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My Tweets
Archive for the 'Teaching' Category
Contents
Posts
A Good Morning Song Featuring African Languages with an MP3
Monday, October 26th, 2009I woke up this morning with a cup of coffee and by listening to “Good Morning to You” in English, French and some African languages on my computer. What a wonderful way to wake up!
The recording was done by recording a phone call over the internet. Thanks to Nyango Melissa for calling and singing this morning! She made my day! Now you can enjoy her singing too! Just click the mp3 link below and read along with the lyrics. Enjoy!
Good Morning to You
(In English, French, Hausa, Mbonge & Swahili)Good morning to you,
Good morning to you,
In English, I speak
In English, I speak
Good morning to you,
Good morning to you,
In English, in English I speak.Bonjour Mesdames,
Bonjour Messieurs,
En français, je parle
En français, je parle
Bonjour mesdames, bonjour messieurs
In French, in French I speak.Salam alekum
Alekum sala
In Hausa, I speak
In Hausa, I speak
Salam alekum
alekum sala
In Hausa, in Hausa I speak.O-we-li-ni-e
O we li ni e
In Mbonge, I speak
In Mbonge, I speak
O we li ni e
O we li ni e
In Mbonge, in Mbonge I speak.Hujambo bwana,
Hujambo bibi
In Swahili, I speak
In Swahili, I speak
Hujambo bwana
Hujambo bibi
In Swahili, in Swahili I speak!It’s the 2nd time we were able to easily use this technology of recording a phone call. If anyone else would like to sing a traditional (non-copyrighted) song for us, or recite a rhyme, please email me at lisa@mamalisa.com for directions.
Nyango has sent us many songs from Cameroon over the past couple of years. It’s great for everyone to finally hear her voice! She recorded 6 songs today. You can find them on the Cameroon Pages at the link just above. They’re the ones with the MP3’s.
Many thanks to Nyango Melissa Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association for contributing and singing these songs for us!
Mama Lisa
*****
Minnesota African Women’s Association has products available that were stitched by their sewing group. They’re available for purchase online at Etsy. They have beautiful pillows, dolls dressed in traditional and contemporary African fashions, tote bags, hats and more!
Science Fair Volcano – Cool Lava Tests!
Friday, April 24th, 2009If your school has a Science Fair, consider encouraging your child to join.
We’ve been working on a volcano for my daughter’s Science Fair. She’s doing it with a friend. They’re in 2nd and 1st grade respectively.
It’s been fun to test out the lava. Here are the tests that we’ve been doing for the "explosion"…
Volcano Lava Test 1
8 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 Cup White Vinegar (mixed with Red Food Dye)Put Baking powder into bottle and then slowly add in the food dye vinegar mixture.
Results: Not thick enough! It would make a huge mess at the Science Fair.
*****
Volcano Lava Test 2
3 T. Baking Powder
2 T. Corn Starch
1/2 Cup White Vinegar (with red food dye mixed in beforehand)Mix together the baking powder and cornstarch in the bottle. Then slowly add in the food dye vinegar mixture.
Results: Better, but it can still be thicker so it doesn’t end up all over the floor.
*****
Volcano Lava Test 3
3 Tablespoons Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Liquid Dish Soap
1/2 Cup White VinegarResults: This is the best eruption we’ve made in terms of looking like lava and not being too watery – all we need is to add more dye and we’re set!
*****
I think it’s great to encourage kids to join a Science Fair. I tried to subtlety warn my daughter that not everyone will win. Because that’s not what’s important in doing it. It’s the process. It’s completing a project through to the end. It’s seeing at a young age that you can do a scientific experiment, even though it’s tricky. It’s even learning that sometimes your experiment doesn’t work (which happened with an electricity experiment my son tried one year). That’s science too! Not all experiments yield positive results. What’s important is to see the process of the experiment from the first step through to the final step. And, I hate to say it, but for girls, there’s also the matter of making science accessible and friendly. That’s so important too.
