Kindergarteners Go Around The World: Week 26 ~ France
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 26
This week you will be returning with the children in your class to the continent of Europe and traveling to the country of France. You can do the lesson plan activities in the order that you prefer.
Below is a Printable Blank Lesson Plan Grid. 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
- Decide on art project (two choices given below)
- 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 26 Lesson Plan
Destination and Passport
Continent: Europe
Country: France
Pretend Passport: Please see Week 2 for suggestions on how to use the Play Passports
Reading (10 – 15 minutes)
Story: Mirette on the High Wire
Discussion: 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? Who was your favorite character?
- 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 Europe
- find the country of France
- find the capitol (and location of the story): Paris.
I have been allowing the kids to take turns putting little dot stickers
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)
Option #1: Handmade Soap
From Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World
You Will Need:
- Double boiler and water and stove (or microwave oven)
- Leftover soap pieces (or Glycerin Melt and Pour Soap Base
)
- Large spoon
- Perfume (or Fragrance Oil
)
- Cookie sheets and cookie cutters (or soap molds)
- Spatula
- Paper towels
Alternative: Use a glycerin base for the soap instead of leftover soap pieces. You can follow these instructions from wikiHow. To make a bar of soap with a French “flag” inside, add three lego blocks (attached to one another) in the colors of the French flag: blue, white and red to each soap mold.
Sugar Painting Using Watercolor Paints
Option #2: Sugar Picture
From Five-Minute Art Ideas: Print Scissors Glue Paint, page 88. France is known for the wonderful art in The Louvre, and also for its amazing desserts! Combine the two in this art project, the sugar solution gives your painting an impressionist feel.
You Will Need:
- Large sheets of art paper, such as from a Crayola Giant Marker and Watercolor Pad
- Washable Tempura Paint or Kids’ Watercolor Paints in various colors (the watercolors worked a little better)
- Paintbrushes
- Water
- Powdered sugar
- Water in cups to clean brushes
- Paint shirts to protect clothing
- Tablecloth to protect work surface
1. Dissolve approximately 3 tablespoons powdered sugar in 1/2 cup of water in jar or measuring cup.
2. Using a paintbrush, cover the paper completely with the solution.
3. Immediately afterwards, paint a picture or a pattern on the paper. Watch how the paint colors move and blend together.
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
- 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
Week 26 Supply List
- Mirette on the High Wire
- Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World
- 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 26 Art Supply List
Option #1: Handmade Soap
- Double boiler and water and stove (or microwave oven)
- Leftover soap pieces (or Glycerin Melt and Pour Soap Base
- Large spoon
- Perfume (or Fragrance Oil
- Cookie sheets and cookie cutters (or soap molds)
- Spatula
- Paper towels
Option #2: Sugar Picture
You Will Need:
- Large sheets of art paper, such as from a Crayola Giant Marker and Watercolor Pad
- Washable Tempura Paint in various colors
- Paintbrushes
- Water
- Powdered sugar
- Water in cups to clean brushes
- Paint shirts to protect clothing
- Tablecloth to protect work surface
Copyright 2015 Kathryn Depew
Images of The Louvre in Paris and Citrus Soap Bars from flickr.com used under the Creative Commons license. Image credits: photophilde and soapylovedeb.
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