Yolanda U. Trapp
Subject Areas: Language arts, ESL, Social Studies, History
Time Frame: This is one-week program
Grade: 4-5-6
Goal: To engage in shared verbal and written reflections about ethnic traditions.
Place: The island of Martinique / Saint Maarten in the Caribbean.
Book:
Cendrillon. A Caribbean Cinderella
by Robert D. San Souci. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Theme:A Creole variant of the familiar Cinderella tale set in the Caribbean and narrated by the godmother, who helps Cendrillon find true love.
Objectives:
1: the students will learn about fairy tales of the Caribbean.
2 : the students will learn the repeating patterns or themes used in folktales and fairy tales.
Procedure
Day 1: the teacher divides the students into small groups, giving each photocopies of a brief passage from the book selected. The members of each group read their passage in English and highlight the French words. Discuss the words among the group and prepare six sentences to present on the following day.
Day 2: a) after reading the passage, the members of each group will describe their passage to the class,giving time for reactions and questions.
b) Historical Background: The teacher will present a basic outline of Caribbean history,from the colonial period to the present day,while discussing points of comparison with the United State History.
Day 3: The students will explore examples of magical beliefs and practices by reviewing other Cinderella versions.
Day 4: Selected passage and a play.After reading and discussing the book,the students should be able to interpret it in light of the historical and cultural material already discovered.
Day 5: Conclusions:
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Students will discuss similarities and differences among the various versions we have being reading prior to this lesson plan.
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After reading background material on
Cendrillon,
students will discuss concepts, vocabulary, etc. Parallels can be drawn with other Cinderella versions, and different ethnicities.
Lesson Plan 2
Subject Area: Celebrations in Asia
Grade Level: 4-5-6
Duration: Two or more days if needed.
Instructional Goals:
To learn about the festivals that exists in Asia
Develop knowledge of different celebrations.
Key Concept
The cultural environment that exists in this huge continent,reflected in the celebration of festivities.
Objectives:
Students will be able to choose one of the celebrations that exists in Asia.
Students will be able to describe the festivity or celebration chosen.
Students will be able to compare different celebrations they choose to study.
Instructional Delivery/Student Activities
The teacher will assist students to:
List and name some of the many celebrations that exists in Asia.
Remember the celebrations of the student’s family.
Interview their grandparents (or an older person) to find out how they celebrated the New Year when they were growing up.
Watch a videotape on Asia (the National Geographic Society). During the video there can be a time to distribute some fortune cookies, and popcorn.
Create a giant dragon with papier-mâché. A long colorful cloth can be attached. (New Year celebration in China).
Material/Resource:
Holidays Around the World , by Carol Greene (Chicago: Children’s Press, 1982) is a good beginning resource.
The National Geographic Society has a number of video-tapes on Asia that can be secured from the local library.
Assessment- Evaluation.
Students will be able to make comparisons with festivities they celebrate at home. The teacher will record opinions (same or different), and assess their understanding, of whether the celebrations have a meaning for them.
Lesson Plan 3
Subject Area: Language Arts, Geography and History.
Grade Level 4
Duration 1-2 weeks
Instructional goal: To locate this small oceanic island on the map or globe.
Multicultural Principle(s): Increases intercultural competence
Key Concept: A mountainous island of volcanic origin
Objectives
Students will be able to teach the bodies of water that surrounds the island. (Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean).
Students will be able to compare sizes among Martinique, Barbados and Cuba.
Delivery/Students Activities
The teacher will assist students to:
Brainstorm the names of other islands in the Caribbean
Work with groups of 2-4 to identify other islands in a map or globe.
Expose children to a wide variety of pictures, magazines, about the West Indies and other Caribbean islands.
Materials/Resources
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
. By Robert D. San Souci,1998. Illustrated by Brian
Pinkney. A French Creole tradition.
Creole Folktales book by Patrick Chamoiseaus. New York: The New Press, 1994. Translated from the French by Linda Coverdale. Try the videotape National Geographic about the West Indies and The Antilles. With this videotape, teachers and students will come to appreciate all the geographic aspects of the West Indies.
Assessment/Evaluation
Organizing what the students learned
Working alone, sometimes with other students, sometimes at the computer.
Active learning opportunities.
Creating a bulletin board that arranges facts about the island.
Revise vocabulary, using some Creole or French words for multicultural awareness.
