travel around the world lesson plan

• Member Home
• My Bookmarks

Exploring the World in Your Classroom

Jul 12, 2016

You can’t take your students with you on vacation as you travel the world, but you can take them on virtual trips as you explore different cultures together. Lesson plans on travel give you the opportunity to delve into topics like culture, geography and even math as you plan for travel expense. With a travel theme, you can dig into literature, help students embrace their inner artist and give them a love and passion for a new and exciting location. Whether you are digging into a country for a detailed unit study, want to diverge from the curriculum for some fun travel-themed lessons or simply want to give your students a love for travel, here is a list of resources that can help you embrace travel without leaving the four walls of your classroom.

Travel-Themed Lesson Plans for Educators

Grades K – 5

• Benefits of Cycling Lesson Plan (Grades K-5) – Teach students about the benefits of traveling by cycling using this curriculum outline. Related activities are listed under “Activity Sheets”
• Grandfather’s Journey (Grades 1-2) – Many of today’s families are multicultural. Take your students through a journey with one of these families using this book written and illustrated by Allen Say. Lesson includes discussion questions and story extension activities.
• The Counties of the UK (Grades 1-6) – Enforce geography skills with this lesson plan that requires students to look at maps and use compass points to describe positions in England.
• Celebrate Culture: Germany (Grades 1-2) – Introduce students to German geography and culture with this hands-on lesson plan.
• Christmas in France (Elementary) – Learn about Christmas traditions in this lesson plan designed for the World Language, ESL or traditional classroom setting.
• On the Road Again (Grades 3-5) – Students learn and identify different modes of transportation and communication using geography, math and language arts skills in this lesson from National Geographic.
• African Markets (Early Elementary) – Most American students have no idea what shopping at an open -air market is like. This lesson will help them identify advantages and disadvantages of this type of shopping.
• Transportation Lesson Plan (K) – Learn the different modes of transportation, build a cardboard car and create a real-life car wash.
• How Do We Travel to School ? (3-5) – This lesson plan from the Census Bureau discusses different ways children travel to school around the world.
• Let’s Travel to Mexico (Grades 1-2) – Take young children on an imaginary trip to Mexico to learn about geography and culture.
• Bicycle Education Lesson Plans (Grade 3) – This five-lesson unit teaches children about safe cycling practices.
• Transport (Elementary) – With an ESL focus, this lesson plan helps students learn vocabulary connected with public transport, including taxis and trains. Includes downloadable worksheets and audio exercises.
• A Child’s Daily Life in South Africa (Lower Elementary) – Give students a glimpse at what life is like for a kid their age in South Africa. This lesson plan is based on the book Not So Fast Songololo.

