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As a teacher, there is nothing better than getting students excited about coming to school and learning! This is exactly what “Worldly Wednesday” did for my group of students last year. In fact, many of my students would announce it was Wednesday upon entering the room in the morning and eagerly look at the front board to try to figure out which country we would explore through a picture book that day. That burst of excited energy first thing in the morning, just sets the tone for a pretty awesome school day!
How Did This Idea Start in Our Class?
The previous summer, I had a goal to find an activity that would allow students to gain geological knowledge while also learning about different cultures. I stumbled across a few picture books while scouring the Internet for ideas, which set the stage for the “Worldly Wednesday” idea.
So… What is Worldly Wednesday?
Each Wednesday, we read a new fictional picture book to learn about a different country in the world. Following the read-aloud, we locate the country on a map and color it in our social studies notebooks so that we have a visual of all of the countries we study through the year. Then, I present a few facts and images about the country in a short presentation which typically includes items such as the flag, language, education, attractions, animals, food, and sports. Sometimes, I include short video clips that allow students to view customs such as traditional dances.
BUT, my all-time favorite experience during Worldly Wednesday was when one of my bilingual students helped me read Diego Rivera: His World and Ours. It was the perfect way for this student to share his first language with the class (and a few of his family’s traditions). I’ll never forget the look of pride as he shared with his peers.
I was blown away by the positive feedback and excitement from my fifth grade students, so this summer I’ve continued adding to my list of books and presentations. I will continue updating this list as we find new favorites.
**Added Bonus!
My five year old twins also love these books. Instead of previewing these books independently, I read many of them at home with the twins before the lessons. I love introducing my littles to the beauty of the world around them!
Worldly Wednesday Picture Book List
If you don’t already do something like this in your class, I highly recommend it (and so do my students)! Here is a list of our favorites to help you get started!
