Topic: Columbus Day
Time: End of Sept or first week of November
Targets / Tools / CommentsHistory / Perry’s A Look Inside America / Usually provide all Int. and Adv students with a reading for home use only.
US Cultural Customs / None. Sometimes a parade or regatta is held.
Faith Traditions / None
American Values / Explorers vocabulary sheet / Explorers
New Beginnings
Developing Friendships / Nothing specific this month.
Cross-Cultural Exchange / Ice Breaker - Compass Halves. Must match to find partner; write down one fact about why partner came to America; [opt: share with class] Class discussions -
Int - South America celebrates more…how?
Adv - How do American Indians view this holiday? Why? / See differences and explore reasons for differences. Goal is to establish an environment where all/any points of view can be safely expressed.
English Grammar / Beg - Rhyming words
“In 1400 and 92, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”
Int – Nicknames; Name Game / Beg – Intro importance of rhyming words in American poetry.
Vocabulary Expansion / Beg - Hat Day – Hat description activity. Opposite pairs, and chaining adjectives. / All classes get a new vocab sheet with clip art. Example: 1492, Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria, New World, “Indians”, West Indies, explore, “Christopher Columbus!!”, “Land Ho!”...
Pronunciation / Beg/Int - High Silk Hat Song with lyrics.
Opposite pairs activity* or Hat description activity / Goal: to have fun with word play. Exaggerating words and phrases. Again, “this is a safe environment to play, make mistakes, share and learn”.
No particular greeting.
Bible Lessons / 1 Creation of Adam
2 Prodigal son
3 “Born again” / 1 Breath as living spirit
2 The son as explorer
3 Spiritual rebirth – why would someone want that?
Columbus Day Activities
Beginners:
Not a big holiday in terms of special customs.
Basic history (go over vocab flyer)
Activities all point to creating a safe environment to share thoughts and learn.
Hat Day – have everyone wear a hat…or provide different hats to wear. Teacher or student describes each one (write on the board). Then do Hat Activity
Hat Activity- Beginners use silk hat pictures to practice opposite descriptors (big/small).
Intermediates can use heads and hat found in the MixMax matching game by Ravensburger which has various occupation and character hats.
Activities can also incorporate the students practicing funny voices – an itsy-bitsy voice when saying “small, black hat” and a booming voice when saying “large, black hat”.
“High Silk Hat” Song
I took a ride, a ride upon the subway
With my high silk hat.
My high silk hat.
I laid it down upon the seat beside me,
My high silk hat.
My high silk hat.
A big fat lady came and sat upon it.
My high silk hat.
My high silk hat.
A big fat lady came and sat upon it.
My high silk hat.
My high silk hat.
“Christopher Columbus!!”, now what do you think of that!
A big, fat lady sat upon my hat!
My hat she broke, and that’s no joke!
My hat she broke, and that’s no joooooooke!
“Christopher Columbus!!”, now what do you think of that!
Low Intermediates:
This is a safe environment to share and learn.
History: still pretty basic facts about the discovery of the New world.
Values: adventure, exploration, individual discovery, all things new…American values.
Cross-cultural exchange: sharing.
“New World”. We all want new beginnings.
Some activities:
Place names (New England, New York, New Jersey, New Mexico)
Result of discovering new places, cultures…you always still have the old with you. It is a blending of the new and old.
Desire to start new…just keep the good of the last place.
Was this true for your family as you came here?
Nicknames (Christopher=Chris; Robert=Bob, Rob; Timothy=Tim, Timmy; John=Johnny; Elizabeth=Liz, Beth, Betsy etc) Significance of the ending “y”.
Name Game (or Banana Song)
Jack, Jack bo-back
Banana-fana fo-fack
Fee-fy-mo-mack (original 1965 lyrics)
Jack!
“Indians”– Misnamed
Explorers – Discuss Christopher Columbus, then discuss what the students would like to explore (new lands, treasure hunt, medical/science discovery, space).
Advanced:
This is the optimal environment to share – no family expectations, no job related limitations on conversation. Create this environment deliberately, early and carefully.
History: go as deep as you would like.
Values: individual exploration, new beginnings, freedom of expression
Cross-cultural exchange: sharing and recognizing Native American concerns on this day.
Activities can include the following topics:
1) Discuss New Beginnings
Student stories of beginning new in America
4 Stages of cultural adjustment (do this sometime in the year if not this month!)
2) Conflict with celebrating Columbus Day
Native American Indian viewpoint – present as valid, interesting…don’t resolve the conflict or present a particular point of view as right. All expressed views are just that, not judged.
Can make a point of history not being fixed – interpreted differently through the years and through the eyes of who writes it. [I make a comment that the Bible never changes…but be careful at this early point of the Muslim’s view that our Bible has been corrupted.]
3) Explorersafter covering Columbus, read and discuss National Geographic article on Zheng He (“China’s Great Armada”, July, 2005). Great Chinese explorer in 1400. This is super interesting with great follow-up potential on being ambassadors.
4) Discuss historical account from Perry’s Inside America book (or give for home reading).
5) Field trip to American Indian Museum.
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CBESOL Holiday Workshop
August 2005; Julie Stoll