Learning about our cultures and our classmates!

Every year my school celebrates International Day.  This is a time for the students to talk to their families and learn more about where they come from.  It is also a time when we all get to learn a little bit more about each other.  For homework this week, my students had to complete the following writing assignment.

This was a week long assignment, so they had time to do some research if needed.  Everyone got a chance to share their writing today.  We also found the different states and countries their families are from on a globe.  Their parents obviously helped them spell some words, but the majority of the kiddos were still able to read their papers independently.  Take a look at some of these treasures:

Luckily the kiddos didn't ask what moonshine is :)

I love the way this kiddo added humor-- "My Dad's family is from Wales-the country, not the animal."

 I am amazed by how many kids are bilingual!  What is even more mind boggling, is that it is often something they keep secret, or don't want to share.  I guess they don't want to be seen as different.  I try to encourage them by letting them know they are smarter than me, because I only speak English.

I really enjoyed learning about their diverse backgrounds, and they seemed to enjoy it as well.  The kids listened intently to their friends and couldn't wait to see where the countries were on the globe.  I really got a kick out of this one:

"There is a special vino from Nimis, but I don't drink it."

She even brought a wine book to share pictures!  At first she asked if she could tell the class about making wine, which I was a little skeptical of.  Then she began showing pictures of landscapes and told about a few of the churches and holidays--whew, thank goodness!  I can just imagine explaining why the K/1 kiddos learned how to make wine at school!

Another part of International Day is a family lunch.  Each student brings in a dish that is popular where they are from. With a variety of dishes, students always get to try new foods.  In some of my previous schools, this would not have gone very well.   I have to give my current kiddos some credit though, everyone tried something, and I didn't even have to do any convincing.  

My class was in charge of desserts, which meant that I had to taste a lot of sweet stuff today.  I was afraid I would hurt someone's feelings if I didn't try each and every one!  The desserts were the hit of the day.  I guess kids don't find cookies and cakes as scary as unknown meat and vegetable dishes.  

If you are looking for a way to celebrate the various backgrounds of your students, International Day is a great place to start!  You could use it as an end of unit celebration as well.  It is a wonderful way to get parents involved too!