Introduce students to various words and phrases spoken in other countries through arts and crafts projects. Some ideas include painting African Adinkra symbols onto a piece of cloth, learning a children's song that is sung in a different language, practicing various words using sign language or creating greeting cards in a different language. It may also be fun for students to learn which words we use that are actually foreign, such as hors d'oeuvre, ballet, decor, banana and corral.
Educate your students about holidays and traditions celebrated around the world. Projects you can incorporate into your lesson plan include making a Chinese New Year dragon, Mexican Day of the Dead mask, making and playing dreidel during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah or creating an African-American Kwanzaa unity cup. You could also teach your students traditional holiday foods, music and icons from the country or religion you are studying.
Introduce your students to the global musical instruments through arts and crafts projects that allow them to create their own. Instruments students can make in the classroom include African drums, Australian didgeridoos and Mexican maracas. Play music that is from the country you are studying during arts and crafts time to further your student's understanding of the differences between North American music and music played around the world.
Students can participate in a cooking lesson in which they prepare a dish, or a variety of dishes, from a different country. Students gain an understanding of foreign cuisines and learn how to read recipes and measure ingredients. Serve the finished dishes among the class, or invite parents and community members to your classroom to dine on the food your students prepare.