If you can encourage your child to join a Science Fair, please consider doing it! It’s a great experience for children to have.
Mama Lisa
There Are Many Ways to Be Creative
Friday, March 27th, 2009Never forget, creativity is only limited by your own imagination. One guy played all these parts…
blue and yellow from edison on Vimeo.…Important to remember with children too!
Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for pointing out this cool video!
Mama Lisa
Broken Rhymes
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009Kids love this stuff. Come to think of it, so do I!
BROKEN RHYMES.
Scold, cold, old.
Skate, Kate, ate.
Brink, rink, ink.
Trice, rice, ice.
Crash, rash, ash.
Sledge, ledge, edge.It’s from 1880… Harper’s Young People, March 9, 1880
.If you, your kids, grandkids or students think of any others, feel free to share them in the comments below!
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
Chocolate Hershey Kiss Pretzel Sandwich Candy a.k.a. "Grids"
Monday, March 16th, 2009Here’s a yummy recipe given to me by Corrine Lewack. Corrine pointed out that it’s a good “math” teaching recipe to make with kids, since it involves counting out candy kisses and then doubling the amount of pretzels per kiss to make “sandwiches”.
What you will need:
25 Hershey Kisses (Plain)
50 Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Snaps (they are little 3 square x 4 square rectangular pretzels)
1 large sheet pan
Aluminum Foil or Parchment Paper (to cover the sheet pan… who wants to clean? LOL)Math: You will need 2 unbroken pretzel snaps for every 1 kiss. You will probably want to make more. (This is good for the kiddies, they can count out the kisses and double the amount of pretzels per kiss).
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unwrap the kisses. Foil is not tasty.
Place parchment paper or aluminum foil on the sheet pan.
Place pretzel snaps on the sheet pan.
Place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each snap. (See Photo 1)
Put kiss/pretzel in the oven for only TWO MINUTES… NO MORE! Remove from oven.
Place a Pretzel snap on top of melted kiss, push down slightly to make a sandwich. (See Photo 2)
Allow Grids to cool… or place in the refrigerator for quick cooling.
Getting ready for their quick melt in the oven. (They will retain there kiss shape but will be soft).
Voila! These are soo good… perfect for those salty/sweet moments!
Corrine wrote, “I must thank my wonderful sister-in-law, Jenny for bringing this recipe into our lives… Enjoy! xo xo”
Here are some variations to the recipe given by Corrine’s friends:
Cindy Roter wrote: “How clever! I can so see topping those little babies with peanut butter… Thanks for the share. Cindy”
Chelle Baldwin wrote: “I can top this one! Same idea but different ingredients. Get the pretzels, top with a rolo. Heat on low in the oven for a few minutes, then take it out and smoosh the rolo down with either a pecan or another pretzel. Super yummy!”
Susan Leonard Evans wrote: “Hahhaa, AWESOME! Thanks for sharing, I’m definitely going to try these. Also, I’ve had similar treats using "pastel-colored" chocolate wafers. Someone made them around Easter – they were yummy AND festive! Just an option :) Thanks again – xo xo xo xo”
Thanks to all of you for the great, yummy ideas!
Mama Lisa
How to Draw a Pig – for Kids – with Poetic Instructions
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Martin Luther King Jr. Activities to Do with Kids
Monday, January 19th, 2009Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US. It celebrates the life of such an important American who had the courage to speak up for equal rights for all. Here are some activities to do with children to help them learn more about him…
You can listen to his I Have a Dream Speech online with your children. It’s his most well-known speech.
You can have your kids do an animated Martin Luther King Jr. Jigsaw Puzzle – choose Easy, Medium or Hard.
Let your school-age kid go to the site called America’s Story to read about Martin Luther King Jr. (with your help if needed).
Some Noteworthy Language Tools
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008Here are some new and old language tools worth mentioning…
Speech Accent Archive – If you’d like to hear or study accents in English check out this site. People from all over the world recite a paragraph in English.
Internet Slang Dictionary & Translator – also translates internet acronyms like lol
Nice Translator – Uses the Google translator, but displays text in a way that’s easier to read.
