Submitted by dresch on
Ready, set, explore! Students fill imaginary backpacks before heading out on adventures in the interactive Dora & Diego—Let’s Explore! exhibit. Students practice their explorer skills and use their linguistic, musical, and physical abilities as they play in Isa’s Flowery Garden, gather nuts with Tico, and help baby animals in the Rainforest Maze.
Lesson extensions for before or after your visit
The following activities are designed for your class to enjoy before or after your museum visit. Familiarizing students with the lesson concepts can enrich your museum experience.
Rainforest center
Turn your classroom into a rain-forest-themed environment by adding travel posters, photographs, maps, picture books, words and phrase labels in English and Spanish, magazines, music, and musical instruments. Use rain-forest-themed student artwork to enhance the display.
Language-learning in the classroom
Incorporate different languages into classroom through projects and activities.
- Teach students to “say it two ways.” For example, if a visitor is coming to your classroom, students can learn a polite greeting in both English and Spanish. They may practice saying “Hola! Me IIamo (name),” which means “Hello! My name is (name).”
- Introduce words and phrases in other languages repeatedly. Listening and repetition are the keys to learning new words and phrases in early childhood. First say the word or phrase, and then ask students to repeat the words with you several times until they can pronounce it independently. Working with a proficient speaker of the language to develop appropriate pronunciation is ideal. Students’ family members, a community member, or another teacher may be willing to help in the classroom or record the words and phrases you are planning to use.
- Have students learn the phrases: Diego es mi amigo and Dora es mi amiga. Then have them practice replacing the names “Diego” and “Dora” in the sentences with the name of a friend, family member, or pet.
- Write words and phrases on the whiteboard to help children make connections to the written form of the language.
Resources
Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Collins Berkes
Rain Forest Animals by Carolyn Franklin
The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell
Rainforest Creatures by Benita Sen
For other ideas visit:
www.nickjr.com/dora-the-explorer
