Kindergarteners Go Around The World: Week 17 ~ Canada

This post is part of the series “Around the World in 28 Weeks: Art, Literature & Geography Lessons for Kindergarten.” For an introduction, overview of the entire course, and links to more lesson plans, please click here. Thank you for visiting Cotton Ridge Homeschool!

Introduction to Week 17

This week you will be returning with the children in your class to the continent of North America and traveling to Ungava Bay in the country of Canada. You can do the lesson plan activities in the order that you prefer.

Below is a Printable Lesson Plan Schedule for the entire 28 weeks, a blank lesson plan grid, and printable supply and book lists. Just click on the thumbnails below to open and view. For best results, download to your computer or open in Adobe Reader before printing.

Prep Work

Cut tops off of boxes (or use shoe boxes)
Gather books and supplies (see checklists below)
Print out handouts and 3-hole punch them for notebooks (see checklists below)

Thanks for joining us!

Disclosure: The books and supply links below lead to products on Amazon. I am an affiliate and will receive a small commission if these links are used to make a purchase.

Week 17 Lesson Plan

Date and Destination

Date: First Week of February**
Continent: North America
Country: Canada

Pretend Passport: Please see Week 2 for suggestions on how to use the Play Passports during your lesson. Below are free printable Passport Stamps. Please click here for free Airline Tickets, and Cruise Ship Tickets printables. Just click on the thumbnails below to open and view. For best viewing/printing results, open in Adobe Reader.

Reading (10 – 15 minutes)

Story: Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews

Discussion: Define unfamiliar words. Ask questions to determine reading comprehension; tailor these to your children’s ages and abilities. Depending on the size of your class and as time permits, try to allow each child to participate. Don’t drag this part on too long or your kids will lose interest. Here are a few to get you started:

Did you like the story? Why or why not?
What was your favorite part?
Questions based on the Who?, What?, Why?, When?, and How? of a story are great for getting kids thinking.

Geography (5 – 15 minutes)

Globe or Wall Map Activity: With your class,

find the Continent of North America
find the country of Canada
find the capitol of Canada: Ottawa
find Ungava Bay (location of Very Last First Time).

I have been allowing the kids to take turns putting little dot stickers on the country we visit on our wall map each week. They have really enjoyed this little extra!

Map Handout*: Pass out the Map Handout to your class and allow them to color the page as time permits. You may want this to be the last activity of your class so they can be kept busy until the next class starts or until their parents pick them up. Have the kids place their handouts in their World Traveler Notebook (3-ring binder) before they leave.

Below is a free printable Map Handout in PDF format. Just click on the thumbnail below to open and view. For best results, download to your computer or open in Adobe Reader before printing.

Art (30 – 40 minutes)

Under The Sea Diorama Tutorial

My students loved this project! Each diorama turned out a little different. The project allows for individual creativity plus provides a tactile sensory activity (handling the seashells, pebbles, starfish, and lichen).

You Will Need:

Sturdy shallow boxes with tops cut off (I used Kiwi Crate Subscription boxes) or shoe boxes.
Blue construction paper
Tan construction paper or thin corkboard
Paper fish shapes (I used my Cricut and the Create a Critter Cartridge. Alternatively, you may use the free printable page with fish to color and cut out.)
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
Plastic bottle tops
Pebbles, seashells, starfish, lichen for the ocean floor (available at craft stores)
Tacky glue

Find a shallow box or shoe box, and cut blue construction paper to fit sides and back.

Use thin corkboard or tan construction paper for the ocean floor. Cut out fish shapes and use bottle tops to provide dimension.

Note: If your class time is limited, you will want to prepare the boxes ahead of time and cut the construction paper and cork board to fit. I glued in the cork board ahead of time because mine was warped and needed weights on it while the glue was drying. I also prepared baggies for each child with the bottle tops, pebbles, seashells, and lichen inside. The starfish I handed out in class because they were fragile.

Stand box up on one long side, and glue in blue construction paper over back and sides, but not the bottom.
Glue thin cork board on the bottom of the box for the sea floor (or use tan/brown construction paper.)
Glue in pebbles, seashells, starfish, and lichen (for seaweed/ocean plants).
Color and decorate paper fish. Glue to bottle tops. Glue bottle tops with fish attached to back of box.
Let glue dry for an hour or two before transporting the boxes.

Alternate Art Activity

You can create the same scene on a blue piece of 12″ x 12″ heavy card stock from the scrapbook section of a craft store.

Free Printable Fish Page

Click on a thumbnail below to open and view. For best results, open in Adobe Reader before printing.

Other Activities (10 – 15 minutes)

Facts and Flag Handout*: Pass out these handouts to your class and allow them to color the pages as time permits. You may want this to be the last activity of your class so they can be kept busy until the next class starts or until their parents pick them up. Have the kids place their handouts in their World Traveler Notebook (3-ring binder) before they leave.

Just click on a thumbnail below to open and view. For best results, open in Adobe Reader before printing.

*If there is not time in class, provide these as handouts for the kids to do at home. The pages can go in their World Traveler Notebooks as a record of their journeys.

**Our homeschool coop begins during the last week of August, but the Around the World course can be started at any time of year. Some re-arranging of the weekly plans may be necessary due to holidays, but with a little planning ahead of time, this should be very manageable.

Supply Lists

General Supply List

Globe or large World Wall Map
3-Ring Binder for each child for handouts, 1-1/2″ size
3-Hole Punch
Date Stamp
Markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils
Roll of paper towels
Computer and Printer (color printer is recommended)

Week 17 Supply List

Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews
Passports and World Traveler Notebooks for each child from Week 1
Printables from this post: Travel Tickets, Passport Stamps, Map Handout, and Facts & Flag Handout

Week 17 Art Supply List

Sturdy shallow boxes with tops cut off (I used Kiwi Crate Subscription boxes) or shoe boxes, OR 12″ x 12″ heavy blue cardstock.
Blue construction paper
Tan construction paper or thin corkboard
Paper fish shapes (I used my Cricut and the Create a Critter Cartridge Alternatively, you may use the free printable page with fish to color and cut out.)
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
Plastic bottle tops
Pebbles, seashells, starfish, lichen for the ocean floor (available at craft stores)
Tacky glue