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G’day Mates,
Two guests from Australia
visited Mrs. Sande’s third grade class and
answered student questions about this
fascinating land down under. Kylie and her
friend Catherine are visiting the United States.
Kylie and Mrs. Jeannie Jasperson, a student’s
parent, have been pen pals for a long time. They
finally met each other for the first time. The
classroom visit was arranged during this year’s
parent teacher conferences.
The third graders prepared
for the visit by drawing and labeling maps of
Australia. They learned Australian expressions
such as “G’day” and “barbie.” The class also
read about Australian myths such as “How the
Kangaroo Got Its Tail” and “The Myth of Tiddalik,
the Flood-Maker.”
Students read many books
from the library and brainstormed questions to
ask Kylie and Catherine. They learned about
Tasmania, the rain forest, Lake Eyre, Australian
sports, and many customs of Australia. Students
were particularly interested in the holiday
called Australia Day and that koalas sleep
around 20 hours each day. Also, they were
curious about how much homework students have
each day.
The students made an
Australian treat called Hundreds and Thousands
Sandwiches, which are slices of bread covered
with butter and lots of sprinkles. When Kylie
saw the treats she said, “Ooh, are you making
fairy bread?” This Australian treat scored a
thumbs up with the class.
The students will continue
learning about Australia and will make booklets
to take home and share with their parents.
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