Cake Polka https://youtu.be/4DJS6M6B8-8
Greek Traditional dance https://youtu.be/4DJS6M6B8-8

Sensory
Activities
Activity 1: My Favorite Fruit
In this activity, children will experience ( by using their
senses) the different fruits that are favorites around the world.
Children will be blindfolded and will be given a type of fruit that
is well celebrated by a certain country, then the child will have
to describe how the fruit feels.
This activity will end with the children being told that the fruit
that they were experiencing is another childs who lives in
another countrys favorite fruit.
This activity will help children to understand a different culture
by knowing what their traditionally favorite fruit is

Sensory Activities
Cont.
Activity 2: The Colors of The Flags
In this activity, children will be split up into groups,
and each group will be given specific paint colors
that make up the colors of a certain countrys flag.
The children will be given an example of the flag
on their table, and they can have fun with the
paint and draw a picture ( or finger paint) that
incorporates the colors of the certain flag.
The children will learn about the flags of different
countries, and their senses will be stimulated as
well

Play
ground:

Activity 1: Around the Word Obstacle Course

In this activity children will need a large amount of space, and
the teacher will set up an obstacle course where each station is
set up where the child must complete the activity, then run to
the next station, and so on.
Each station will represent a different country, and the child must
learn a new fact about the way children live in that country
before moving to the next station, children will be running from
station to station to, until the obstacle course is completed
Ex: One station represents the nation of Zimbabwe, and the
children must sing a traditional song that is sung in that nation,
then after they sing the song, they will run to the next station.

Play ground
Cont.
Activity 2: The Flag Run
In this activity the children will be given
different flags and will have to correctly
place the flag with the correct country.
The names of different countries will be
displayed around the outdoor play area,
and the children will do their best to match
the different flags with the signs.