This theme centers on the bodies of the students and can be a good theme to use if you wish to teach about senses, body parts, movement, habits and any other aspect of the kids' personal lives. For an activity related to the theme, have all the students stand up and then call out attributes, like blond hair. Children with blond hair remain standing, and all the rest sit down. Continue calling out attributes until there is one left standing. This teaches the kids about appearances and can create bridges between students from different races and backgrounds.
Seasonal themes are popular in classrooms and can be used to change the culture relating to everything from decoration to field trip selection. In the fall, decorate the room with leaves, pumpkins and other autumnal decor. Use Thanksgiving to teach students the history of the American pilgrims; use Halloween as a fun costume party day; take a field trip to a pumpkin patch, and teach lessons about the science behind the leaves changing colors.
The theme of opposites allows teachers to be creative. For any lesson you plan, just think of two corresponding things. Sing a song about day, then a song about night. To get the kids thinking, play The Opposite Bus game. Line up all chairs to create a simulated school bus. Put a number on each chair, and then give each student a "ticket" that has a corresponding number and a word. To get on the bus, each child must give you, "the driver," his ticket and tell you a word that is the opposite of the one written on his ticket.
To change the culture of the classroom and teach valuable lessons about the world, pick countries or areas and create a theme for the class around that society. For "Japan Week," for example, have students take off their shoes and sit on mats. Teach them Japanese characters and a bit about Japanese culture. On Hawaiian week, give each student a lei and teach them to hula dance.