Verbix – Conjugates verbs in many languages
WordReference.com – online translation dictionaries translates words from English to: Spanish, Italian, Russian, German and French (translates in both directions).
Hello World – language resources for Kids
LanguageGuide.org – Visual Dictionaries in various languages
Feel free to mention any language tools or sites you like in the comments below.
-Mama Lisa
Ideas to Encourage Your Child to Read
Thursday, November 20th, 2008This week I met with my daughter’s 2nd grade teacher for parent teacher conferences. There was a hand-out for all the parents about ways to encourage your child to read.
Here are some of the ideas I wanted to point out:
-Give magazine subscriptions as gifts (good idea with the December holidays approaching)
-Collect simple recipes and allow your child to cook them. There are some good cookbooks available at the local library for kids.
-Always leave lots of notes for your kids. Put them in their lunch boxes, at different places around the house, etc.
-Play board games that encourage reading.
-Buy your child books about subjects s/he loves – even if it’s something like Barbie dolls or Pokemon. What’s most important is that your child is interested in the subject and wants to read.
-Read classic chapter books to your child at night. Better yet, read them to the whole family. My husband reads books like The Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Harry Potter to all of us. We all look forward to this special time together at night.
-Find internet sites and computer games about topics your child enjoys. My son has been interested in the weather since he was in preschool. (He’s in high school now.) He has checked the weather reports online since he was about 3 1/2 years old (no joke!). His interest progressed to reading and learning about the weather on weather related sites.
-If your child is singing a song and doesn’t know all the lyrics, look them up with him/her. Let your child see the lyrics onscreen and try to read them. Every chance you get to have your child read is excellent no matter what the reason.
-Buy your child books s/he’ll enjoy for the holidays.
Some books my kids have liked over the years are:
Captain Underpants Books
Henry and Mudge Series (younger kids)
Five Little Monkeys books by Eileen Christelow
Magic School Bus Books
Eric Carle/Bill Martin Jr Books
Amelia Bedelia
Fancy Nancy
Guinness Book of World Records
Ripley’s Believe It or Not
Harry Potter Books
Roald Dahl’s Books
I-Spy Books
Wizard of Oz Books
Dr. Seuss
Magic Tree House SeriesFeel free to add any good ideas or recommended series in the comments!
-Mama Lisa
Children and Idiomatic Expressions, and a Great New Kids Book
Friday, October 17th, 2008Kids are funny.
My daughter was recently playing on her Gameboy (the handheld gaming system). I said something to her, but she was so absorbed that she completely didn’t hear. So I commented to her friend, who was also there, that my daughter was lost in another world. Her friend asked, “Why? Was she trapped?” I explained that, no, I was just using an expression meaning “when someone is so involved in what they’re doing that they don’t notice anything around them”.
It’s in this type of spirit that the book Butterflies in My Stomach, by Serge Bloch was written. You follow the main character though his first day of school. It’s full of idiomatic expressions that are illustrated literally. For example, the kid has butterflies in his stomach – so there’s an ink drawing of the kid with actual butterflies in his stomach.
Many of these expressions are funny on their own. Children love the expression, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” Bloch has a page where cats and dogs are raining down from the sky. It’s a hoot for kids to see this actually illustrated in a book.
The book gives you a chance to discuss these unique expressions with your child, in a funny way.
Making a Book with Kids
Saturday, July 5th, 2008Guest blogger Monique Palomares works with me on Mama Lisa’s World en français and Mamá Lisa’s World en español. Monique was also a 1st grade teacher for many years. Now she helps other classes on special projects and accompanies them on trips from time to time.
Background: Some classes in France take their students on a trip for a few days during the school year. The excursion will normally focus on a specific theme. This year, Monique accompanied a class on a trip to a book making facility. The week revolved around teaching the children how to make their own books. Here’s what Monique wrote about the process…
PRINTING A BOOK – Step 1 Making the Paper
Hand-made paper: this type is made with cotton cloth. The cotton is ground with water until reaching a thin consistency. You can see some dry sheets in the photo below…
Cotton pulp in the frame: The frame drains most of the water out, then you turn it over onto a piece of material (flax cloth) and alternate paper and cloth.