Middle and High School

• Spain: A Cultural Profile (Grades 11-12) – This lesson touches on the main geographic features of Spain. It will also discuss the cultural features of the country and its people. This lesson works best for an advanced Spanish language class.
• Destination: England (Grades 6 and above) – This ESL lesson plan uses guided visualization to teach students about the sights and icons of England, with a focus on London.
• German Food and Eating Customs (Grades 6 and above) – What is the food like in Germany? Find out in this hands-on lesson plans for upper and middle school grades from the Alabama Learning Exchange.
• Travel Brochures: Highlighting the Setting of a Story (Grades 6-8) – Students will create travel brochures to highlight the setting of a story they are reading. The lesson plan uses Al Capone Does My Shirts but can be adapted for any story with a well-defined setting.
• Budgeting for a Trip (Grades 6-8) – Travel is expensive. Students will learn to plan and budget for a round-trip vacation trip several international destinations.
• Four Days in Paris (Grades 6-8) – This activity encourages children to create a travel journal about a hypothetical four -day trip to Paris, discussing important landmarks and cultural activities.
• Global Trek (Grades 4-8) – Use technology to tour foreign countries and learn more about cultures and people around the world.
• The Next Top Travel Agent (Grade 12) – Students use available resources to play the role of travel agent to get clients to designations within budget.
• Bicycle Education Lesson Plans (Grade 6) – Aimed at middle school students, this five-lesson unit discusses all things cycling, including safety and health benefits.
• Transportation Systems (Grades 8-12) – This unit from the Henry Ford Museum looks at the past, present and future of all modes of transportation.
• Amazing Race (Grades 9-12) – Students use maps of a city to create an Amazing Race game in the classroom for their classmates to play.
• Where Shall We Go? (Grades 8-12) – A collection of activities centered around international travel that gets kids involved in the geographic side of travel.
• High School Road Trip (Grades 9-12) – Students will plan a virtual road trip using commuter or long-distance passenger rail service as the main transportation option.
• Vacation Time (Grades 11-12) – Students will create travel brochures for their hometown while discussing and identifying careers connected to the travel and hospitality industries.
• Spanish Travel Brochures (Grades 9-12) – Students will use online resources to create travel brochures for a chosen Spanish-speaking country.
• World Travel Trip (All ESL Grades) – Improve listening skills among ESL students with this listening travel-themed activity.
• Back-in-Time Travel Brochure (All Grades) – Have students embrace history and travel by creating a travel brochure for a specified location at a date in prior history. Adapt the rubric to make the activity grade-level appropriate for your students.
• Tourism Lessons (Grades 4 and Above) – Discuss career paths and occupations in the tourism industry and produce travel documents and itinerary with the help of technology.
• Lesson Plan: Let’s Take a Trip (ESL Students, All Grades) – Students plan for travel and work on English vocabulary at the same time in this interactive, hands-on lesson.
• What Is Public Transport? (All Grades) – Using charts and graphs, this lesson will discuss what public transportation is, why it is needed and how it has evolved over the years.
• Travel and Tourism (All Grades, ESL Focus) – An extensive unit on international travel and tourism focused on discussion and vocabulary skills.
• How Big Is Africa? (All Grades) – Take a closer look with your students at what the continent of Africa has to offer in this group of lessons.
• Traveling the Silk Road: Animals and Ecosystems (Elementary and Middle Grades) – This lesson plan from the Virginia museum of Fine Art uses East Asian Art to discuss the culture, animals and ecosystems of the Silk Road.
• A Collection of French Lesson Plans (All Ages) – A huge collection of lesson plans about France and French culture divided by age group.
• Spanish Culture Lesson Plans (All Ages) – A set of four lesson plans that delve into the culture of Spain and can be adapted for all ages. Topics covered include El Carnaval, Sanfermines, Las Fallas and La Tomatina.
• A Tour of London (All Ages, ESL Focus) – Take students on a tour of London and discuss vocabulary common to the city and travel in general.
• Life in the UK (All Ages) – Learn what culture is like in the United Kingdom in this comprehensive lesson plan collection.
• German Youth Culture (Middle and Upper Grades) – This lesson plan takes a look at the cultural differences between young people in Germany and young people in America. It uses comparing and contrasting to show similarities and differences.
• Exploring Africa ! (All Grades) – A comprehensive curriculum to help kids explore the geography, biodiversity and cultures of the continent of Africa. Take a walk on the wild side with this unit!
• Make a Transportation Museum (Elementary and Middle Grades) – This lesson gives students the chance to create a transportation museum in their own classroom.
• Transportation and Public Transit (All Grades) – This online lesson teaches children about the history and current status of public transportation. It includes multiple interactive chapters and chapter quizzes.
• Africa Lessons (All Grades) – A collection of lessons on the art, culture, geography and ecology of Africa from PBS.

*Technology , Math | 0 comments

Related Posts

Math Might Teacher’s Guide: Episodes 403-404

May 17, 2021

I can't believe that we've made it to the end of our Math Might shows for this second semester, shows 403 and 404! They both have some really great material for you to check out!Episodes 403-404400 Series Focus: Numeracy/Number Talks We’re going to continue the number...

Math Mights Teacher’s Guide: Episodes 401-402

May 13, 2021

Thanks so much for joining us this week for our teacher’s guide to Math Might shows 401 and 402. You might wonder where 319 and 320 went...you didn’t miss them! The Math Mights Show has eighteen shows per quarter, per grade level. This week is really just a...

