Human Rights:
  • The Right to have Food
  • The Right to be within a Family
  • The Right to an Education
Three student work sheets follow
Learning Activity: 1x40 minute lesson or 2x20 minute lessons

a) student sheet
    # 1 - story and picture to colour
    Gr. 1 & 2: teacher can read to the class.
    Gr. 3: students can read in a Language Arts lesson.
    with an older grade for Reading Buddies.
b) stick puppet show

Materials:
    student work sheets:
    # 2 - puppet heads
    # 3 - puppet show script
    Popsicle sticks
    crayons
    glue
  1. Divide the class into 4 groups representing Kenya, Pakistan, El Salvador & Canada.
  2. Students draw in features and colour the photocopies of puppet heads. Discuss use of appropriate skin, eye and hair colour. Students decide if their puppet is male/female, child/adult/elder (see student work sheet #3 - "scripts").
  3. Students cut out puppet heads and glue onto Popsicle sticks. *** suggestion: play World Music while making puppets.
  4. Students use suggested script (student activity sheet) and perform the puppet show.
b) sharing a snack:
    corn nacho chips
    rice cakes
    whole wheat crackers
    (optional: dips)
Possible extension activities:
a) Prepare an experience chart and vocabulary building from the story.
b) Discuss similarities and differences between Canadian, Kenyan, Pakistani and Central American foods and farms: shopping for food in local markets, stores or supermarkets. Invite guest visitors: local farmer to discuss growing grains and/or speakers representing any of the puppet show countries.

Learning Stations, as available, for background information:
library books, pictures of farming practices, pictures from Ghana, musical instruments, musical tapes/CDs of West African music, woven cloth, internet sites for computer research.
Grains are plants that can be ground into flour to make bread. People all over the world eat different kinds of grains as their daily bread. In Canada we grow wheat for our bread, bagels, muffins, and pies and cakes. In many African countries like Kenya, and Asian countries like India, farmers grow rice as the grain that is used. In Central American countries like El Salvador, farmers grow corn that is ground into flour to make tortillas and nachos.

On the farms in Canada, farmers use big tractors and other machines to help plant and harvest the wheat. In other countries, farmers may do most of the work by hand.

In Canada, all the farmers are adults. Enough food is grown and sent to the stores and supermarkets for us to buy. In countries like Kenya, India and El Salvador, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and even children help with growing grains. It is harder for the families in these countries to grow enough food for their family. Sometimes the children have to miss school to help take care of the farm so the family can have enough to eat Some Canadian agencies, such as CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) help the farmers and their families in other countries so the children can go to school.

No matter if the farms grow wheat, rice or corn, the plants all need the same three things: sun, rain and good earth to grow in. Can you colour the picture below?
Scripts for Puppet Show can be changed according to group size. Children in all countries and their families take their education very seriously, but sometimes the families need the children to help out at home or on the farms during certain times. Note that children in some countries go to schools that have been given assistance from Canadian agencies.
Canadians:
    Grandpa: "Did you get a new tractor to help you harvest the wheat?"
    Father: "Yes. I am glad we were able to grow enough wheat to send to other countries this year."
    Mother: "Who wants some toast with their breakfast?"
    Boy(s): "I would like a bagel instead."
    Girl(s): "I would like cheese and jam on my toast, please."
    Grandma: "I will make muffins with you kids after school today."
 
Kenyans:
    Father: "You are going to have to stay home from school and help to get water for the farm today."
    Boy(s): "I want to go to school so I can learn to read and write."
    Grandpa: "We all need to help. I will hitch the plow to the ox."
    Mother: "I traded my sewing at the market for a bag of seeds."
    Girl(s): "I will help you plant the seeds."
    Grandma: "I will make breakfast so you can all work hard."
 
Indians:
    Mother: "Your Grandma is sick. Stir the rice soup for her breakfast."
    Grandma: "Thank you. The rice will make me feel better."
    Grandpa: "I better have some too. I am not feeling too well either."
    Girl(s): "I will stay home from school to help take care of you."
    Father: "I will go to the fields to plant more rice."
    Boy(s): "I will come and help you."
 
Salvadorans:
    Mother: "Get up! It's 5:00 in the morning. We have to take the corn to the molina* to be ground for the breakfast tortillas."
    Girl(s): "I'm tired! It's so far to walk to the molina with the corn."
    Grandma: "I will begin to make the tortillas with yesterday's corn meal."
    Father: "We have to plant more corn today. The patron* wants to sell more corn to the United States."
    Grandpa: "We hardly have enough corn for our own family!"
    Boy(s): "I will help you clear some more land for our family's corn."
    * molina - mill, patron - boss
Suggested Student Assessment Rubrics
  1. Students can write about the plants unit lessons for the daily journal.
  2. Teacher can keep notes of observed student learning during activities.
  3. Students can fill in the following rubrics, working with a partner.

Circle 1 for good, 2 for tried hard, 3 for could be better
My puppet shows who it is .............................. 1 2 3
              Peer assessment 1 2 3
 
I acted my part in the play well ....................... 1 2 3
              Peer assessment 1 2 3
 
I co-operated in my group ............................... 1 2 3
              Peer assessment 1 2 3
 
I shared the snacks with the others ............................................................. 1 2 3
              Peer assessment 1 2 3
 
Comments / Teacher's Initials _____________________________
 

Produced with the support of the Govenment of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).