Around the World class decorations, study

I have done an around the world study of countries with my class for the last two years.  I really enjoy it and the kids love learning about the other countries.  I found a lot of lesson ideas online but I also found this great book http://www.amazon.com/Children-Around-World-Countries-Languages/dp/1933052376/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1347768211&sr=8-10&keywords=field+trip+around+the+world that gave me great ideas and a jumping off point.  I also used these books for ideas: http://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Coloring-Dover-History/dp/0486439836/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1347768170&sr=8-8&keywords=around+the+world and http://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Art-Activities-Continents/dp/1885593457/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1347768170&sr=8-15&keywords=around+the+world .

This year I decided to have a decoration theme to my room. I have seen so many teachers do and I never did, but this year I decided to do it. I have had a bulletin board of kids around the world but this year I added to it and made it bigger:

I gotta say finding around the world stuff was difficult; the places I looked online and in the stores nearest me had pretty much nothing.  I have seem tons of frogs, lizards, and weird monsters but not around the world (or fairy tales, my other favorite but that is another post :)) I found the larger kids on Amazon and the smaller kids were an old set my mother had.  The little world was found at Knowledge Bound. 

For my students hanger name cards I decided to try and find something world themed but had no luck. So I took plain white index cards and put some passport type stamps on them that I found online. ( I do not remember the site at the moment but I will try and find it.) I put two on each card and then wrote the child's name on them.

When I do my around the world study with my kids I like to have a little display for the country we are studying.  I am slowly building collections for each one and right now some are better than others.  We are on Germany at the moment (new this year) and it is small but I hope to add to it.  It is on one of my shelves next to one of my maps, here is an example:

It has a nutcracker, flags, a cuckoo clock, hat, and lederhosen for the country.  I will update for each country. 

For our back to school night each teacher always has some sort of display outside their rooms with the students names.  I tried to find something around the world that I didn't already have up but no luck.  So I made a poster of a world with poster board, blue paper and continents I printed out that said Welcome Worldwide Learners! on it and had the children's names on little passports I copied from my Children Around the world book above on different colors of paper. 



I also had two welcome banners outside of my room that had flags of the world all over them; one said welcome in English and the other said welcome in different languages, I found it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X0QI1S/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00 . I think they are outside banners bu they looked fine and fold up nicely for next year.

 

 



New year, new folders: My World Folders

I decided this year to do an organizational folder with my students.  One of my fellow kindergarten teachers did MOOSE folders last year and they worked so well in her class.  She showed us her book and some links of what a MOOSE book was.  I spent some time this summer finding out about the books and what I would like to do. 

I decided to do WORLD folders since I am not really into MOOSE, STAR, OR BEE stuff.   On the site http://www.jbonzer.com/WorldNotebookbyjudybonzer.JPEG I found an organizational notebook cover for WORLD, or Workers Organized & Ready for Learning Daily.  I thought the World one was perfect for me since I do an around the world study with my kids all year, so the world one fit perfectly.  (Though I was tempted to do fairy tales, but it seemed too long.) 

I decided for my first year of this to do instead of binder to do the plastic folders for my WORLD folders.  One for cost (I  thought of doing this after we submitted classroom supplies for the next year so all of this was out of pocket cost) and if they would hold up.  Looking at some sites some teachers used notebooks and some used binders, both had pros and cons and which would hold up best.  I decided this year to do folders; in August I found out two of my other Kindergarten teachers are doing organizational notebooks; one is doing 1/2 inch binders and the other is doing 1& 1/2 inch binders.  We decided this could be an experiment of all of us to see which will hold up the best for the year.  For my class I went to my local store and bought the plastic folders that have the three metal prongs in them to hold papers.  I got different colors so that it would be easier for the kids to recognize their folder.  I couldn't use the cute WORLD cover on the outside of the folder so I put that in the folder and on the outside  I put these around the world kid stickers I bought from Oriental Trading: http://www.orientaltrading.com/kids-around-the-world-foam-shapes-a2-48_9088-12-1.fltr?Ntt=around+the+world . I put four of the kids across the top and the world sticker in the middle.  I wrote My WORLD folder in the middle and the child's name at the bottom.  They came out pretty cute:

The inside of the folder goes in this order:
1. Front pocket- bring back to school.  This pocket is for homework and papers that need to be brought back.
2. Class newsletter and lunch menu.  I update my newsletter every week, sometimes every two weeks.  These are in a sheet protector since I take them out every week.
3. Class handbook.  I have always had a mini handbook that I gave my parents at the beginning of the year but this year I also put one in these folders.  It contains a class schedule, dismissal plan, behavior chart explanation, and other class information.
4. Behavior chart.  I have done the color behavior chart with my kindergartners for years and it has worked well for them.  They and their parents understand it.  For their behavior the students color in a calender that I printed out with the color they are in that day.  The charts are in these binder pockets I found at the store:  http://www.walmart.com/ip/14926496?adid=22222222227000548399&wmlspartner=wlpa&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=13689420310&wl4=&wl5=pla&veh=sem
So far they are working well, though some of the kids have a hard time getting the paper back in.
5. Communication log.  I have some notebook paper put in the back of each folder where I and the parents can write notes to each other.  In the binder version it would be a notebook, but that would be too big for the folders so I just put in notebook paper.
6. Back pocket of folder- keep at home pocket.  This is where the kids put the class papers and school note that need to go and stay home. 

So far the folders have been very successful, the kids are bringing them every day and they are not getting torn up.  The parents seem to like them as well, they have been good about using the log and looking for the folder.  Before school started our school had a back to school night and I was able to speak to my parents about my classroom  and the folders.  I feel this was very helpful in the success as I was able the show the parents what they were and their importance before they were sent home.  I also have the parents and students sign a compact for the folders. 

Links about the organizational folders (most commonly called MOOSE folders)
http://www.jbonzer.com/miscprintables2.html
http://www.jbonzer.com/miscprintables.htm
http://www.cape.k12.mo.us/blanchard/hicks/Parents%20Pages/Tiger%20Notebook.htm
http://www.smithsroom.com/moose.htm
http://jmeacham.com/bee.book.htm
http://www.mrsnelsonsclass.com/teacherresources/classmanagement/classmanagement.aspx#organizationfolders
http://www.mrsdryzal.com/moosenotebook
http://www.msvines.com/beebook.htm
http://teachingheart.net/moosebooks.html