International Project-Based Learning Opportunities
Grades K-2
Take learning beyond your classroom walls! By connecting with peers around the world, students learn to collaborate and understand differing perspectives. Here are some of my favorite projects for globalizing your classroom!
Mrs. Larance's students at Cougar Elementary School connected via Padlet.com with students in Kampala, Uganda!
Traveling Teddy Bear
Teddy bears travel to classrooms around the world via snail mail. Primary-grades students share online about the bear's visit to their community. Sign up occurs before each school year
International Dot Day
Join the world in reading the same book at the same time (mid-September)! Some ways to participate include reading a portion of the book on Flipgrid, viewing videos, and putting yourself on a map.
Global Read Aloud
One book that students read around the world; options for picture books/different levels; make global connections and share online about your learning.
World's Largest Lesson
Use videos, lesson plans, and activities to teach students about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs/Global Goals. After introducing the Global Goals, support students in connecting lessons to Global Goals across the curriculum.
Reflection: When I taught this to my 2nd grade ESOL students, I was impressed with their personal investment in the goals. Each student shared which goals mattered the most to them personally. They were fascinated by the fact that children around the world are learning about the same Global Goals and begged for photos of kids in China, El Salvador, and Sudan posing with the Global Goals posters. I wove language objectives into lessons about poverty, the environment, and inventions. This year, I plan to teach students about the Global Goals early in the school year, so the rest of our learning can rest upon this common framework.
Journey North's Monarch Butterfly Project
Website that tracks monarch butterfly migration with photos, maps, and other updates. Includes letters and stories from real people. You can choose to also have your students upload butterfly sightings or not. Also has a "kids" section and an "educator" section with lesson ideas.
Reflection: Second graders learn about life cycles in science and literacy. By integrating reading, writing, and data collection, this website allows students to become citizen biologists while also supporting the content learning objectives. Immigrant students and those with Mexican heritage particularly connected with the migration stories of the butterflies preparing to leave Mexico. Issues of habitat preservation and biodiversity also engaged students in the project.