Math Mights Teacher’s Guide: Episodes 317-318

May 6, 2021

Thanks for joining us for our blog this week for our Math Mights recap on shows 317 and 318! This week’s shows will be the last of the 300 level shows. As you know from the 200 level shows, we stopped at 217 and 218, giving you eighteen shows per quarter. And so, next...

Stay At Home Educator

intentional teaching for purposeful learning

Free Preschool Lesson Plans for Around the World Theme

November 29, 2020 by Sarah Punkoney, MAT

Teaching an around the world preschool theme is a fun and effective way to teach preschoolers about different cultures and countries . Download these free preschool lesson plans for around the world lesson theme and start teaching today!

Around the World Lesson Plan Activities

Teaching your preschoolers about the world is not only fun, but also a great way to expose them to different cultures and countries. If you’re looking for an effective way to do this, then look no further! Download these around the world preschool activities for and start teaching today! The best part? They’re totally free! Not only are these lessons designed to help your students learn about different parts of the world, but they’re also designed to help them understand different cultures. From cooking traditional dishes to learning about holidays celebrated in other countries, your students will gain a better understanding of cultural differences and how they impact our lives. It’s also important to note that these lessons are designed with sensitivity in mind—they focus on celebrating similarities between cultures rather than emphasizing differences.

FAQ About Teaching an Around the World Preschool Theme

Have questions about teaching an around the world theme? We’ve answered a few questions for you so you can rock these around the world activities in your preschool classroom!

For preschoolers, the concept of around the world can be a little abstract. Developmentally , preschoolers are insular. They see others as just like them. They have many similarities and many differences, and both those should be celebrated. It’s important in an around the world theme in preschool to teach little learners that children live all over the world. You can use a world map or globe to describe this.

Like all well-planned preschool lesson plans, an around the world theme should include literacy and math activities, as well as sensory, art, dramatic play, and even science activities. It’s important to read plenty of children’s books that talk about other countries and cultures, and even books describing holidays around the world. Be sure to check out our highest recommended children’s book for this theme.

An around the world preschool theme offers so much opportunity to be creative. In this theme, we built pyramids out of paper cups , built the longest wall in our block center , explored foreign money in a sensory bin , and even “visited” a world market in our dramatic play center .

Important Info about these Around the World Lesson Plans

These around the world lesson plans for preschoolers are just one theme in a set of over 40 that will become a part of my free Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans.

The Learn at Home Preschool Activity Plans are a set of free activity plans you can use to teach your preschooler at home. Each set of lesson plans is centered around a weekly theme and includes a minimum of 16 activities that can be done throughout the week. They are designed to be done at home with parents, but many preschool teachers are using these lesson plans, too! Just glance over the lessons each day, gather the very few materials needed, and you’re ready to go! All the preschool learning  activities are quick and easy to set up , requiring very little (if any at all) prep and only require the most basic of household materials. This makes them especially easy for parents to implement…and this makes preschool teachers happy, too! These activities also work wonderfully in the classroom, and if you’re a preschool teacher who is remotely teaching you can send these lesson plans to your student’s parents.

Get the Convenience Bundle!

Yes, these really are free preschool lesson plans, but since it’s a part of so many other free weekly lesson plans for preschoolers, I’ve saved you some time and bundled them together.

Activities in Around the World Lesson Plans for Preschoolers

These free preschool lesson plans feature hands-on learning activities in all the most important content areas in preschool. They include cultures and countries preschool activities that cover literacy, math and science, sensory and art, safe online activities, as well as other playful learning activities. Read all about them below.

