Around the World and Back By Lunchtime

I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty awesome that this morning my 2nd graders and I managed to fly to the other side of the world, tour another country, and make it back in time for lunch ;) Of course, none of this was possible without a little a lot of help from Google Earth!

My classroom theme this year is Ms. Wertheim's World Travelers! Part of my classroom management plan is our Superstars Suitcase. When I see the class working hard or going above and beyond, our Travel Agent for the week gets to choose an item to pack in our suitcase. When the suitcase is full, the students get to pick anywhere in the world to take a field trip via Google Earth.

Since we are sponsoring a student at Kopila Valley School in Nepal, the kiddos voted to take a trip to Nepal. It was a blast! First, we made sure we had our passports all ready to go, complete with a passport photo, of course ;) Next, students had to "buy" their plane tickets and received their Boarding Pass and Trip Itinerary. Then we boarded the plane and got ready to take off from the Asheville Airport runway. As you can see, they were super excited! This photo means the world to me. This is what teaching is all about--making lessons so magical and watching these kiddos' imaginations soar. This is the look of pure joy when we were about to take off on the runway. So much for reminding them to stay in their seats with their seat belts fastened ;)

I wanted to make our trip feel as realistic as possible. I used street view in Google Earth to make it look like we were really on the runway, and when we took off I played a YouTube video of a plane ride so the kids could see what it really looks like from the window of a plane. Hanging out in the clouds is something everyone deserves to experience :) They pretended to sleep for the remainder of our 16 hour flight across the world.

When we arrived at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, we talked about the time difference and jet lag. Most of them wrote in their journals how "tired" they felt from the long flight. They immediately noticed the difference in the terrain and the buildings in Nepal. This lead to great discussion about architecture, natural resources, and economics. 

After touring Kathmandu, it was time for us to take a long, bumpy, windy bus ride to Surkhet to visit Jarana and the other students at Kopila Valley School. We got to see pictures of the school, talk about similarities and differences, and even had the chance to "meet" a few students from Kopila.

What trip to Nepal is complete without a visit to Mt. Everest!? The kids couldn't wait to "hike" to the top. They especially loved looking at all the Google Earth pictures posted at the peak. And, in true imaginative fashion, I let them "sled" down Mt. Everest, which I must admit is pretty fun in Google Earth ;)



Throughout our trip, the kids wrote about their experience in their passports, which double as a journal. They even learned how to say a few words in Nepali, including my favorite--Namaste.

I know it's unrealistic for us to go on field trips all the time, but with Google Earth in the classroom the possibilities are truly endless. I can't wait to see where we go next! ;)

Thank you for stopping by, and Happy Thanksgiving!

GOAL Getters Craft Fair Fundraiser

I am so excited to share photos from the Claxton Holiday Craft Fair which was a huge success! Our kids made button bracelets, magnets, and scarves to raise money to sponsor children's education in developing countries.

 This educational project is part of our year-long Social Studies initiative called GOAL Getters (Global Opportunities, Awareness, and Leadership). The aim of GOAL Getters is to integrate Global Citizenship education throughout as much of the core curriculum as possible.

Students learn about global issues and then set goals to take action and help. Our main classroom goal this year is to sponsor a year of education for a girl in rural Nepal. As 21st century learners, it is important for our kiddos to be exposed to other cultures, service opportunities, and social responsibility at a young age.

These experiences help shape them into the wonderful future leaders that our world needs. The purpose of the craft fair fundraiser was to teach our kids that we can use our talents (in this case, making crafts) to help make a difference in the world.

My class teamed up with Ms. Adams's class to sell our crafts and I am beyond proud to announce that together we raised $350 for girls' education!

Now you may be wondering: Why girls? Why aren't we sponsoring boys and girls? Well, the answer is simple, and one that our kids agree with: girls in developing countries are not given the same educational opportunities as boys, so as global citizens we should help close this gender gap.*

In our classes we are learning about the differences between our culture and other cultures. Education in developing countries is not free and it is not covered through taxes. Therefore, families have to find money on their own if they want to send their children to school. If families do have money to send their children to school, they are more likely to send their sons instead of daughters. This cycle deprives girls of the opportunity to learn to read and write, which in turn leads to a lack of job opportunities later in life, and a wide range of other issues.

It is obvious that putting a girl in school changes her entire life trajectory, and it's incredible that our 2nd graders in Asheville can change the lives of kids on the other side of the world! *Learn more facts about girls' education, here!

I am so proud of all of our students for working so hard on these crafts! They love knowing that they are making a difference. :) And most importantly, thank you SO much to all of the parents who contributed to the craft fair fundraiser; from buying the materials, to volunteering in the classroom and the day of the fair-- none of this would've been possible with you! :) Enjoy the pics!

Making the crafts: 

The craft fair: 

Huge thank you to all the Claxton families for being so supportive of our initiative!

Text Feature Fun

In Reading Workshop, we are learning about Nonfiction Text features and last week the kiddos made their own Nonfiction Feature Books. Here are some photos from the day! Their photograph/caption features were especially cute. ;) 

Check back soon to see some very exciting activities going on in Room 203 this week! :)

A Beautiful View

This is my absolute favorite time of year in Asheville! We are so lucky to have a view like this from our classroom. Sometimes I feel like I'm teaching in a treehouse ;)