Kindergarteners Go Around The World: Week 27 ~ United States
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 27
This week you will be returning with the children in your class to the continent of North America and traveling to the country of the United States. You can do the lesson plan activities in the order that you prefer.
Prep Work
- Make or buy a cherry pie or dessert (check with your kids’ parents for allergies)
- 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 27 Lesson Plan
Destination & Passport
Continent: North America
Country: United States
Pretend Passport: Please see Week 2 for suggestions on how to use the Play Passports
Reading (10 – 15 minutes)
Story: How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A.
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?
- 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 the United States
- point out some of the states mentioned in the book. See if the kids can remember where the character found each ingredient.
I have been allowing the kids to take turns putting little colored 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)
Red, White and Blue Painting with Odds and Ends: from Five-Minute Art Ideas: Print Scissors Glue Paint, page 10.
You Will Need:
- Red, white, and blue washable paint
- Large sheets of art paper, such as from a Crayola Giant Marker and Watercolor Pad
- Plates
- Tablecloth to protect work surface
- Paint shirts to protect clothing
- Simple objects from around the house such as:
- Forks
- Corks
- Clothespins
- Bottle tops
- Pencil erasers
- Rubber band
- Small recycled cans
- Q-tips, etc.
Pour the paint onto the plates. Dip objects into the paint and then press it onto your art paper. Create an American flag, make random artistic marks, or make your own pattern.
Other Activities (10 – 15 minutes)
Eat Cherry Pie: You will need a cherry pie, paper plates, napkins, and cups (for water or other beverage). Be sure to check with your kids’ parents for any allergies before serving.
Facts and Flag Handout*: Pass out this 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.
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
- Dot stickers
- Markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils
- Roll of paper towels
- Computer and Printer (color printer
Week 27 Supply List
- How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A.
- Five-Minute Art Ideas: Print Scissors Glue Paint
- 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 27 Art Supply List
- Red, white, and blue washable paint
- Large sheets of paper, such as from a Crayola Giant Marker and Watercolor Pad
- Plates
- Tablecloth to protect work surface
- Paint shirts to protect clothing
- Simple objects from around the house such as:
- Forks
- Corks
- Clothespins
- Bottle tops
- Pencil erasers
- Rubber band
- Small recycled cans
- Q-tips, etc.
Copyright 2015 Kathryn Depew
Image of Cherry Pie from flickr.com used under the Creative Commons license. Image credit: Benny Mazur.
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