Sunday 21 December
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Electrical Rate Hike
Approved
Garbage Piling Up
In Alajuela As Dump Temporarily Closed
Customs Depot
Inaugurated in Liberia
Colourful Cows Graze in
Guanacaste
Texas Students Create
Books To Teach Costa
Rican Children
|
Texas Students Create
Books To Teach Costa
Rican Children
Students in Regina
Reyna's communication
graphics class hope the
tiny gifts they are
sending to
kindergarteners in Costa
Rica will have a big
impact. The McAllen
Memorial High School
(Texas) students created
tiny picture books to
help children in that
country learn English.
The palm-sized books
dedicate a page to each
letter of the English
alphabet and include a
photograph or clip art
depicting a word that
starts with that letter.
On Monday they wrapped
up their finished
products and planned to
send them to a contact
of Reyna's in Washington
state who will send the
books overseas.
Reyna said she attended
a program through the
National Park Service in
Washington state last
summer and met a
naturalist from Costa
Rica. The naturalist had
a sister who taught
kindergarten in Costa
Rica.
The teacher saw it as an
opportunity to connect
her students with others
from another country
while developing their
design skills.
After e-mailing back and
forth with the
naturalist's sister,
Reyna came up with the
idea of creating the
little books.
"I figured it would be
something that was kind
of neat," said Reyna.
Her students also
enjoyed the idea of
playing teacher.
"It was fun. I never did
anything like this. At
the same time, I get to
have fun and teach them
about it (English),"
said Amanda Ortegon, a
17-year-old senior.
Some said they spent
much of their time on
the project finding the
right words and images
for each letter to make
sure the young ones
understood what they
were learning.
"I didn't want to make
it too hard because they
don't know English,"
said Karla Cruz, a
16-year-old junior.
Karla and other students
said they had to keep
adjusting the margins to
fit their work within
the tiny pages.
"I think I printed three
times before I got it
right," Karla said.
A box filled with
unsuccessful attempts
lay next to another one
with the gift-wrapped
books.
Reyna said she's
thinking about having
students work on a
40-page mini book for
the Costa Rican students
for a future project. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
