Lesson plan: Making toys for world peace

December 1, 2000
Web posted at: 12:58 PM EST (1758 GMT)

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Editor's note: If you are planning to use the news story that this lesson plan is based on for a homework assignment, please write the URL on the board and have your students copy it. CNNfyi.com updates the site in the early evening, so students may have difficulty finding it without the URL. You can find the lesson plan by going to the Subject Areas page and clicking PREVIOUS in the square for Today's Lesson Plan.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Distinguish between immediate and long-term goals.
• Follow directions for creating handmade toys.
• Propose and defend their own ideas contributing to world peace.

Standards

National Council for the Social Studies, Theme Nine

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global connections and interdependence.

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, K-12 Standards
Visual Arts Standard One, Level 3

Students know how the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques and processes can be used to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.

Art Connections, Level 4

Students know how characteristics of the arts vary within a particular historical period or style and how these characteristics relate to ideas, issue or themes in other disciplines.

Materials

CNNfyi.com article, "Toy story"
Materials for creating toys

Suggested time

One to two class periods

Procedures

1. Ask students to recall the toys they played with when they were younger. Which were their favorites? Why? Did they ever create their own toys? How do they compare those to the manufactured ones they had? Did anyone ever make them toys?

2. Allow students to watch video in the CNNfyi.com article "Toy story."
Then ask the following:

• Explain the activities of nonprofit organization WorldPlay. What are Dr. Neil Shulman's immediate goals? What is he hoping may result in the long term from the project? How do you know the difference between immediate and long-term goals?
• Do you think that Shulman's goals can be realized through his program? Why or why not?
• In what ways does technology allow the WorldPlay project to occur? Could it happen without the aid of technology? Explain.

3. Brainstorm with your class the many projects they can think of that have been attempted culturally to aid in furthering world peace.

Accommodations

Tactile/kinesthetic: Allow your students to go to the WorldPlay Web site and choose a toy from among those listed to create. Also ask them to learn something about the country and children from which the toy originates.

Alternatively, you can allow students to make a toy that comes from their childhood or cultural background. Ask them to explain the background of the toy and how it might contribute to the cultural exchange provided by WorldPlay.

Assessment

Students can do some research on one of the projects thought of during the class brainstorming session to explain, either on paper or in an oral presentation, the goals and the results of the project.

Ask students that made toys to share the toys with and explain them to younger children. They can report back on the children's reactions to the toys.

Challenge

Individually or in groups, students can develop their own projects to further world cooperation and peace. Ask them to include a rationale for their ideas and the steps they would need to take to originate the project. These may include budget plans, resources and a timetable.

WorldPlay
One Day in Peace
World Peace 200 WebRing

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