Bibliotherapy Lesson

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Bibliotherapy Lesson A Country Far
Away Submitted by Adriana Lozano SPED 620
Diversity in Education April 2005
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• Materials
• Title A Country Far Away
• Author Nigel Gray
• Illustrator Philippe Dupasquier
• Published by Orchard Books c.1989

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Synopsis of Story A Country Far
Away is a picture book for young children about a
day in the life of a boy in a modern western
country compared to a day in the life of a boy in
a small African village. This story relates
their identical experiences going to school,
having a baby sister, shopping, and playing
sports with very different results.
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Grade Level Second grade ages 7-8 To be used
in Myself Unit when discussing cultural
differences and individuality.
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• Unit Learning Goal
• The purpose of this activity is to build
  self-esteem and allow
• students to become more aware of their rich
  cultures. It also
• allows for students to realize how their
  cultures have contributed
• to making America what it is today.
• Students will also develop an understanding and
  acceptance of
• differences and similarities from people in
  other countries as well
• as socio- economical background.

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• Unit Learning Objectives
• Upon successful completion of this instruction
  the students will
• Draw a picture of a specific event in the story
  and write how his or
• her life is similar to that of children in
  Africa.
• Individually demonstrate comprehension by making
  a Venn
• diagram showing differences and similarities
  about a day in their
• life compared to the boy in the African
  village.

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• Themes Explored in the Book
• Know to be tolerant and accept the differences in
  others
• Know that no two people are exactly alike
• Understand that becoming aware of the different
  aspects of cultural
• diversity such as race, religion,
  socio-economic background, sex
• and disabilities will open the world up to
  them.

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• Introductory Activities
• Ask the children how many of them have ever
• lived somewhere other than where they do now.
• Discuss similarities and differences of different
  
• places (e.g. city vs. country, different
  states,
• what they did for fun, the kinds of places they
  
• enjoyed going, the type of food they ate, the
  
• games they played, the people they associated
• with, etc.)
• Ask the children if theyve ever visited another
  
• country. Talk about any differences they
• experienced. Ask them to consider the
• similarities.
• Tell them that though people in other countries
• are a bit different than we are in some ways,
• there are many ways in which we are the same.

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• Procedure
• Show the cover page and read the title. Ask the
  students to guess
• what countries these boys may be from. Why?
• Introduce the story, and briefly explain what the
  book will be about
• (a day in the life of a boy in a modern country
  compared to a day
• in the life of a boy in an African village).
• Talk about these being only two examples and that
  there are many
• differences in the ways people live even within
  our own city,
• depending on socio-economic background. Make
  sure they are
• aware that the African boy is living in a rural
  area, but that not ALL
• of Africa is like that.
• Read the book to the class.
• Generate a list of events discussed in the book.

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• Comprehension Discussion
• Questions
• What were some of the similarities between the
  two boys' lives?
• The differences? (knowledge)
• Which activity was the most interesting to you?
  Which did you
• relate best to? Which did you want to know
  more about?
• (analysis)
• What is your day like when you stay home? When
  you go to
• school? How is it the same as what was shown?
  Different?
• (analysis)
• Would the experiences have been different if the
  African boy had
• lived in a city? How? (synthesis)
• Do you think there would have been more
  similarities or
• differences? Explain. (application)
• How did the book make you feel about children in
  Africa?
• (evaluation)

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• Integrated Thematic Enrichment
• Music
• Ask the students if they can make music with
  their hands or feet. If
• they say they cannot, clap your hands in
  different rhythms. Ask, "Am I
• making music now?"
• Explain that in Africa, clapping hands and
  stomping feet is a popular
• way of making music. They also add many drums
  or flutes and a lot
• of voices. Tell students that in different
  countries of Africa they play
• different types of music.
• Using the CD Rom of Encarta let students go in
  groups to the computer
• and discover African Music.
• What did you like about the music you heard? How
  is it different from
• the music you hear everyday? Could you hear
  the different types of
• instruments used? Did you hear single voices
  and group voices? Can
• you name some of the instruments? Do you think
  that if I brought in
• some music tomorrow you would be able to tell
  if it was African music
• or not? Why?

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• Follow-up Reading
• Read Everybody Eats Rice and discuss different
  ways of
• preparing the same grain. Also what are other
  foods that may
• be prepared differently in other countries.
• Read Whoever You Are and discuss how people are
  all different
• on the outside, but inside we all have the same
  feelings, tears,
• and heart. Discuss what things make them
  happy/sad.
• Read I Hate English and also Pepita Talks Twice
  and discuss the
• similarities between the two girls although
  they are from
• different countries.
• Gross Motor
• Play games of different cultures.
• Learn the Gumboots dance from Africa.
• Culinary
• Students will bring traditional foods made in
  different countries.

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• Assessment
• The teacher will evaluate the students' drawings
  and sentences to
• see if they were able to compare events in
  their own lives with
• events in the book. Look for appropriate events
  clearly linked to
• the book and adequate explanation of
  similarities depicted.
• Continuous monitoring of the students
  participating in groups will
• demonstrate if they are showing respect for the
  differences in
• ideas and personalities.

EXIT