We made about a dozen of pieces of paper before we put them under the press to take all the water out and then hanged them to dry like laundry.
Step 2 Marbling the Paper – A Decoration for the Front and Back Cover of the Book
Pour some water, a spoonful of milk, and three or four drops of three different marbling inks. Allow to spread, then gently blow to make them swirl. Take a thin stick and gently draw lines on the surface: from the center to the rim, or from the rim to the center, or a grid pattern. Softly lay a sheet of paper on the surface of the water and gently pat it so that the ink gets fixed on it. Remove the sheet of paper holding it by the edge (not the corners!), lay on a flat surface and gently blot the water. Hang to dry.
Step 3 Decorating the Inside of the Book – : Make a simple drawing and place a piece of thin cardboard (shoe-box type) below it. Then go over the drawing firmly. Go over it again on the cardboard so that it’s kind of carved into the cardboard.
Step 4 Printing the Pictures: You need printing ink and an ink roller and an old cloth to protect your actual clothes since printing ink can’t be removed.
To print, you have to lay a protective paper below your work (like a page of a magazine) so that the ink won’t get on the lower part of the press. Then you put down the inked pattern (inked part up). Next you put down the paper to print, then another piece of protective paper (another page of a magazine), then a piece of thin cardboard (shoe-box like), then you roll the printing roll back and forth.
The printed page…
Another way to make a template for printing an image: After “carving” the drawing, fill it in with glue until the “ditch” becomes a “hill” and allow to dry.
Here is the result:
Another way to print: Carving linoleum…
…Inking it…
…Raw print…
…And after adding some paint…
Step 5 Printing the Words:
The stories had been written at school. Each child had a printed paper with a map of the set of compartments to know where the letters were for printing the words.
Printing…
A printed page…
The younger kids made a stenciled cover…
Covers hanging to dry…
Step 6 Binding the Book:
Holes are drilled all the way through the book for the binding…
The books were binded by “Japanese binding”: it’s done by sewing…
Two of the Books:
Time to read my brand-new self-made book!
Many thanks to Monique Palomares for sharing this with us!
-Mama Lisa
Some Silly Spanish Snot Songs + a YouTube Video
Thursday, June 26th, 2008All cultures seem to have their share of disgusting songs. They may gross you out – but they can make you laugh – even as adults! Here’s one I believe is originally from Spain called Yo tengo un moco – I Have a Booger! You can see a silly YouTube video of it after the lyrics, which are in Spanish and English (I did a quick translation). After that you’ll find another snot song from Mexico in Spanish, with an English translation too. I hope it doesn’t gross you out too much!
Yo tengo un moco
(Spanish Lyrics)Yo tengo un moco
lo saco poco a poco
lo redondeo
lo miro con deseo
yo me lo como
y como me sabe a poco
volvemos a empezarI Have a Booger
(English Translation)I have a booger
I pull it out little by little
I roll it up
I look at it with desire
I eat it
And as it hasn’t much taste,
We start over again!Here’s a song that seems to be originally from Mexico called Si quieres ser feliz metete el dedo a la nariz – If You Want to Be Happy, Put Your Finger to Your Nose…
Si quieres ser feliz metete el dedo a la nariz
(Spanish Lyrics)Si quieres ser feliz
métete el dedo a la nariz
si quieres ser otro poco
métete el dedo y saca el moco
El moco, el moco
el moco te gustará
el moco, el moco,
el moco te encantará
Mi tío Tomás, quería más
Mi tía María se los comía
Mi tía Lolita, los hacía bolita
mi tío José, yo no sé
El moco, el moco, el moco te gustará.If You Want to be Happy Put Your Finger to Your Nose
(English Translation)If you want to be happy
Put your finger to your nose
If you want to be a little happier
Get your finger and remove the snot,
The snot, the snot,
You’ll like the snot,
The snot, the snot,
The snot will enchant you.