Literacy Activities for an Around the World Theme

Packing Visual List – It’s time to explore the world! Practice “packing” a suitcase for a trip. What will you need to bring? Help your preschooler draw and write the sounds they hear for the items they’ll bring. Encourage them to think outside the box. Ask questions to help your preschooler determine what things they will need. Do they want to go somewhere cold or hot? How long will they be staying? What kinds of clothing will they need to bring for their location? Will they be doing anything or going anywhere special while there? How about a toothbrush or bedtime stories? Sun Name Craft – Although we live in all corners of the world and have different time zones, we all share the same star: the sun. (Read about how the sun influences culture in this article ). Invite your preschooler to make the sun by cutting a circle out of yellow paper or using a paper plate. Cut out yellow strips of paper for the sun rays and encourage your preschooler to write a letter from their name on the end of each ray. Glue the rays onto the yellow circle to create a bright sun. While creating this literacy craft, talk to your preschooler about different names they know. What are their friends’ names and family members’ names? Talk to your preschooler about how names are special and how they can reflect different cultures and traditions.

Teach your child about different cultures with picture books!

One of the best ways to teach young children about different countries and cultures is by using high quality picture books. Look for children’s books with beautiful illustrations to help bring out the details of the text.

Math and Science Activities for an Around the World Theme

Paper Cup Pyramids – Using small or large plastic cups, invite your child to build a pyramid tower . Show your preschooler the pyramids of Egypt and model stacking the cups on top of each other to make the large pyramid shape. Once done, count together all the cups that you use! Or for an added challenge, have your preschooler first count out 100 plastic cups. (Do this by counting sets of ten cups.) Then challenge your preschooler to build a pyramid that uses all 100 cups. This is the perfect challenge for preschoolers because they will begin building and run out of cups, or have left over cups, and then they have to figure out how to modify their design to use all 100 cups. If you are a kindergarten teacher, this is an amazing STEM activity for the 100th day of school. Beaded Necklace – Cut a piece of string about two feet long and grab some beads of any shape. Invite your preschooler to string beads on their own unique necklace to represent their culture. You can try something like this: red beads represent holiday traditions, blue beads represent favorite family foods, yellow beads represent religious traditions, and so on. This activity can be done on a larger scale with wooden lacing beads and used as an activity during circle time. Each day, add a few beads until you have created a class necklace. Take it one step further and invite your helper of the day be the one to add that day’s bead and wear the necklace that day. Longest Wall STEM Challenge – Grab some blocks and challenge your preschooler to build the longest wall possible. Show some images of long structures like the Great Wall of China. This activity is a surprising challenge because preschoolers have a tendency to want to build up, not sideways. Building the longest wall also requires preschoolers to navigate their creation around obstacles in the way, like chairs and tables. Make this activity even more challenging by adding more parameters, like having to make the wall three blocks high–no more and no less.

Don’t forget picture books that are all about maps!

Maps are one more thing to add to your around the world lesson plans. You’re not limited to traditional maps, either. Try some of these picture books, board games, and puzzles that all feature maps and map skills.

Playful Learning Activities for an Around the World Theme

Skin-Toned Playdough – Mix white playdough with brown and even a little bit of yellow. Do this several times and notice the difference in colors. Share with your preschooler that everyone around the world has different skin colors and that is what makes us special and unique. Cultural Foods – Go to an ethnic market or supermarket and try new foods from various countries. Many ethnic markets will sell prepared or packaged foods, which means that enjoying a meal from another country with your preschooler can be quick and easy. If possible, take your preschooler to the ethnic market and invite him or her to choose a handful of items to try. You might be surprised at what your preschooler ends up liking. Shrimp-flavored chips? Seaweed-flavored candies? Thick, tangy udon noodles? Building with Blocks – Look up buildings on the internet and share the images with your preschooler. Challenge your preschooler to try to build them with blocks. Get creative and build “water” around the base or add people to their block cities. Here are some famous buildings to consider : the Empire State Building, the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Coliseum, or the White House.

Social-Emotional Activities for an Around the World Theme

All Are Welcome – Go to YouTube and listen to the book All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. Discuss the stunning illustrations and focus on the flags on the lunchroom page. Discuss the significance of the flags and the countries they represent. Encourage your preschooler to think of ways to make everyone always feel welcome, whether they are at school, a playdate, at a restaurant, etc.

