Culture Club

Our school received a federal grant for the 21st Century Bridges to Success program for the past two years. The program is to offer academic help to under privileged (poor) students and to offer enrichment programs/activities that they would not necessarily receive at home. Last year was the first year for the program and some of my ESL students signed up for it. I did see some improvement in their English, so when they offered it this year I encouraged my students to participate. The program also had openings for more teacher/tutors and "clubs" for the enrichment program. I'm not exactly crafty/artsy/theatrically inclined so the first year I passed. This year I came up with an idea...a Culture Club.

At the initial sign up meeting I was amazed to see how many of the non-ESL parents were interested in my club for their students. Usually when they approached me the first question was "Will they be learning about Boy George?" which was quickly followed by laughs. I explained what I thought the club would encompass. We would learn about a different country each few weeks (we only meet for an hour a week) ie. where the country is located, languages or cultural identities, population, and follow this with a game or art activity.


Our first few weeks we made passports and learned about China (they all had watched the Olympics and were full of questions). I bought a children's video on learning Chinese (Mandarin) which they enjoyed. We also made Chinese dragon masks, played Chinese jump rope (now regularly asked for at recess time), and learned how to eat with chopsticks when I ordered Chinese food to be delivered.

Next we learned about Mexico since many of my students could participate. We learned how to make papel picado or cut paper designs (we all did the same design...a skull for Day of the Dead and Halloween), and God's eyes with yarn and popsicle sticks.

I had a guest speaker come in for Japan. One of my ESL mom's (from Japan) came in and taught us how to make origami samurai hats. We each made small hats and then tried it with newspaper. The students loved this and eating wasabi peas.


This past few weeks we have been learning about Denmark. Vincent came in to school and taught us all how to count to five, along with a few other phrases. It is great to walk down the halls of my school and hear Mexican and American students yelling at me in Danish "ya ilske die" (I love you)! Plus the kids loved Vincent. We finished off learning about Denmark by reading about Vikings and making miniature Viking ships.

One of my students that knows of my affinity for the Ghost Hunters tv show pointed out that Ghost Hunters International was going to be in Denmark the last week we were learning about Denmark. I love it when they can make connections like that. Of course I had to stay up to see it. The next morning my kids were pointing out that the show took place in Copenhagen, the capital. Now that shows fun in academics.

I think the next country we are going to learn about is Egypt. I can teach them how to count to ten in Arabic (I still remember) and we can eat hummus with pita bread while making mummies out of oranges and salt or as I'll explain the magical natron. If we still have time I might think about belly dancing. Now that will be great!

--- Stephanie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEhXcEpajN0