Multicultural Lesson Plans

The Giant Turnip-Building Community in the Classroom

Title of Focus Book: The Giant Turnip

Books Used:

The Giant Turnip, Czech/English

The Giant Turnip, Somali/English

The Giant Turnip CD, Multiple Languages

**Lessons can be adapted to use The Giant Turnip in any dual language combination

Focus Languages: Czech, Somali, English

Topic: Building Community in the Classroom

Authors: Lindsay Bronstein, Katelyn Lewis, and Jennifer Stumpf

Affiliation:  West Chester University of Pennsylvania, pupils in the Teacher Education Program for Elementary Education

Instructional Unit:       Building Community in the Classroom

The three lessons presented in this unit of instruction have been designed to help pupils

• learn about different cultures and customs of people around the world and in Britain;
• hear and see new languages and text;
• build an appreciation of the diverse languages present in the world and in Britain;
• learn about other countries, and people similar to and different than themselves;

• build positive relationships among pupils in the classroom to promote the acceptance of

      diversity among pupils as a part of the classroom environment.

The main book used in these lessons is: The Giant Turnip  in Czech, Somali, English and multiple languages included on the TalkingPEN and The Giant Turnip CD. Each of these titles is available in many other languages, and other language combinations can be substituted for or used in addition to the dual languages presented here.

After hearing the introduction to the mini-unit, the teacher can help pupils locate the countries where the focus languages are spoken around the world.  As a supplement, the teacher may offer instruction about these countries and the people who live in them currently. He or she may also share with pupils information about each of the languages, including presenting how these languages are represented in Britain, in the state where pupils reside and in the local community.  

The teacher may also integrate learning about the languages, countries/regions/areas where the languages are spoken throughout the lessons. The CIA World Factbook Online provides excellent information on countries and people of the world.             

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Introduction and Lesson Plan One: What is a Community?

Focus on Problem Solving and Brainstorming

Goals:

1. Pupils will understand what a community is.

2. Pupils will understand what a community looks like in different settings (classroom, county, state, country, and world)

3. Pupils will understand why a community is important.

Objectives:

1. Pupils will be able to define what a community is.

2. Pupils will be able to explain what a community looks like in different settings (classroom, county, state, country, and world).

3. Pupils will be able to explain differences and similarities in a community.

4. Pupils will be able to brainstorm ideas about how pupils in book can work together to achieve their goal.

4. Pupils will be able to locate Czech Republic and Somalia on a map.

5. Pupils will be able to define the communities The Czech Republic and Somalia.

6. Pupils will be able to explain the similarities of Czech Republic and Somalia communities to the United States communities.

Concepts:

1. All communities have similarities and differences.

Skills:

1. Brainstorming (Making, recording, and recalling)

2. Problem Solving

3. Writing

4. Compare and Contrast

5. Speaking

6. Listening

7. Group Work (Cooperative Learning)

Anticipatory Set:

1. Teacher will open with a question to activate their background knowledge. The questions will deal with their life experiences on the different communities that they are in.

    -Example questions: What is a community? Why are communities important? What is your role in a community?

2. Teacher will ask the class if there are different types of communities (Class, County, State, Country, and World). Class will talk about what each one’s roles are and how they play an important role in each one.

3. Teacher will then talk about how communities have to have similar and different people, places, and things within them to work. Class will make a chart showing what things can be the same and what things can be different within a community.

    - Examples of similarities within a community: paying taxes, keeping their homes clean, getting their rubbish picked up.

    - Examples of differences within a community: jobs, ages, income, schooling.

4. Class will discuss what they came up with and why each one is important to have a community function. 

Procedures:

1. Teacher will introduce book, The Giant Turnip, showing cover and asking class what they think it is about and talk about the languages within them (Czech and Somali).

2. Teacher will ask class if anyone knows where the Czech Republic and Somalia are located on the class map.

3. Teacher will discuss with the class how the communities in the Czech Republic and Somalia are different from Britain and how they are the same.

4. Teacher will then the read book and stop right before the pupils in the book start to think of ideas to get the turnip out of the ground.

5. Class will get into pairs and brainstorm different ways to get the turnip out of the ground.

6. Pairs will tell the class what they came up with.

7. Teacher will finish reading the story.

Closure:

1. Class will talk about how the story shows what a community is and why it is important that everyone in the community is involved.

2. Class will brainstorm ways how their class community can become more united.

3. Teacher will reinforce the importance of why a community is important and how differences within a community are so important to help a community operate.

Assessment:

1. Pupils will write a short essay explaining what a community is, what are some similarities and some differences within a community, why a community is important, and ways to help their class community become more united.

2. Teacher will collect brainstorming ideas from each pair.

Materials:

1. Book: Barkow, Henriette. The Giant Turnip Mantra Lingua

2. Map

3. Paper and Pencil

Lesson Plan Two: Planting a Garden, in Britain, Somalia, and Czech Republic

I. Introduction:

This lesson is to instill in the pupils a sense of difference and similarity between them and other places in the world.

