The Summer is right around the corner and I have to put together a fun teaching curriculum. Something to keep the children reading and doing math all the while learning and having fun. Being free. I have been reading a few books to give me ideas and also have some of my own.

To teach measurements, we can probably make a cake together – or jello. Jello would probably be better. (Autobiography of Dorothy Height)

Highlight Magazines:

get the children to write and mail/ email poetry to try to get it published

contest to see who can remember jokes/ riddles from the magazine

puzzles (quite time)

read the Stories in the magazine

Geography

Art in All of Us concept

– learning about different cultures from student body

-maps in classroom

-contact AiA to see if they can do a program with the children

Color Pages

-Recital

Piano in center

learn French/ Spanish  kiddy songs

learn to play some children music on piano – try Christian songs also

-Telephone

Children do a scrap book for summer/ school year

put all library/ neighborhood  pictures together

Fashion Show – “Kiddy” Fashions vs Adult Fashion ( Educating Esme)

Carnival Games

Ugly Ducking Match. Find the numbers that match on the bottoms of bobbing plastic ducks in a pond (tub)

Three Billy Goats Gruff Toss. Three beanbags through holes in a painted board.

make own creative bookmarks : cardboard , felt, pretty paper, glitter…ect…

kids keep summer journals

give children a chance to practice photography with one time use cameras

games from other cultures (ask my go Alaska group if they remember how to play that ball game the kids taught us)

Pen Pals (between center and library)

Read page 140-141 from Educating Esme

dressing from different cultures

write letters for next year kids on the last day and promising letters to themselves on the first day

Learning celebration at end of every week / unit

Three different age groups 5-6,7-9, 10-12

African American History- Theme: Who are You? Big, Bad, Ugly

Latino History

Unsung Heroes

Picture Books

Creative Dance Moves- a Latino or Black  famous Dancer, Jazz music – slow/fast- morning/ afternoon

take autobiography and make story- leave details out- fact finder

First day- everyone have their own historic figure – every week choose a child for their special day…

find connection- mini fun quiz – questions out loud

art movement – Harlem Renaissance Art(Drawing)

Langston Hugues  (poet)

both who Louis Armstrong and what is music

Songs : WHO WHO ARE YOU?

KEEP THEME IN EVERY CLASS- or similar less complicated for each age group

artist – where did they grow up

print out maps of USA, WORLD, AFRICA, ASIA…ect

teacher – student- student – teacher moments

Alexander Dumas – Three Musketeers- Show- Black-French- Songs- Helpful Phrases – Movie – play

make them teach younger groups- Alphabet Fair- kids have own lessons

spend day reading to them….the most interesting parts…library has the book

I don’t interfere much. I shouldn’t be so anthropological about it, but I am. I just let them live out the awfulness of childhood, like  I lived it out, and try to advise them to make choices that they can live with later on.

– Esme Raji Codell  (from Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year)