My uncle Thomas, would want more,
My aunt Mary would eat them all,
My aunt Lolita, would make them into a little ball,
My uncle Jose, I don’t know at all,
The snot, the snot, you’ll like the snot.Many thanks to Kristen for pointing out Yo tengo un moco and to Monique Palomares for help with the Spanish! Feel free to share your booger songs, other versions of the songs above, or other funny kids songs in the comments below.
-Mama Lisa
1st Grade Rocks!
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008Miss Gellatly’s first graders show how a class can work together to create a meaningful end-of-year project. Here’s their poem that they wrote as a group. You can hear them reciting it in the mp3 below…
1st Grade Rocks!
We add and subtract.
We learned all the facts.
Our field trips were cool.
Then we went back to school.
Recess was fun.
We run run run!
We did all the math tests.
And we tried our best!
Miss Gellatly was fun!
Her hair is like the sun!
I will miss 1st grade.
Hello Second Grade!Written by Miss Gellatly’s First Grade Class
Many thanks to Miss Gellatly’s Class for sharing their poem and recording with us!
-Mama Lisa
Poems, Songs and Rhymes about Cleanliness and Washing Up
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008Kishan emailed me requesting a poem about cleanliness.
Here are some rhymes and poems I found that are generally about cleanliness, keeping clean or washing up…
First, here’s a traditional nursery rhyme that mentions having a clean face:
The Clock
There’s a neat little clock,
In the schoolroom it stands,
And it points to the time
With its two little hands.And may we, like the clock,
Keep a face clean and bright,
With hands ever ready
To do what is right.This next rhyme is about washing feet:
Marguerite
Marguerite, go wash your feet;
The board of health is ‘cross the street.Here’s a song you can sing when washing up or brushing teeth:
This is the Way We Wash our Hands
(To the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)This is the way we wash our hands
Wash our hands, wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands
In the afternoon (or “To keep us very healthy”)(You can continue with washing other body parts or substitute the line “This is the way we brush our teeth”.)
Here’s a song about washing away germs:
GERMS!
Wash your face and hands with soap,
Wash them every day!
Keeping clean by using soap
Will help keep germs awayFinally, below you’ll find an old poem called Cleanliness by Charles and Mary Lamb from around 1874. First I’ve given a shortened version that I found and after that you’ll find the full, longer version of it:
Cleanliness
All-endearing cleanliness,
Virtue next to godliness,
Easiest, cheapest, needfull’st duty,
To the body health and beauty;
Who that’s human would refuse it,
When a little water does it?Here’s the longer version:
Cleanliness
Come, my little Robert, near-
Fie! what filthy hands are here!
Who, that e’er could understand
The rare structure of a hand,
With its branching fingers fine,
Work itself of hands divine,
Strong, yet delicately knit,
For ten thousand uses fit,
Overlaid with so clear skin
You may see the blood within,-
Who this hand would choose to cover
With a crust of dirt all over,
Till it look’d in hue and shape
Like the forefoot of an ape!
Man or boy that works or plays
In the fields or the highways,
May, without offence or hurt,
From the soil contract a dirt
Which the next clear spring or river
Washes out and out for ever-
But to cherish stains impure,
Soil deliberate to endure,
On the skin to fix a stain
Till it works into the grain,
Argues a degenerate mind,
Sordid, slothful, ill-inclined,
Wanting in that self-respect
Which does virtue best protect.
All-endearing cleanliness,
Virtue next to godliness,
Easiest, cheapest, needfull’st duty,
To the body health and beauty;
Who that’s human would refuse it,
When a little water does it?If you know of any songs, rhymes, poems, or sayings about cleanliness or washing up, please let us know about them in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
How to Marble Easter Eggs
Sunday, March 9th, 2008Here are directions to create a marble effect on eggs. It’s an easy way to give your eggs more pizzazz this Easter.
