Partner School News June 2016 In this issue: Education Children Around the World www.opportunityeducation.org Road Trip Start Writing Right Now Teaching Tip of the Month Focus on Schools LET S GO ON A ROAD TRIP In many schools it is a holiday break and it may be time for a family adventure! Whether your students and families stay close to home or travel to faraway places, it is fun for students to explore their community, country and world. In the United States, families may visit interesting cities, state and national parks, mountains, beaches and more. In African countries a visit to a national park may be a special trip and in India it may be a trip to a beach by the ocean. Traveling beyond our homes and communities gives us the opportunity to learn about new places, enjoy new experiences and discover our world. If travel is not possible for your students, they can learn about a place they would like to visit and dream of traveling there someday. Share with your students the following books from the OE Supplemental Library, as well as other books you have access to and encourage your students to travel through books. Grade 3 Science: Making a Map Grade 3 Reading: People and Places Children Around the World Different Places, Different Faces Children Just Like Me Grade 4 Science: Earth Secondary Social Studies World Civilizations Grade 6 Science Grasslands Forest Deserts Mountains Creative Arts Grade 5 Dance Around the World
Lesson Guide: 1. Review direction vocabulary a. North have students repeat the word and point up b. South have students repeat the word and point down c. East have students repeat the word and point right d. West have students repeat the word and point left e. Remind students of the phrase Never East Soggy Waffles (or another word they would recognize starts with a W) to remember the directions 2. Introduce vocabulary that will come up in the lesson: a. Longitude have students repeat the word and draw a line from their head to their toes emphasize LONG part of the word as they do this b. Latitude have students put their hands in a half circle in front of them as if they had a big, fat belly. Remind them that LAT and FAT rhyme, so they can think of this as Fat-itude c. Equator- have students repeat the word and trace a line around their waste/belt. d. Primer Meridian have students repeat the word and trace a line from their head to their toes e. International Dateline have students repeat the word and trace a line on a friend s back from their head to their feet Start Writing - Right Now What is a favorite place where your students have travelled? Ask them to write to their pen pal about their travel experiences. Ask them to use details to describe their trip and use drawings to illustrate. Where would your students like to visit someday? Ask them to research on this destination and plan a pretend trip. What would they take with them? Ask them to draw these things in a pretend suitcase What do they think they will see and do when they get there? Have them list these things in a daily itinerary. Ask them make a map of their road trip and draw pretend photos to share with their pen pals. Teaching Tip of the Month Let s Learn Social Studies Longitude and Latitude This lesson is planned for 4-7 grade students. In this lesson, students will: Learn vocabulary associated with maps and globes Identify lines of longitude and latitude Locate specific places on a map or globe Materials Needed: Inflatable globes Wipe-off markers
3. Tell students these words make up the lines on a globe or a map and help us find exact locations on a map or globe 4. Show the first part of the Gr. 5, Social Studies, Part 4-Longitude and Latitude video a. Make the hand gestures you practiced as the teacher goes through the vocabulary b. You can also pause the video to discuss each vocabulary term and write its definition on the board 5. After the video, have students blow up their mini globes. Then, review the following concepts with students: a. Why do we need lines of latitude and longitude? (to help us identify specific places on a globe or map) b. What are lines of longitude? (horizontal lines that go around the globe) c. What are lines of latitude? (vertical lines that go around the globe) d. What does it mean that lines of latitude are parallel? (they never touch) e. What is a degree? (how far apart each line is on the globe) f. For older students: What is a hemisphere? (a section of the Earth) How are they labeled? (N above the Equator, S below the Equator, E-right of the Prime Meridian, W left of the Prime Meridian) 6. Have students find the Equator a. Ask students if this is a line of longitude or latitude (latitude) b. Have students find and trace with their fingers the other lines of latitude to the north and south of the Equator c. Have students find the line of latitude that is 45º SOUTH of the equator have them think of lines of latitude like a ladder going up and down d. Ask students to identify the continents and oceans that are crossed by this line of latitude (S. America, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean) e. Have students find the line of latitude that is 60º NORTH of the equator. What is there? (Asia, Pacific Ocean, N. America, Atlantic Ocean, Europe) 7. Have students find the Prime Meridian, and International Date Line on their globes trace them with wipe-off markers if available a. Ask students if these are lines of latitude or longitude (longitude) b. Ask students if these lines are parallel why or why not? (no-they touch at the N and S pole) c. Ask students to trace with their fingers the other lines of longitude to the East and West of the Equator d. Have students find the line of longitude that is 20º EAST of the Prime Meridian. What is there? (Arctic Ocean, Europe, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Africa, Antarctica) e. Have students find the line of longitude that is 60º WEST of the Prime Meridean. What is there? (Arctic Ocean, N. America, Atlantic Ocean, S. America, Antarctica) 8. For older students spend time talking about the 4 hemispheres 9. If time have students find specific placed on the map using a combination of lines of latitude and longitude a. Remind students that you always start your search at the Equator and the Prime Meridian b. Remind students that you then always measure N/S first, then E/W second On the following day, review the vocabulary using a globe to demonstrate the words and their definitions. Then watch Part 2 of the Longitude and Latitude video. For younger students give them specific lines of lat. and long. To find For older students have students work in pairs to find specific locations one student gives the lines of longitude and latitude and the other finds it. Then they switch roles. Some students can work with the map and/or atlas (or worksheets) while others use their globes. You can have the groups switch after some time has passed. For older students, have them identify the hemisphere the spot is located
Focus on Schools Let s take a road trip to see the countries of the world where schools are supported by Opportunity Education. Each country is a unique and special place, with lovely landscapes, amazing animals, interesting cities and villages, and fascinating culture. But the true beauty of these countries is their people, especially their children. Visit within your own country and perhaps travel to neighboring countries to see for yourself. And until then, enjoy these beautiful faces near the maps of their countries and travel with your heart.