Grade 3 Lesson Plan: Bulding Bridges (Cross-Curricular)

Lesson Overview 

^‍

This lesson was designed in collaboration with elementary teachers, curriculum designers and learning design experts in order to engage students of different learning styles and adapt activities to curriculum standards in the relevant states.

If you are enjoying Touchable Earth, sign-up for free to make this lesson interactive! 

‍

Lesson Objectives & Curriculum Alignment
‍

United Kingdom
‍

• Curriculum Area: Music, Physical Education, Geography (Key Stage 2)
• Alignment: Aligns with the National Curriculum's objectives for students to understand the cultural origins and significance of different musical traditions and dance forms. It supports the geography aim of providing locational knowledge and cultural understanding of the countries studied.
  ‍

United States
‍

• Curriculum Area: Music, Dance, Social Studies (Grades 3-5)
• Alignment: Meets the National Core Arts Standards by facilitating an understanding of artistic expressions from diverse cultures. It aligns with Social Studies standards by exploring cultural traditions and practices, fostering a global perspective.
  ‍

Canada
‍

• Curriculum Area: Arts Education, Social Studies
• Alignment: Complies with the Arts curriculum by encouraging students to express themselves and appreciate different cultural contexts through music and dance. It supports Social Studies outcomes by enhancing understanding of cultural diversity and heritage.
  ‍

New Zealand
‍

• Curriculum Area: The Arts, Social Sciences (Levels 2-3)
• Alignment: Supports the New Zealand Curriculum's emphasis on exploring and responding to a variety of music and dance within cultural contexts, promoting an understanding of cultural heritage and identity.

Australia
‍

• Curriculum Area: The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (Year 3-4)
• Alignment: Complies with the Australian Curriculum's goals for students to explore music practices and works across a range of cultures, times, and locations. It supports the cross-curriculum priority of Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, encouraging students to appreciate the diverse cultures within the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
  ‍

‍

Introductory Activities

Let's kick off this world adventure by taking note of what's important for us and our friends: 

Rank the following in order from most to least important: 

What matters most to me in a friend is...

‍

• sharing toys
• making me laugh
• making me feel happy when I am sad
• standing up for me
• playing sports with me
• teaching me new things
• keeping my secrets safe
• saying sorry when they make a mistake

‍
Children Around the World

‍

Every Touchable Earth lesson in a world adventure for teachers and students. In this lesson we will first head over to South Africa, where we will make friends with Clifford and Kabelo

‍

‍

Next, we are going to visit the Marshall Islands and meet Karina who wants to introduce us to her brother! 

‍

You can access all Touchable Earth videos of kids from over 25 communities from around the world for free here

‍

Up next, we are heading to see Hamza and Brendan, two friends from India.

‍

‍

Lastly, let's head over to Syria where Ali will introduce us to his dad!

‍

There are so many more friends to make around the world! 

‍

Activities

‍

Activities for this lesson can be embedded into your LMS, or you can make custom lessons with any resources you like inside the Touchable Earth app.

‍

‍

‍

but if you prefer to keep this lesson offline here are some activity suggestions for the whole classroom.

‍

• Global Family Traditions Project: Students interview family members about their favorite traditions. They then research similar traditions from other cultures around the world. This can be done using online resources, books, or even video calls with students from different countries (if possible). Students can create presentations, drawings, or short videos showcasing their findings and highlighting similarities and differences across cultures.
  ‍
• "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" Challenge (Global Edition): Students participate in a series of team-building activities that require collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, but with a global twist! These activities might involve working together with students from another country virtually, or simulating a scenario where teamwork is crucial for people from different backgrounds to achieve a common goal. Emphasize empathy and understanding different perspectives.
  ‍
• Value Reflection Discussion with a Global Lens: Students discuss the values they observe in their families and among their friends. They explore how these values are reflected in everyday interactions and decision-making within families and friend groups. Video clips: Watch short video clips featuring students from different countries discussing their families' values and traditions. Students can then compare and contrast these values with their own.

‍

Touchable Earth includes 1000s of resources to make each lesson a global adventure. We share the best resources in our newsletter, once a week :)
‍

If you liked this lesson plan - consider sending it to a teacher friend to help them with lesson planning today :) 

‍