1) Hard boil white eggs.
2) Prepare egg dyes. You can use store bought dyes (*see note below) or follow my instructions to prepare natural dyes.
3) You can dye some eggs different solid colors to have a base color for your marbling. You can also leave some hard boiled eggs white as a base color.
4) Put about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of one color of a dye mixture in the bottom of a shallow bowl.
5) Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of vegetable or canola oil to the dye. (You can start with 1 teaspoon of oil and, if needed, add more. The amount you’ll need will depend on the size of your bowl and how you’ll want it to look. More oil will let the base dye show through more.)
6) Quickly, but gently, place an egg in the bowl. Take a spoon or fork to “drizzle” some dye over the top to make a marble effect. Be aware if you’re using food coloring for your dye, it dyes the egg very quickly. So with store bought dye you’ll have to work faster. Using more oil in the dye will keep the dye from seeping into the egg too quickly.7) Take the egg out of the dye and let dry on napkins or paper towels.
8) You can repeat the process in another colored dye if desired.
9) Once dry, the eggs may be a little oily. You can take a napkin or paper towel to spread the oil evenly around the egg to give it an even sheen. If you want a brighter shine, you can put a little more oil on the egg and rub it around to produce a very shiny egg!*You can buy tablets for dying eggs and follow the instructions on the box or you can use food coloring that you buy in the store. Here are my food coloring directions for making egg dye: Use 1/2 cup water plus 1 teaspoon white vinegar plus 20 drops of food dye to make one color of dye mixture.
The photo below shows eggs dyed with a green food coloring mixture. All of the other photos show eggs marbleized with natural dyes.
FYI, I wouldn’t hide these eggs around the house for an egg hunt since they may stain your furniture.
Online Knitting, Crocheting and Embroidery Books
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008Project Gutenberg has some great books that are in the public domain that you can enjoy online or download for free. Most of them are older, but many are as fresh today as when they were first written.
Today I found some on crocheting, knitting and embroidery. If you’re interested in any of these art forms you may enjoy looking at these books.
But first, here’s a poem called “The Praise of the Needle”, by John Taylor, that I thought you might enjoy. It was in one of the books:
Flowers, Plants and Fishes, Birds, Beasts, Flies, and Bees,
Hills, Dales, Plains, Pastures, Skies, Seas, Rivers, Trees,
There’s nothing near at hand, or farthest sought,
But with the needle may be shap’d and wrought.
Here are some of the books with links to their download urls at Gutenberg:Exercises in Knitting
Knitting, Crochet, Point-Lace, etc.
Beeton’s Book of Needlework
Encyclopedia of Needlework
The Development of Embroidery in America
Jacobean Embroidery
Embroidery and Tapestry Weaving
The Art of Modern Lace Making
Traveling With Kids
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008My family and I are planning a trip to France! And, yes, that does include my six year old daughter and thirteen year old son.
My husband and I are very excited, but we’re trying to go with our eyes open: It’s not going to be easy! Traveling with young ones is always a challenge, and the current low value of the dollar makes the financial burden that much greater.
Here’s a few of the thoughts we’ve had and resources we’ve discovered as we prepare.
Baby Jetsetter is a wonderful blog about traveling with kids. It’s focused on babies, so my kids are a bit old for some of the tips, but if you’re planning a trip with the diaper and pacifier set, you should definitely check it out. For instance, the latest post gives great recommendations on what to pack and what not to pack in your carry-on bag for the plane.
The falling value of the US dollar is making traveling more expensive for Americans. Just this morning the New York Times posted an article on some coping strategies. I particularly like the suggestion of one commenter to forgo expensive Parisian restaurants and, instead, plan some picnics of baguettes and wheels of Brie or Camembert. (And maybe some grapes or apples on the side. I can’t completely ignore my diet!) What could be more genuinely Parisian?
I can get by in French, and my son is studying it in school. But my husband and daughter don’t know a word. I’m trying to prepare them by injecting some phrases into our conversation where I can. A few bonjour’s and s’il vous plait’s may not seem like much, but they’re a start.
