Free Lesson Plans 4U: culture

Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts

In praise of Peanuts--culture cues and life lessons from Charlie Brown

65 years after Peanuts cartoons appeared, "The Peanuts Movie" came out. It opened November, 2015 and eight months later, its popularity continues to escalate. Multiple theater and Broadway versions of Peanuts-based stories have been done and reprised in the comic's long and illustrious career. One of the most famous is "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." The off-Broadway production opened in 1967 and had many revivals. The most recent is the York Theatre Company 2016 revival, nearly 50 years later.
What is it that has drawn fans to the Peanuts gang for seven decades? Peanuts has a kryptonite appeal for adults and children alike. '60s and '70s kids were surely powerless over the addiction. They read Peanuts comics in the paper, bought paperbacks of Snoopy comics, rushed home to watch Charlie Brown specials on TV (back when they came on once a year and if you missed them, sucks to you.)
Back in the day, all kids knew of culture came from Charlie Brown and Looney Tunes. If it weren't for them, baby boomers would have been a bunch of ignorami. Who knew, for example, what "psychiatric help" was till Lucy VanPelt opened her booth and charged five cents for it? (Don't judge, a nickel was a lot of money back then!) Who'd ever heard of VanGogh till Snoopy decorated his doghouse in it? Snoopy also taught history-deprived kids about WWI flying aces, Sopwith Camels and the Red Baron.
Kids knew the name Pavlov thanks to dog-dish-wielding Snoopy, if they didn't get the reference. From Schroeder, kids got music appreciation of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff--though how he got "Prelude in C-sharp minor" out of that toy piano, no one ever figured out. And blanket-toting Linus's philosophical lectures were head and shoulders above most adults let alone kids.
Kids learned life lessons from and with the Peanuts gang. Raise your hand if you yelled "no, Charlie Brown, don't do it!" when P.I.T.A Lucy tries to lure him into kicking that blasted football, again? A generation learned how to avoid kite-eating trees, thanks to Peanuts comics. And who didn't feel just a little bit better about limited athletic skills compared to Charlie Brown? Having said that, this author can't be the only one annoyed that pitcher Charlie Brown took all the flak when the whole team screwed up. Even Snoopy--his own pet--was a bit of a douche-dog to Charlie Brown. Snoopy definitely had better friends and a cooler social life.
But Charlie Brown took it with Zen. As Lucy so aptly put it, "of all the Charlie Browns, Charlie Brown, you're the Charlie Browniest." Why does Peanuts continue to resonate? Je ne sais quoi--but it probably has to do with that wonderful Tao plus chutzpah of Charlie Brown!

Free Printable Ramadan and Islamic Activities for Children

For Muslims, Ramadan is holy season marked by prayer, fasting and abstinence. Ramadan, in the Islamic calendar is a month-long observance, falling roughly in the months of July or August. Ramadan fasting ends with the festival of Eid al Fitr (lesser Eid). It's celebrated July 17 in 2015. Here are free printable Ramadan Eid al Fitr activities to help Muslim children explore their faith and for non-Muslims to understand it better.

Islam 101 offers free Ramadan lessons. Ramadan is an Arabic word that refers to a dry, parched season. It is a season for sacrifice and purification, like the Christian Catholic season of Advent and Lent and the Jewish feast of Yom Kippur. Muslims seek to draw closer to Allah by practicing the Five Pillars of Islam. They are: Iman (faith), Salah (prayer, said five times daily, facing the Holy City of Mecca and recited from the Qu'ran.), Zakah (almsgiving, sacrificial giving, pruning back one's lifestyle to honor God and help others), Sawn (abstaining from food, alcohol and sexual relations with spouses), Hajj (pilgrimage, if possible to Makkah, otherwise known as Mecca).

Islamic Playground has free printable Ramadan and Muslim holiday coloring pages and Arabic letter worksheets. There are also quizzes, worksheets, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, activities and word searches about Islam. The Holiday Spot has free printable Ramadan word games,crossword puzzles and word searches, using words and concept from Islam. You can print free Ramadan greeting cards, Children might like to make these and send them to family and friends.

Primary Games has free printable Ramadan and Islamic coloring pages. 123 Greetings has free printable Ramadan greeting cards in several designs and styles.

Free Printable Cinco De Mayo, Mexico Coloring Pages

Cinco de Mayo, or Fifth of May, celebrates the victory of the smaller Mexican army over the mighty French juggernaut, in the Battle of Puebla, 1862. Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence. Here are free printable lesson plans for Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo means the fifth of May. But it isn't Mexican Independence Day nor the equivalent of the U.S. Fourth of July. Cinco de Mayo is the day Mexicans remember El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (Battle of Puebla). Cinco de Mayo is mostly an Americanized Latino holiday. But also a great day to explore Mexican culture. Here are free printable Cinco de Mayo lesson plans, worksheets and games.

