The Global Diversity Literature Lesson
A Journey to Africa
link

link

link

Faraway Home
Written by Jane Kurtz
Illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Jane Kurtz's childhood in Ethiopia brought days of  climbing mountains, wading in rivers by the waterfalls, listening to stories, and ultimately making up her own.  She incorporated her memories into her books, which allowed her to re-live her childhood everyday.  E.B. Lewis started drawing as early as the third grade and decided that he wanted to make this his profession.  His illustrations help bring books to life.  

                                       divider

                                      africa

k

1. Describe what the boy in wearing.  How is this different from what we wear?

2. Why do you think the boy is not wearing shoes?
3. Why do we, in the United States, put shoes on our feet?

       o                     
This is a story of a daddy and his daughter.  The father has to leave his daughter and go to Ethiopia to see about his mother.  This makes the girl very sad, but the father reassures her by telling of his childhood in Ethiopia.  Let's read the story  Faraway Home by Jane Kurtz  to learn more about life in Ethiopia .


bar


Here are a few pictures of the students coloring their shoes

all          one
           

two           three

                                    four

                                        

 

Mentor Teacher's Signature

                                                                                                     ____________________

Date

  ____________________

 

Lesson Title Global Diversity Through Literature and Technology

General Information
Name:  Alena Milton
School/Mentor Teacher:
Grade Level: Pre-K
Subject Areas: Technology Integration, Social Studies (Multicultural Understanding)
Date Taught:
Total Duration of Lesson:  55 minutes. (This lesson can be presented in 2 sessions)

Primary Learning Outcomes (PLO)
The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
A. Student will be able to use the mouse while operating the computer
B.  Student will be able to respond to questions about diverse cultures.
C.  Student will listen to a children’s story to learn about another culture
D.  Student will work cooperatively in small group to make a story picture account of events in the story.

Related GPS Standards
A. Grade: K
Technology Integration
Strand: Basic Skills
5 Topic: Basic Skills
Standard: Operates basic technology tools and applications.

B,C, D Grade: K
Social Studies Georgia Performance Standard
Geographic Understandings
SSKG1: The student will describe American culture by explaining diverse community and family celebrations and customs (this also includes the cultures represented by children from other countries represented in children’s literature and those who are enrolled in our schools.
 
Materials and Equipment
1. Computer with Internet connection
2. My Global Diversity Web Page:  http://www.valdosta.edu/~ammilton/global.html
3.  Map or globe
4. Colored markers, crayons
5. Paper for individual drawings

Teacher will also need
1. Pencil and paper (to make notes for assessment and reflections)
2. Copy of lesson rubric 1 for each group member 

Technology Connection
Technologies that will be used in this lesson include: computer with Internet connection, a picture developed using a computer drawing program, and a designed website that includes a computer painted picture related to Faraway Home by Jane Kurtz

Procedure:
Part I Step One: Introduction
1. Work with a small group of students (2-5).  NO LESS THAN 3 STUDENTS
Introduction questions. (Introduction questions are for the teacher, to find out about the students' previous knowledge of the subject content.

2. Show the children the globe or the map. Ask them questions such as:

What is this called?
What colors do you see on it?
What does the blue represent?  Tell them that the big blue areas are oceans and the small ones are lakes, or rivers, etc.
What do these many colors represent?
Can anyone point to our country; to Georgia"
We are going to learn about a man who lived in Ethiopia, a country in Africa.
Does anyone know where Ethiopia is?

The teacher points to the place on the map and then asks a child to point to Georgia
Do you think Ethiopia is far away or near from us in Georgia?
Do you have go over water to get to this place from our place?

(Estimated time 10 minutes)

Step Two: Teaching the Primary Learning Outcomes Language Experience Activity
1. Go to the computer and your Lesson 1 Global Diversity Activity website at http://www.valdosta.edu/~ammilton/global.html. Students should be grouped around the computer with you so they can see the screen, and have access to using the mouse.
2.  Let children take turns pointing to things in your picture.  They can also try to point to certain words on the screen.
3   Read each question under the Paint drawing.  Ask them to respond to your questions 
4   Have a large piece of chart paper or separate sheets with each question, already prepared with the questions listed with spaces to write the children’s responses underneath.
5. As each child responds to the questions, write exactly what they are saying when they make their responses.
Write students’ names next to each response.
1. Describe what the boy in wearing.  How is this different from what we wear?
2. Why do you think the boy is not wearing shoes?
3. Why do we, in the United States, put shoes on our feet?

Part 2

1.  Read the paragraph under the questions to the children   Then show them the book
2.   Do a BRIEF picture walk and talk about the book
2.  Faraway Home by Jane Kurtz, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis
3.  Read the story to the children.
(10-15 minutes)

Closure:
1. After you read the story, review their responses made prior to reading them the story and compare their responses with the actual events in the story. 
2. Ask them to tell you some things they learned from the story.
3.  Give the students markers or crayons, and let them color and add words or pictures that they learned about in the story on the chart paper.
4.  Have kids draw picture of their favorite pair of shoes. Also, have kids draw themselves without shoes.
 5.  Exhibit children's work or let them show the things they made to others.
(Estimated time 15 minutes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level 3 - (5 -4 points)

Level 2   (3- 2 points)

Level 1    (1-0 points)

Student is able to use the mouse to point to things and click  with no or little assistance

Student is able to use the mouse to control the computer with much assistance.

Student is not able to use the mouse to control the computer.

Student responded to all the critical thinking prediction questions about the story and was able to compare his/her predictions with the events in the story.

Student responded with accuracy to two of the critical thinking questions from the story and was able to compare his/her responses with the  events in the story.

Student responded with accuracy to 1 or none of the prediction questions about the related to the story that was read to them.

Student worked collaboratively with others in the group and  understood the importance of  contributing and working  positively to complete  the project

Student worked collaboratively with others in the group, but did not understand the  importance of  contributing and working with others to complete  the project

Student was unable to work with others in the group and  had difficulty understanding the importance of contributing to the overall project