And then, of course, there are the books!
I’m planning on picking up Ludwig Bemelmans classic Madeline to help acquaint my daughter with images of Paris in a way she can relate to.
There’s only so much wandering around museums we can expect a six year old and thirteen year old to tolerate, so we picked up Fodor’s Around Paris with Kids. It’s filled with kid friendly parks, boat rides and amusement parks that will, hopefully, make the city of lights come alive for our kids.
And finally, my husband is an inveterate reader and a history buff. He refuses to leave the house without studying two thousand years of the history of any place he goes. So he picked up La Belle France, A Short History by Alistair Horne. When we finally arrive, he may not be able to speak a word, but we’ll have to struggle to cut him off from lecturing us for hours about the historical background of every monument and Roman ruin we visit.
It’s taking a lot of preparation and it’s going to cost us a bit, but I think traveling is very important for both kids and adults. And, despite all the anticipated problems, it should be a huge amount of fun!
Mrs. Mouse Trots – A Poem that French Students Start Learning in Kindergarten
Thursday, November 29th, 2007The other day I wrote about how French students learn poetry by heart. Monique, who was a first grade teacher in France for many years wrote:
French students start learning poetry by heart in first grade – which is 6 years old and often earlier! Dame souris trotte (Mrs. Mouse Trots) is often taught in kindergarten. Some teachers teach it as early as 4-5 year old preschool (but they usually take out the 2nd verse).
Below is Dame souris trotte by Paul Verlaine. My English translation follows the French version.
Dame souris trotte
Dame souris trotte
Noire dans le gris du soir ,
Dame souris trotte ,
Grise dans le noir .On sonne la cloche :
Dormez les bons prisonniers ,
On sonne la cloche ,
Faut que vous dormiez .Un nuage passe ,
Il fait noir comme en un four ,
Un nuage passe ,
Tiens le petit jour !Dame souris trotte ,
Rose dans les rayons bleus ,
Dame souris trotte ,
Debout paresseux !Mrs. Mouse Trots
Mrs. Mouse trots
Black in the gray dusk,
Mrs. Mouse trots
Gray in the darkness.The bell sounds…
The good prisoners sleep.
The bell sounds…
You should sleep.A cloud passes,
The sky’s opaque,
A cloud passes,
Look daybreak!Mrs. Mouse trots,
Pink in blue sunbeams,
Mrs. Mouse trots,
Get up, you lazy!Monique said that many of the poems at a site called Poemes are used by French teachers. She had her students memorize poem #44 called Pomme et poire at that site.
-Mama Lisa
Many thanks to Monique Palomares, of Mama Lisa’s World en français, for sharing more about the teaching of poetry in French grade school with us.
Teaching Children about Dreamcatchers for Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007In honor of Thanksgiving, my daughter made a dreamcatcher in school. Dreamcatchers were originally made by the Ojibway Native American tribe. They would make them out of a branch in a circular shape and tie them. Then string is used to make a web that’s wound across the loop. (Traditionally the string came from an animal. My daughter’s class used colorful thin yarn to make theirs.) A hole should be left in the middle. Finally, feathers should hang down from the dreamcatcher.
You hang the dreamcatcher over a child’s bed or crib. It’s supposed to catch nightmares in its webs, while allowing the good dreams to escape through the middle hole and enter the child’s sleeping mind.
The idea of the dreamcatcher is an interesting Native American tradition to teach children for Thanksgiving.
Rock Collecting
Saturday, July 21st, 2007Devon over at Head, Shoulder, Knees and All That wrote a blog post today about how he sometimes brings rock collections to his school to share with his class. Kids love them and it gives a whole topic for conversation.
Being a rock lover myself, I think this is a great idea. For parents, the idea can be extended to simply collecting rocks with your kids, sorting them, and talking about them.
So, if you’re looking for something to do this summer, why not go on a rock hunt?! Beaches not only have wonderful shells, but often great rocks too.
-Mama Lisa
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