Around the World Market – Host your own Around the World Market ! Invite your preschooler to use food containers to sell cultural foods. Most grocery stores have an ethnic aisle where you can purchase food items from various countries around the world. Go shopping together and pick out items that your preschooler is interested in trying. Then, use those food containers to set up a market for dramatic play. If you have a toy register or play money, incorporate it for more hands-on math learning. Encourage your preschooler to sell the items and “make” the food items to serve.

Make Your Around the World Theme Even More Fun!

These around the world themed items are great fun for making your theme more fun and interesting! Kids love using puzzles, maps, and flags to learn more about new countries

Just Plain Fun Activities for an Around the World Theme

Where in the World? – Check the labels on things around the house for where they were made and then look for that place on a map or globe. Go even further by looking up some locations on the internet and looking at images. Use small dot stickers to mark the map for where items were made, and discuss with your preschooler how some countries produce a lot of commodities and why that might be. Hola, Hi, Bonjour – Practice saying hello in different languages with this song . Invite your preschooler to practice saying hello to friends and family in a different language.

Pilot Dramatic Role Play – Encourage your preschooler to pretend to be an airplane pilot and play follow the leader. Set up chairs and sit in the cabin for takeoff and landing. Develop oral language skills by asking your little pilot where everyone is traveling. What things might they see out the window of the airplane as it approaches its destination?

Safe Online Activities for an Around the World Theme

Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the book Me On the Map by Joan Sweeney. After reading, invite your preschooler to draw a map of their own room or house. Encourage them to share where they would like to travel on the map or where they like to spend time and why.

Where Are You From? Song – This catchy song introduces new countries and traditions to young children in a simple and fun way.

Schools Around the World – This book and video is a quick view of what school looks like around the world. Invite your preschooler to ask questions about their clothing and their school set-up. How is it similar to their own school experience? How is it different? Which school would they like to spend a day in and why?

Bonus Activity!

Pen pals are an amazing way–like really, really amazing–to learn about other countries and cultures. You can match your preschooler with a pen pal from the United States or from another country with the Kids for Peace: Peaceful Pen Pals Project link below. They will feel like they are meeting children around the world.

Download Your Free Around the World Lesson Plans Here

Think your preschool will enjoy learning about other countries and cultures? Download these free preschool lesson plans by clicking the image below.

Around the World Activities for Toddlers

Paper Cup Pyramids – Around the World Theme

Around the World Suitcase Activity

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

Would you walk your dog around the world?

• Phrasal Verbs

Travel phrasal verbs

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson plan is based on a short video presenting a man sharing experiences from his unusual journey and focuses on vocabulary in particular travel phrasal verbs. Students will also have a lot of opportunities to speak as they will share their travelling experiences as well as discuss how Anthony Bourdain perceived travelling.

TRAVEL PHRASAL VERBS

The worksheet starts with tasks built around travel phrasal verbs. First, students get six sentences and they have to finish them by choosing correct answer which will reflect the meaning of a given phrasal verb. Next, students complete questions with the correct forms of some of the phrasal verbs from the previous exercise. After that, they need to discuss these questions.

QUOTE & VOCABULARY

Then, students move to the next part of the lesson plan. They have a quote by  Anthony Bourdain who claims that “travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart(…)”. They need to discuss it and share their opinion about it. Next, they move to a vocab task. They have to match words from two boxes to create pairs of synonyms. After that, students have to match halves to create phrases which come from the video and include words from the previous task.

VIDEO & DISCUSSION

The last part of the lesson plan starts with a short lead‐in to the video in the form of a discussion about experiences and challenges we can face on a walking adventure. Then, students watch the video and summarize it using their own words. The second listening comprehension task involves listening for details. Students need to write down what given figures and phrases refer to. Finally, to wrap up the lesson, students discuss the walking journey presented in the video and their own attitude towards such travelling.

Unlock the e-lesson plan with the Premium subscription

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

I loved this lesson! It would be great to have this lesson plan adapted to A2/B1 students too. Thanks for the great work!

