Theme

World

  1. world [world] noun
    1. the world : the earth and all the people and things on it  

What is beyond your own backyard?

Do you ever wonder what is beyond your backyard, or outside our city limits?  Have you ever dreamed of traveling to another state or even another country?  Does the sun rise and set the same way on the other side of the world?  What do the stars look like there? How do the weather or the landscape or the industries in other countries determine the way that homes are built. How are neighborhoods organized, or what influences the way people dress?

Would you find a snow leopard in Louisville, or a polar bear or a giraffe?  Maybe!  Is the world round or flat, and have we always thought that?  How would the world look from 300 miles above the earth’s surface, out the window of the International Space Station?  Can I dig my way to China?  

Is there a universal language?

Is a smile really part of a universal language understood by all?  Our world is vast, and yet, information travels now so quickly from place to place.  One click of a picture and it can be shared around the world in an instant.  What message would you want to send to children in another part of the world?  How would you convey that message, using crayon or camera?  If you could learn another language what would it be?  How do traditions influence us, or get passed on — either in your family, or from one part of the world to another?   

Let’s explore the wider WORLD.

It’s a wide, wide world. There is so much that makes every continent, every country, every state, every city, every neighborhood, and even every home, unique.  Our wider WORLD offers a way to explore the world, and take a worldly adventure, without ever hopping on a plane.  And even though climate and culture are not common across the planet, one thing does bind us: our humanity. Our wider WORLD will also explore the values, passions and aspects of being human that bond us together.    

 

Suggested Reading List

  • Yeh Shen: A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie
  • The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
  • If the World Were a Village (2nd Edition) by David J. Smith
  • Caribbean Dream by Rachel Isadora
  • Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
  • Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
  • The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers
  • My Father’s Shop by Satomi Ichikawa
  • Hands Around the Library by Susan L. Roth
  • Frida by Jonah Winter
  • Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy
  • Three Samurai Cats by Eric Kimmel
  • Papa Gatto by Ruth Sanderson
  • The Tale of the Firebird by Gennady Spirin
  • The Rich Man and the Parrot by Suzan Nadimi
  • How Far Do You Love Me? by Lulu Delacre

Explore Our Themes

Theme

Our Senses

How do you explore and understand what is around you?  Think about what happens when Mom or Dad tells you that dinner is ready – you can hear them asking you to wash your hands, feel the water and soap against your skin, smell what’s cooking, see your chair at the table and taste the food on your plate. You can do all of that thanks to your senses!
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Theme

Kindness

Whether shining through a smile, the assistance of a helping hand, being patient or using manners, you can spread kindness. What acts of kindness have you seen? Maybe you remember a time that someone was kind to you. Kindness can be contagious, one act causing another and so on.
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Theme

Earth

Earth is the place we call home, and it’s a very special place indeed. From the sky above to the ground at your feet, we are surrounded by creatures and features that inform and influence our lives.
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Theme

Change

Does it sometimes feel like everything is always changing?  It’s a fact: change is all around us and within us.  Change happens.  And at the same time, some things stay exactly the same.  Through this theme of CHANGE, you can check out lots of things in your world that change, and maybe even a few that don’t.
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Theme

Movement

Hey….get moving!  Animal, human, or machine….minuscule or humongous…..seen and unseen…..so many things move.  Think about it for a minute.  Even when you are standing very still, some parts of your body (especially on the inside) are still moving even when you think you’re not.  
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Theme

View

Is there a different way to look at things? From a different angle or from another perspective? Sometimes we are so set in our ways that it is hard to see things from another person’s point of view, or to get a fresh take on a lingering problem. Our experiences, our personalities, our interests and so many other things influence our point of view. The theme of VIEW gives you a new way to look at what’s happening in and around you.
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Theme

Make

Things are what you make of them, right? Whether you are making something functional, making up your mind, making friends, or trying to make the world a better place, the act of making is one fueled by curiosity, imagination and creativity. Even little people have big ideas, so this theme of MAKE will provide the sparks for getting those wheels turning.
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