      A.     Before beginning this lesson read the book The Giant Turnip to the class.  Make sure to point out the different languages the book is written in.

      B.     Ask the pupils what steps were taken in the book to create the garden.  Write what the Pupils tell you on the board.

      C.     Make a list with the pupils of what was needed to create the garden. Write the list on the board.

      D.     Ask the pupils if the steps to create the garden have to go in a certain order.  Discuss with the class what steps go first, second, and so on. (chronological order)

II. Anticipatory Set:

      A.     Begin by asking the pupils at what time of the year (spring, summer, fall, and winter) most people in Britian plant gardens.

      B.     Discuss the weather for that time of year.

      C.     Ask the pupils if they feel that this is the same time of year everywhere in the world plants gardens.  Ask if everywhere in the world has the right climate to plant a garden at this time.

      D.     Review with the class, using a map, the three regions that the languages used in the book relate to.

      E.      Group pupils into groups of four.

III. Procedures:

      A.     Each group is then split into two other groups.  One group will research Somali agriculture and the other group will research Czech agriculture. 

      B.     The groups will be given a handout to fill in.  (see attached)

      C.     The pupils will research using the library and/or computer lab.

      D.     Once pupils have filled out their handout they will come back together as a group and share their findings.

      E.      The pupils will then write out a timeline of planting a garden in Britain, Somalia, and the Czech Republic. Each time line must include what time of year they are planting their garden, where they planted it, what they planted in the language of the area they are planting it, how they take care of it, and when and how they cultivate their garden. 

      F.      Each group will then present their timelines to the class.

      G.     The class as a whole will come together and make a Venn diagram to compare the timeline of a garden in all three regions.

      H.     They will compare and contrast the regions researched to Britian as a whole, and to the area they live in.

IV. Closure:

      A.     Pupils will listen to the the narrations of The Giant Turnip in different languages either on the TalkingPEN or on the audio CD.

      B.     Each group of pupils will again work together to create a drama presentation in either Somali or Czech using the TalkingPEN or CD to explain what is happening.

      C.     The groups will be able to use supplies available in the classroom to help them create their show. 

      D.     The pupils will not be able to talk at all during their shows so they must be able to convey their messages through movements alone.

      E.      Each group will then have a chance to put on their show for their classmates. 

      F.      After each group gets a chance to put on their show the class will have a discussion on the similarities and differences in the garden for each area.  This lesson is to instil in the pupils a sense of difference and similarity between them and other places in the world.

Lesson Three: Cooperation: Working Together to Achieve a Common Goal

I. Introduction

      A.     The teacher will explain to the pupils that there are many communities that we are a part of (classroom, school, neighborhood, state, country, and world).

      B.     The teacher will ask the pupils what makes their classroom community work well.  The class should give the following answers: communication, sharing, working together, and helping each other.

II. Anticipatory Set

      A.     The teacher will show the pupils various pictures of structures that took cooperation and teamwork to build: bridges, buildings, and other architecture.

      B.     The teacher will ask the pupils why teamwork and cooperation were necessary to complete such projects.  The responses will be written on the board.

III. Procedures

      A.   The teacher will pass out five large and five small marshmallows, ten gum drops, and ten sticks of dry spaghetti to each group of four pupils.

      B.   The groups will be given twenty minutes to create a bridge with the supplies given.  The bridge must be able to stand between two bricks for at least three minutes.

      C.     For the first ten minutes, there will be no talking within groups.  After the first ten minutes, the group members will be allowed to communicate in order to finish their bridges.

      D.     After twenty minutes, the teacher will bring the class together and see which bridges can stand between the bricks.

IV. Closure

      A.  The pupils will be instructed to take some time to write down what went well in their bridge building project and what did not go well.  They will also write about what they would do differently next time.

      B.  As a follow-up activity, the pupils can do the bridge-building activity again to see how their previous attempt affects their second attempt.

Culminating Activity: Grocery Store Activity

I. Anticipatory Set:

A. Have the pupils break into three groups. 

B. Each group will be assigned a country, Britain, Somalia, or the Czech Republic. 

C. Pupils will be given the instructions to create a simulation of a grocery store, mainly the produce section, in their given language.

II. Procedures:

1. The pupils will use the book to label the fruits and veggies in their store.

2. The pupils will have to create the fruits, veggies, and display out of items in the classroom. 

3. The pupil groups will use computers or books on their country to price their items.

4. They will research what type of money is used and what it looks like, create it out of

paper, and have it in their store for use.

5. The pupils will set up their grocery stores in areas of the class that are easily accessible. 

A.                  

III. Closure:

1. The groups will have a chance to visit each store and “shop” for groceries. 

2. Each group will explain what is sold in their store, the type of money that is used, and             the prices of their items.

3. The teacher will then call the class together and ask the pupils to explain what they learned

and what they bought on their grocery trips.

IV. Materials

construction paper, glue, crayons, boxes, scissors, other art supplies.