Now that the stress of TAKS is over, we can forget all about academic instruction for the last month.
OK, not REALLY. But with testing done, we have already been tasked to start decorating our hallway for this year's International Festival which will happen later this month.
This year, the countries we are representing are Mexico, Spain, Canada, and England. Mexico is not tough. We have a TON of kids who are either from Mexico themselves or whose parents are from there. There should be no shortage of decorative ideas to represent Mexico.
But I throw it out there to my readers for any ideas as to how to represent the other countries on our list. Flags are always easy. Coloring book pictures of Dudley Do-right for Canada? Big Maple Leafs? Crooked teeth for England? (I kid, of course.)
Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think my kids should put up out in the hallway to represent these countries.
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13 comments:
For England, you could cover your classroom door with blue butcher paper and make it a TARDIS.
Um, that's pretty cruel, and I try to never think of my students in terms of that word...
Oh wait. I have no idea what a tardis is. Care to explain?
Anonymous is clearly thinking Dr Who. I'm just concerned that you're teaching your class stereotypes (wonky teeth Mister Teacher? You should be ashamed). What about Shakespeare, football(er, soccer in your world), the royal family, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Robert Pattinson, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Coldplay, Leona Lewis, or even Simon Cowell? We even have a general election this week which makes the UK (not just England...) very topical indeed. Need I go on?!!
For Canada there are the obvious animals; beaver, polar bear, moose, grizzly, caribou, etc.
People include Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, John Candy, Michael J. Fox, Michael Bubble, Jim Carrey, Hayden Christensen, Mario Lenieux, etc. Just google famous Canadians.
For cultural conections, they are as diverse as American cultural connections. We are very multicultural with a similar First Nations history as you have in the US.
Just don't call us bland or polite or boring, because that makes us angry (then we will send some grozzlies down to teach your kids about Canada ;)). And we are very much not wannabe Americans.
Emily
Oops. Grizzles.
For Canada and Mexico why don't you try a skype or Distance Learning connection between classrooms
http://aroundtheworldwith80schools.ning.com/
For the others, time zones might make it problematic.
Canada like and different. For example my Canadian Cousins joke that only cowards play US football (as opposed to rugby and hockey). My Mom is from PEI so Anne of Green Gables has always been part of my life. (My Nanna knew Lucy Maude).
How about special holidays that are recognized in that country? Or a dance that is special to that country? Or music, the national anthem? Maybe a special custom? special dish of food?
This page on an English junior school (ages 7-11) website might give you some ideas for images other than the flag. (I'd skip the beer tankard though - doubt if that would go down well in an American school!) Please note that the Union Jack flag is NOT the English flag - the English flag (St. George's flag) is white with a red cross.
As for the TARDIS - it's a acronym for a time machine that features in the long-running BBC science-fiction show called Dr Who. It looks like a 'police call box' - they no longer exist, but I remember seeing them in the 1960's when I was growing up - they were basically phone booths, but the phone only called the police.
For England you could have some double decker buses, red squirrels (which are all over Kensington Gardens at the palace and we were told are special there), and definitely football somehow. Maybe even let the kids cook something. It will either be good or authentic.
For Canada you have to have lacrosse since it's the national sport. First Nations' stuff too (what they call their native peoples).
"It will either be good or authentic." Ooh - there's a prejudiced statement! There's just as much bad/boring/unhealthy cooking in the US as there is in the UK!
Sarah, I was of course kidding! :)
And can you believe that, sci-fi nut that I am, I have never watched any iteration of Dr. Who?
These are all great suggestions, and thank you. But we really need decorations for the hallway, and I don't just want to put pictures of famous people up, and we can't hang up food (and pictures of food would just make me hungry all day).
I do like the double decker bus angle, and the moose and lacrosse. And as for Shakespeare, my class could represent a true Shakespearian tragedy, with everyone dying ironically! Oh wait, I shouldn't say that out loud...
I was thinking that the kids could draw likenesses of themselves that they could put in the windows of a huge drawing of a double decker bus on a sightseeing tour. The kids could draw large pictures of all the fabulous "sights" from London and around the country to put up in the hallway.
kp, I REALLY like that idea...
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