Projects - Books as Bridges Update

This year my fifth graders have been participating in a program called Books As Bridges, which is part of the local charity The International Book Project. So far we've sent one letter to our pen pals in Panama and we've received letters. Last week, a representative from Books As Bridges stopped by school and did a cultural lesson. She showed pictures and talked about the geography, government, popular music and sports, and types of folk art. Then the students got to make a small piece of Mola art and tried some Gallo Pinto (that I had made) and Tres Leches cake (that our visitor had made.)

I was so worried about this big group  lesson. We had all 120+ 5th graders in the library, listening to an unknown speaker and trying to do an art project in the floor. But it really turned out very well! The other Specials teachers I work with are amazing and stuck around and helped pass out paper, scissors, glue and even clean up afterwards. And the kids were really well-behaved and seemed to really enjoy it.

I even got a lady from our PR office to come and write an article about the lesson. You can read all about at this link here.

The students wrote a second letter leading up to the cultural lesson, which we will be sending along with our cultural package. Then in April we will do our service learning project - a book drive.