May 5th is Children's Day 

Celebrate the Children of the World

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

Lesson Plans 

Children around the World - Lesson Plan from Discover School. Here is a lesson plan for you to tweak and make work for you. Written by Kathy Devine for grades K thru 5.  Here is a list of things to do.

Children Around the World - lesson plan from C.R.E.A.T.E.  - Mississippi. Designed for grades 5 to 6 - adaptable to other grades.

Artistry of World Cultures ArtPartners lessons by Lucy Andrus. Elementary lessons that are adaptable to middle school. I do know that middle school students would enjoy making their own Yoruba Crown: Crowns of Inspiration (this is the style of beaded crown for elementary unit)- Try paper maché (on cone shape) - with pulp addition for relief elements....Then do try making a beaded veil - or view with dangling strings ending in beads if funds are limited. I had plans to make crowns one year with 6th graders. Maybe even line the paper maché crowns with tie died fabrics? Display the crowns by putting a Styrofoam ball on a wooden dowel and inserting into a wood base (ball will keep the dowel from damaging the the crown). Make the crowns symbolic.  See Yoruba Crown - See an antique crown (scroll down).  Try a Google image search for Yoruba Crowns - many  are available online. Teaching about adornment is a great way to teach respect for world cultures - as long as students understand the meanings and put their won meanings into what they make. Some beautiful examples of Yoruba art.  A paper mache box with sculptural elements would be a nice substitute lesson - see Yoruba beaded basket.

Art Around the World Start your unit with the lesson for an Art Around the World Museum. Students will work in groups and become knowledgeable in one region or culture to share with the rest of the class. Select cultures that you will be designing units around. See world maps. Lesson from Education Place®. OR use this a culminating unit at the end of the year. See Incredible Art Resources for links.

Children's Games Around the World See how the games vary from region to region. See some more games from around the world. Games around the world from Scholastics. 

Mama Lisa's World - Children's Songs and Rhymes of All Nations. Great site for Comprehensive Art Education.

Online Activities: Status of  Children Around the World - from Newsweek. Children of War, AIDS Orphans and Educational of children in Afghanistan.  

Myths and Fables from Around the World click on story icons to get going. All stories adapted by Matt Evans. Afro.com Kids Zone. See what other activities are online.

Holidays Around the World links compiled by Inez Ramsey. Also see Songs. See Christmas Around the World. Purim Customs Around the World.  Sampler of Holidays Around the World from Scholastic.

Birthdays Around the World from Children's Museum of Indianapolis. More on birthday celebrations around the world.

OneWorld Classrooms See what activities are online. Register for full resources. FREE password-protected, curriculum-based online content for K-12 classrooms that is designed to help students explore different cultures. Bring the world into your classroom.

Lesson Plans on Incredible Art Department

Wrapped Dolls Lesson - by Jeryl Hollingsworth. See adaptation for older students by Merrilee Gladkosky

Internet Resources

Incredible Art Resources See links for various cultures. Send in links you find to add (email address on home page). 

Art for Peace - new links to be added. Page to revised, soon. Send in your example of units for World Peace (email address on home page).

Arthur Blessitt Meets the Children Around the World. Study this site to determine if you can use it with children in your school. I enjoyed it. See all that is on this site.

Photographs of Children Around the World by Danièle Jacquillard

Japan Art and Culture links  Arts and Crafts Lesson Ideas for Japan

Mexico Art and Culture links page  Mexico Arts and Crafts Ideas - Cinco de Mayo links

Books and Resource to Purchase

Book: Children Around the World: A Multicultural Journey  by Jane A. Caballero, Derek Whordley, Foreword by Alma W. David

Book: Children Just Like Me by Annabel Kindersley (Contributor), Barnabas Kindersley (Photographer)

Book: Children Around the World by Donata Montanari

Children's Music and Songs Around the World Share with the music instructor for some interdisciplinary planning. Movement and dance, too. KiDiddles Online Store.

Multicultural Song Books. Folks Songs Around the World.

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