Could be hard with that video but give it a try! Thanks for your comment 🙂

Thank you .

thanks for this lovely lesson. It’s wonderful to have feel-good, uplifting stories to share with students. We have too many terrible topics and divisiveness on the news as it is. Keep the good vibes coming!

Lucia, thanks for you comment! You’re right! Now, more than ever, we need to stay positive and just spread good vibes!

I think it’s a great lesson! What are your thoughts on a good warm up for this one?

Thanks! You could, e.g. show students some Instagram photos presenting variuos forms of off-the-beaten-track holidays (e.g. #adventuretravel or #offthebeatenpath) and ask them what they think about such adventure travels.

I LOVED THIS LESSON!!! IT’S FANTASTIC!!

This lesson is fun and engaging. My only suggestions are to change the wording of these two sentences”

When you go on a city break, do you ever ask friends to …………………………………….? Have you ever ………………………………………….. on your way to some distant places? Where? Why?

“City break” is not a term I’ve ever heard as a native speaker. “On your way to some distant places” is a bit unnatural.

Thank you for your suggestions! After examining the sentences further, I agree that the 2nd question seems a bit unnatural, so we changed it in the worksheets. However, I haven’t reworded the other one. I don’t know where you’re based but ‘city break’ is a fairly well-known term, certainly in BrE.

I am considering using this lesson plan with some extra preparation with a B2 group. Do you think it could work?

Actually, it all depends on your students and their listening skills, but I think it could work with some prior preparation.

Great lesson!

Great lesson !!! Tks for sharing!!

Great lesson but do you have any ideas for a good task at the end in the form of a short presentation?

I can’t think of any task like that right now, but perhaps other teachers have some ideas that might help 🙂

I have delivered so many lessons from your platform but this one remains my favourite. I always get back to it and offer it to as many students as I can, it is such a wonderful and uplifting story! Thank you ESL Brains for creating lessons that move people’s hearts.

Hi Joanna! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! We’re thrilled you and your students find this lesson so engaging and uplifitng! I feel the story in the video is definitely worth sharing 🙂

Thanks for this lesson! It had my students (a couple who love dogs and were leaving on holiday the day after) in tears – and me, too! I love this website. It’s my favourite so far!

Thanks for the comment and such kind words about our materials 🥰 Cheers!

Really good lesson! Thank you!

This was a fun activity! I liked the phrasal verbs as part of the activities and I felt like the activities were really well done, thank you!

I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

Browse other materials recommended for you

The fastest shoe in the world

With this speaking lesson, students talk about technology in sports, sports ethics and fairness and watch a video on a controversy involving Nike’s footwear in professional running. They also discuss regulatory measures in athletics and the future of technology in sports.

How brands influence our thinking

Engage in a discussion about branding with this lesson! Students talk about consumer behaviour and brand-building strategies, watch a video and discuss the relationship between consumers and brands.

Art that refuses to settle

With this lesson, students practise advanced adjectives to talk about art, discuss art’s purpose and analyze art pieces. They also watch a video on performance art and discuss its impact and their personal experiences.

Why are we late? (personality traits)

With this lesson, students discover advanced personality adjectives, discuss punctuality, and boost listening skills with a fascinating video!

How does shopping make you feel?

As shopping is part of everyone’s life, this speaking lesson on shopping addiction won’t leave your students indifferent. Discuss whether it is a serious problem, discover hacks on how to control it and dive into how instant gratification works.

Social media addiction

Let your students assess the impact of social media and respond critically to a news report. The lesson fosters meaningful discussion!

How bad is a humblebrag?

In this lesson, students discover what humblebragging is, watch an ad and do a multiple choice vocab task. They also write social media posts and have a discussion about bragging online.  

Happiness is…

In this ESL lesson about happiness, students talk about the feeling, watch a video and discuss happiness myths. The teacher can also choose to do an optional vocabulary activity with students.  

Would you ever renovate a house?

In this ESL lesson about houses and renovation, students learn some useful vocabulary related to the topic, watch a video and talk about house renovations. 

