Growing Up Around the World

Resource Ideas

| HOME |

Description

Middle Level students are often wholly absorbed in their own growing up experiences. They feel that changes and dilemmas are happening only to them. Because they are developing and changing physically, emotionally, morally, ethically, socially, and cognitively, it is difficult for them to recognize that their peers are going through similar growing up processes. A variety of reading, writing, listening, and speaking experiences offers students opportunities to discover that they are not alone and that growing up, anywhere in the world, can be difficult.

As well, Middle Level students find it difficult to maintain an objective perspective about themselves and the situations in which they find themselves. Through other young fictional and nonfictional characters and their particular situations, students are able to distance themselves from their own growing up experiences, and recognize that others have similar concerns and problems. By comparing their own experiences and situations to those of young people in a variety of cultures, including their own, students become more reflective and objective about what they are experiencing.

Throughout the unit, students engage in the language processes of reading, writing, listening, and speaking in an integrated manner. It is important to provide for language study in the context of the language processes as it is relevant and required. Some suggestions are made in the lesson plans; however, teachers will need to determine their students' needs and ability levels to decide when and where to provide language study instruction and support.

Major Integrated Resource (MIR)

• Crossroads 8 (WCP)
  • In My Mirror
    Tales to Adventure
• Identities 8 (WCP)
  • Heroic Ways
• Sightlines 8 (WCP)
  • Look (Exploring Thoughts, Feelings, and ideas)
    Look Closely (Identity and Relationships)
    Look Back (Personal and National History)
    Look beyond (Dream, Future, Science Fiction)

• Growing up around the world. Grade 8. Kit #1 [kit] / compiled by Curriculum
  Materials. -- [S.l. : s.n.], c1987-2000.
  34 books (10 titles).
  • Grade level: Jr.
    Contents: The crossing / Gary Paulsen (7 c.) -- 52 days by camel / Lawrie
    Raskin -- A gift for Ampato / Susan Vande Griek -- Grab hands and run /
    Frances Temple (7 c.) -- One more river / Lynne Reid Banks (7 c.) --
    Painted words : Spoken memories / Aliki -- Torn away / James Heneghan (7
    c.) -- The roses in my carpets / Rukhsana Khan -- Tea with milk / Allen
    Say.

Web Resources

• Sample Unit - Growing Up Around the World - from Sask.Learning comes this sample unit plan. A variety of reading, writing, listening, and speaking experiences offers students opportunities to discover that they are not alone and that growing up, anywhere in the world, can be difficult.
• Positive Role Models in Our World - The activities were designed to complement the English Language Arts Middle Level Curriculum Grade Eight sample unit, Growing Up Around the World.

Do you have a lesson plan, resource or web site you would like to contribute to this page? Contact us at: Online Learning Centre

| HOME |