After we have published our first book, Helena and the Missing Papaya, our next project will be the accompanying study guide. The book itself encourages language absorption with its dual English/French text. In addition, the guide will include enough activities to turn this fun book into an educational unit study on Cameroon. Ideas include:
- Songs: Explain the cultural meaning and history of children’s songs in the book.
- Foods: Recipes to cook some of the foods mentioned in the book.
- Mazes and Puzzles: Built out of details in some of the artwork, will focus a child’s attention while explaining things like what certain farm tools do, why so many people use motorcycles, foods you can make out of certain fruits.
- Crafts: For example, how to make the toy that Helena’s brother Patou plays with, and how to make similar crafts out of found materials in your own environment.
- Journaling: Helena takes nature journals – how to examine the plants in your own neighborhood the same way!
- Language: Back and forth between English and French – find words and phrases that match, or match phrases to objects in the art. Do a treasure hunt, where you find the object that matches a certain word, which prompts contextual learning to identify where the word fits in the story and what it means.