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there’s no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won’t be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

• Travelling around the World

Answers 1. Flights 2. Accommodations 3. Food 4. Local Transport 5. Activities

How many times have you imagined around-the-world trip and then gave up on your dream because you were sure that you couldn’t possibly afford it? The good news is whether you’d love to see the world on your own with a friend that’s someone special or your entire family it will cost you a lot less than you think. In this episode of graph worthy we will look at various factors affecting your travel cost and how much you need to save to take a year break and travel around the world. Subscribe to us and click on the bell button to be the first to watch our new videos.

When we think about travelling around the world we usually imagine a one-week overseas vacation and simply multiply the cost for our imaginary long-term trip. However, long-term trip costs a lot less per day than your typical vacation plus if you plan smartly you can really reduce the costs.

You’ll need to think about the countries you wish to visit, the accommodations and your mode of transportation how often you move between the locations and your desired tours and activities. Seasonality is a huge factor while considering the overall cost of the around-the-world trip. Prices in a given location can vary wildly depending on the time of the year you’re there.

Flight – If you plan the routes optimally the average flight ticket cost is in the 2500 to 3500 range per person including taxes. Here are some cool apps you can explore to book the cheapest flight tickets. Also to get some cool tips you can check out our other video on flight ticket hacks.

Accommodation is the second most expensive part of your travel. Budget planning your accommodations wisely saves a lot of money overall during long term travel. Most people stay in two or three-star accommodations, hostels or apartment rentals, though, there are exceptions but accommodations in order of least expensive to most expensive are. For our budget, we will plan twenty-five to forty-five dollars per night in inexpensive regions and ninety to a hundred and forty dollars in expensive ones. Check out these applications to find the perfect accommodation in your budget.

Food is the next key parameter of your overall trip budget reducing your restaurant visits and preparing your own meal will save money. You can expect one dollar per meal per person if you are preparing it yourself even at expensive regions. Whereas a typical restaurant visit in an expensive region can go up to ten to thirty dollars.

Local transportation – local commute though a small part of the expense can be a major cost saver if you travel slower and take public transports the cost can come down significantly.

Activities these are things like safaris, monument tours, adventure and activities. These activities can range from five to 200 dollars each depending on the activity and location. Here is a table of actual travel cost breakdown by a traveller who travelled the world for a year. Most travelers who’ve done these trips on an economy budget estimate somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 dollars and for the sake of argument let’s average a comfortable RTW year-long trip at 24,000 which is around 2,000 per month. Taking everything into consideration as you can see around the world trip doesn’t have to cost you a fortune and for many people, it’s cheaper to be on the road than staying at home. If you have enjoyed this informative video check out our other videos on top travel hacks and share your tips on the comments section thanks for watching and don’t forget click subscribe to join us on graph worthy.

Speaker 1 – I’m really excited about going on holiday next Friday. Unfortunately, there’s going to be a bus and Tube strike that day, so I just hope I don’t have to wait too long for a taxi. If I don’t get to Milan until just before take-off, they probably won’t let me on the plane and then I’ll miss my connection in Rome, so I’m really nervous about the whole thing. Even if the flight’s delayed, I still have to check in about an hour beforehand, so I’m going to book a taxi now – just to be on the safe side – and hope the traffic jams aren’t too bad.

Speaker 2 – I’m dreading the journey on the motorway – the forecast isn’t very good for tomorrow. Getting there a bit late doesn’t worry me, but if it’s raining, the roads can be very dangerous. If you have to stop suddenly, you can be in trouble. We could go by train, but we’ve got so much luggage and the trains are always so crowded this time of year. Sally says we should fly, but it’s too expensive, and it takes so long to get to the airport that it’s just not worth the extra money.

Speaker 3 – I’m not really looking forward to crossing the Channel. We were going to take the fast ferry but if the weather’s too bad, they just cancel the crossing. I hate it when they do that. So we’re booked on the slower ferry, but I have to say, it’s not my favourite means of transport. It’s not that I’m afraid of accidents – it’s actually a very safe way to travel. The trouble is I’m not a very good sailor. I get really sick if the crossing’s rough. I’ve tried taking pills but they don’t seem to have any effect.

