When one accepts the opportunity to work in the field of education, one becomes a member of a profession dedicated to SERVICE. As teachers, we accept the challenge to inspire and lead students into an ever-increasing awareness of themselves and the world in which they live. A truly professional teacher is one who is committed to the higher principles of life. One who can touch that spark within each child, bringing forth a spirit of joy, wonder, and discovery. One who develops learning experiences which the child considers important. One who can turn curriculum objectives into reality in the life of the student.

Turning curriculum objectives into reality is a four-step process. The first step in motivating students to reach out to learning experiences is to be prepared, and then invite the student to share with you many interesting and challenging learning opportunities.

This preparation requires planning from a global perspective and includes the following types of plans:

• A yearly plan which presents an overview of goals and content to be introduced at each learning level.

• Resource units - The first step in planning a unit is to consider the interests and achievement levels of the students. Resource units list activities and materials organized around a theme, which can lead to a variety of possible teaching/learning experiences.

• Teaching/Learning units list objectives expressed as concepts, skills, and attitudes to be acquired by the student. These include initiatory activities, developmental and culminating activities.

• A daily lesson plan incorporates the specific details required for implementation of the unit - concepts, experiences and activities.


At step two the daily lesson is introduced through the use of multi-media materials and experiences: audio-visuals, music, art, drama, field trips, research, model construction, maps, charts, and graphs.

At step three, the lesson unfolds in sequential order. A link is made when the new learning materials, ideas, or knowledge relates to some known fact or feeling within the student's mind. Thus, optimal learning is taking place.

Step four is the follow through or anchoring of the new knowledge in the student's brain: summary - review reteach, from a different perspective.

The development of a global consciousness requires dedication and inspiration. It requires a nurturing of the student's expanding awareness of the world in which we live. This nurturing process comes about through experiences which bring forth the following qualities:

• An awareness of the beauty and forces of nature.

• A love and caring for the planet.

• An awareness of the oneness of life. . Knowledge and wisdom to be a creative, constructive member of the human family.

• An opportunity to help in bringing about a state of peace on Earth.

• Qualities of love, compassion, understanding and acceptance of true brotherhood as part of the life process.

• A vision to see beyond what is, to what it might become.

The following types of lesson plans will provide opportunities for students to develop a global consciousness or state of awareness. These types of learning opportunities help students to think and act as true world citizens. Only through enlightenment will come the love and understanding essential in solving problems facing humanity in this present period of development. The students of today are the builders of the future - true planetary citizenship.

Subject Areas

Art

• Create scenes from literature, music (especially operas related to myths), illustrate stories and book reports.

•Paint pictures of Earth, space, constellations, Sun, Moon, etc.

Reading

• Read books, articles from news media, and magazines

•Present a book report after book is read, and choose any written, oral, display, musical presentation, dramatization, mural, or skit format.

• Write a short critique in the Class Book Reviews notebook to help others to select a book.

• Make weekly library trips.

•List your favorite authors. Write a story about your favorite author. Discuss the writing style of each.

Communication

• Use magazine pictures to discuss how our faces and bodies convey messages. Students demonstrate feelings with shoulders, walking rate, posture.

• Discuss how our feelings effect our physical and mental natures. Physical: heart rate, sweaty palms, flush, clenched teeth, big eyes, etc. Mental: How well do we concentrate when we are angry, happy, tired, sad? Can we think straight?

• Act out a familiar story in mime.

• Sign language - discuss the uses of sign language and learn to sign some familiar words and phrases.

• Play non-verbal Follow-the-Leader. Use comics without captions, sequence stories or add captions that would fit

Diction

• Observe students. Notice if low self-esteem may be playing a part in poor diction habits. Begin building self-confidence and self-worth while working on physical habits of
mumbling, tucked chin, lowered head, poor posture.

• Memorize tongue-twisters to strengthen the mouth muscles, with special emphasis on the consonants.

•Have students repeat short phrases, tongue-twisters, poems, etc. into a tape recorder. Keep for record of progress.

Writing

• Each day make an entry into a journal: thought for the day, a story, an idea, or a diary-type entry.

• Practice letter formation, sentence structure, paragraphs, stories.

• Practice and use the following types of writing: pen pals, thank you notes, requests for information, writing in support of global thinkers, correspondence with other schools working with peace and environmental programs, and prepare research reports.

• Use space-related story starters for creative writing.

• Make an "outer space" puppet and write a skit or dialogue for it

• Make a space vocabulary list for writing reference, spelling and manuscript practice.

• Write words such as "astronaut" on the board and make a list of all the words found within the word. Use two or more of the new words in sentences and illustrate them

Mathematics: Recycling Project

• Write a flyer for a recycling project. Include purpose, intended use of the money paid for recycling, pick-up dates, school's name and phone number, and container specifics.

• Make a map of the area to be canvassed so as to figure distance, area, and the number of participating households to non-participating households for each area. Make charts and graphs of the data.

• Set up a bookkeeping system to record the collected money. Include weight of recycled materials, price per pound, total collected, date delivered, area received from each neighborhood.

• Open a bank account and make deposits and withdrawals. Learn to fill out forms and keep a balance.

• Discuss money as an energy in continuous flow.

• Research foreign currencies and rate of exchange. Visit a bank or airport to exchange some money.

• Show coins collections brought by students.

• Price cars, homes, toys, movies, etc. from TV and newspapers to gain a sense of "how much".

• Complete worksheets of coin recognition and writing monetary figures. Practice counting money. Review place value in relation to money. Relate fractions as parts of a dollar, etc.

Science (primary) Outer Space

• Study the planets and constellations. Make a pin design of the constellations and look at theem through an open can.

• Discuss the myths surrounding the constellations.

• Read stories about sailors charting courses by the stars.

• Make fact cards about the cosmos.

• Discuss the phases of the Moon. Make a calendar chart of your observations.

• Read a book about gravity and make a parachute. Use different materials to experiment with the force of gravity.

Lessons designed around a world core curriculum provide infinite opportunities for students to develop an ever expanding awareness of the magnitude and interconnec- tedness of life on our planet

A world core curriculum provides a framework for lesson design which can be used by any teacher, regardless of the teacher's or student's knowledge or culture. It presents a more universal perspective in both teacher and student by its use.

Prior to lesson design, consider the following questions with respect to the topic of the lesson.

• What is the context of the topic within the universe?

•What is the context of the topic within our planet?

• What is the context of the topic in time?

• What is the context of the topic in man's relationship with himself? (This includes his relationship with his higher or inner self.)

In consideration of these questions, recall that no thing or event occurs in isolation in time and space. Everything carries with it an environmental context of some sort, including a past and a future. The intent of answering these questions is to make this environmental context apparent to students.

Environment may be defined as the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded.

• The combination of external or extrinsic physical conditions that affect and influence growth and development of organisms

• The complex of social and cultural conditions affecting the nature of an individual, community, planet

•The complex of internal or intrinsic factors that condition the organism's response to external circumstances.

• Energy fields - the four atmospheres - love, patience, ordered activity, understanding.

The development of global awareness unfolds within the student's consciousness through an understanding of Right Human Relations based upon right speech and right action. This begins with the individual development of self discipline which leads or points the way to refinement The individual learns to function in a group through respect, responsibility, consistency, unity and striving, these are the keys that unlock the door to higher knowledge and wisdom.