Mr Donn has free printable Cinco de Mayo activities, games, coloring pages, Powerpoint presentations, social studies worksheets, history lesson plans and culture study activities.

A-Z Teacher Stuff has free printable Cinco de Mayo unit and lesson planner kit with materials, worksheets, games, crafts, recipes, movies and activities.

Enchanted Learning has free printable Cinco de Mayo worksheets, mini-booklets, history and social studies lesson plans. Print a map of Mexico, Mexican flag, info on the Battle of Puebla, Mexican leaders, posters, history, images and recipes. Print a nice poster featuring Cesar Chavez and other Mexican labor activists, political figures, scientists, artists, musicians and more.

The Teachers Corner has free printable Cinco de Mayo crafts, counting lessons, words in Spanish, cultural heritage activities and more. Lesson Planet has free printable lesson plans on Cinco de Mayo to sample.

For preschool and younger kids, visit DL-TK for free Cinco de Mayo coloring pages, crafts, games, puzzles and recipes. Kids Soup offers free Cinco de Mayo printables to sample.

Apples 4 the Teacher offers free printable Cinco de Mayo lessons, maps, history projects, puzzles, games, music, crafts, recipes and more. There are ideas for several ages groups. ELCivics has printable Cinco de Mayo lessons for older students.

Mask Making Crafts for Social Studies

Mask lore is fascinating and tribal masks are significant in many world cultural traditions, religious activities and ceremonial dances. Ceremonial tribal masks are important in Native North American, Central American, South American, Pacific Islander, Asian, African, Maori and other tribal groups. Here are several social studies activities on mask-making and recycled trash mask crafts to help students explore the tradition masks.

Paper plate, paper bag or Styrofoam mask crafts are the easiest. Use mask-making lessons in preschool through high school social studies activities. Mask crafts incorporate green, recycled trash materials. It may seem odd that tribal masks of such significance could be made from recycled trash. But it's important to stress in social studies activities that most tribal masks are made from just that--"found" materials, scraps and natural elements. The gorgeous collection of African tribal masks at the Detroit Institute of Arts are made from leaves, grass, mud, clay, pebbles, shells, animal fur, skin and hair, human hair, seeds and nut hulls. It the artisan's ability to create beautiful mask crafts from found objects that makes mask-making so fascinating.

The teacher's role in mask-making social studies activities is facilitator. She provides recycled trash, art supplies and found objects for mask crafts. Students bring the creativity. For preschool mask making, adults might draw eye and mouth holes on mask crafts for kids to cut. Older students should be left to explore different facial features, eye hole and mouth hole designs for their tribal masks. They might decide to shape mouths and eyes like stars, squares or diamonds. They might make animal head mask crafts (a common design in tribal masks). They create teeth, hair, skin, fur or scales.

Here are art supplies and recycle trash needed for mask-making social studies activities. recycled paper or Styrofoam plates, large paper grocery bags, turned inside out to hide advertising print hot glue guns, school glue or Glue Dots. Glue dots are extra tacky, easy to work with and reduce mess by pricey. If glue dots are too expensive, school glue will work. Use up leftover school glue by melting in microwave to remove from bottles. recycled pot pie tins or egg cartons for glue and paint holders and mask-making details. You'll need Q-Tips cotton swabs, tape and staplers.

Mask decorations from recycled trash or found objects include --old jewelry --craft feathers --beads, glitter --appliques --faux gems --animal feathers --pebbles --shells--assorted dried seeds, beans, popcorn and legumes (these make excellent teeth) --assorted scraps of yarn, twist paper, twine, raffia, straw, reed, strips of paper or plastic, string, scrap electrical cord, wire for hair (unravel recycled knitted garments for curly hair) --fabric scraps --tissue paper, wrapping paper, construction paper and magazine scraps --gift ribbons and bows --assorted recycled pom poms, tassels, buttons, ribbons, --paint or markers (don't allow students to simply draw a design; encourage them to create a 3-D mask with found objects) --plastic mesh from orange bags (excellent for decorating) --recycled trash container lids, milk rings, small lids, jar lids, cardboard scraps (nothing sharp and all thoroughly washed) --clay or play dough: mold into embellishments and decorations, allow to dry, glue in place, paint.

Provide pictures and examples of native tribal masks. Encourage students to choose a basic mask theme (animal, facial expression), sketch it out and create pattern using a collage of materials.

Free Printable Cinco de Mayo Activities-Coloring, crafts, games