on As part of the work we were required to do for our Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC), we were expected to develop a Global Education Unit Plan that we would actually use in our school setting.
I chose to develop a plan for my elementary journalism students. I and a fellow teacher work with students from 1st-5th grade who make up our school’s newspaper staff.
Attached is a link to my Global Education Unit Plan. It is in Google Docs. Please contact me if you are unable to open it.
on I am fortunate enough to work in a school district (Tuscaloosa City Schools) that understands the importance of a student’s global education.
on 
One of the most valuable experiences that I have had coming out of my year of Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGS) is the contacts I have made here in my state with my peers – Alabama teachers who want to bring a global experience to their students. In my TGS year alone there were four teachers from Alabama! And we four have since made contact with prior TGS alumini in our state. We hope to develop an online presence for Alabama to provide resources for all Alabama teachers to bring global education to their students. If any Alabama folks know of other resources we should list here, please email me (mkent@tusc.k12.al.us) or leave a comment!
I am dividing this page into 3 sections in the hopes that it will help both my local colleagues as well as my state-wide peers find resources that they might be able to use.
(The photo is a tshirt one of my fellow Alabamians designed for the Alabama TGC 2018-19)
Tuscaloosa/West Alabama:
Tuscaloosa Sister Cities
University of Alabama/College of Education – Dr Janie Hubbard email: Hubba018@ua.edu
Tuscaloosa International Friends
Alabama:
Global Ties Alabama – based in Huntsville
National/International:
NEA (National Education Association)
Asia Society/Center for Global Education
UNICEF/ Lesson Plans
on As educators we have all heard of and understand the appeal of project-based learning. Most students learn better by being actively involved in their learning, rather than passively sitting and listening to teacher talk. This is true ofstudents of any age.
What seems to throw many teachers is introducing “international or global” into it. Please please don’t be intimidated by theses terms! As I explain to my teachers, an international or global emphasis can be worked in to almost ANY standard(s) you need to teach. Pick out the standards first. Then think about what type of project would be best suited for those standards. For example, if you are doing writing standards, then having a journal or penpal might be a good fit. If you are focusing on reading comprehension, then creating a skit or graphic display of story elements is a possibility. It you are doing science standards to do with climate, a project collecting weather data could work. THEN you can look for a global emphasis. See the suggestions below.
NOTE: As mentioned before on this site- I am focused on elementary or primary level students. It may take a little digging to find resources appropriate for this age, but it can be done. And resources that are free or low cost can be found too. Just keep looking!
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Writing Standards:
If you want to focus on journal writing, consider Penpal Schools – Schools Around the World
The Schools Around the World topic connects students ages 8 through 16 to learn about schools and compare what it’s like to be a student in different parts of the world. Students choose from multiple project options and share their work with the PenPal Schools global community. To help students create their projects, each student collaborates with peers from around the world through a series of online lessons.
Students work individually or in teams to create original work that they’ll share in the PenPal Schools Showcase
Essential Question: How does your school compare to schools around the world?
Project Option: (just one example)
School Day Journal: Students track and share their school day in an online journal. Students then compare elements of their school day with students in the PenPal Schools community.
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Reading Comprehension:
Take part in the Global Read Aloud.
“The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 6-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible. The scope and depth of the project is up to you. While there are commonly used such as Skype, Twitter, Padlet, or Flipgrid, you choose the tools that will make the most sense for you. Teachers get a community of other educators to do a global project with, hopefully inspiring them to continue these connections through the year.”
My personal favorite way to have my younger students participate is for them to use Flipgrid to record their reactions and opinions of the stories and share them with students around the globe.
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Science Standards:
Take advantage of the resources on Globe.gov
If your students have been working on climate data take a look at Globe Climate for Elementary Students
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Other places to look for inspiration and ideas?
UN KidPower
Heifer Project
International Literacy Association