Speaker 4 – I can’t wait to go on holiday tomorrow. I’m thinking of taking the underground to the terminal. I wanted to take a taxi but the traffic’s so bad at that time of day that I know it would take ages – and it’s very expensive because it’s quite a long journey. I don’t actually mind travelling by underground, but for some reason, something always seems to go wrong for me. I don’t like the long escalators and I always seem to lose my ticket – but luckily not my passport! – before I reach my destination. Maybe I’d be better off going by bus.

Speaker 5 – I’m flying to the USA next week. I do a lot of flying, so it’s not something I panic about. I know some people really aren’t keen on the thought of being on a plane, but not me. No – what really gets me is making sure that I’ve got all the right things in the right places. However hard I try, I always seem to end up with something in my hand luggage I’m not allowed to take on board with me – then there’s all that stress of emptying everything out and feeling bad because you’ve got it all wrong yet again.

Read an article about travelling around the world.

Here are keywords and phrases covered in the talk about travelling around the world:

• accommodations
• apartment rentals
• border controls
• business class
• culture shock
• economic migrants
• economy class
• economy seats
• independent travellers
• immigration
• mass tourism
• package tour
• peak season
• overseas vacation
• tourist trap
• travel agency

Especially helpful are exercises that are focussed on a theme or topic as these provide word retention practice so you can be confident to read, write, speak and listen successfully.

• Customs and Traditions
• Entertainment and Leisure
• Environmental and Nature
• Future Jobs and Education
• Identity and Well-being
• Travel and Adventure

Customs and Traditions explores how we celebrate our cultural identity across the globe.

• Christmas Hard Exercises
• Story of Halloween
• Valentine Message

Entertainment and Leisure explores how we spent our free time.

Environment and Nature explores the way humans and animals live, adapt and change on our planet.

• Global Changes

Exploring how different societies create roles for people to develop their skills and knowledge.

• Future Schools
• Sport at School
• Music in Schools
• School Rules
• Fashion Design

Exploring how we learn and adjust to the world around us. .

• Taking Risks
• Natural Disasters

Exploring how we experience the world through our life journeys

The more words you encounter and understand, the broader your day-to-day vocabulary will become. Our word games and puzzles are an excellent way to help to reinforce spellings in your mind.

• Crossword Puzzles
• Word Searches
• Word Puzzles
• Book Crossword
• Computer Crossword
• Crime and Law Crossword
• Environment Crossword
• Fame Crossword
• Festivals and Celebrations Crossword
• Films Crossword
• Fitness Crossword
• Information Technology Crossword
• Language Crossword
• Lifestyles Crossword
• Medicine and Health Crossword
• Natural Environment Crossword
• Places and Buildings Crossword
• Synonyms Crossword
• Travel Crossword
• Work Crossword
• Air Pollution Word Search
• Airport Word Search
• Art Word Search
• Beliefs and Ideas Word Search
• Celebrations Word Search
• Conservation Word Search
• Crime and Law Wordsearch
• Education Word Search
• Feelings Word Search
• Films Word Search
• Food Production Word Search
• Habitat Word Search
• Health Word Search
• Information Technology Word Search
• Places and Buildings
• Pollution Word Search
• Shopping Word Search
• Speed and Movement Word Search
• Superfoods Word Search
• Teaching Word Search
• Work Word Search
• World Wildlife Fund Word Search
• Writers Word Search
• Feelings Word Puzzle
• Health Word Puzzle
• IT Word Puzzle
• Phrasal Verbs Word Puzzle
• Places Word Puzzle

We add reading and writing exercises on a regular basis. Why not bookmark our site, so you can come back to practice anywhere or at any time of the day?

• Use of English Part 1
• Use of English Part 2
• Use of English Part 3
• Use of English Part 4
• Reading Part 5
• Reading Part 6
• Reading Part 7

For this part, you practice vocabulary by using words with similar meanings, collocations, linking phrases, phrasal verbs, etc.

• B2 First Use of English Video
• Becoming Famous
• Cycling Scheme
• Film Stars and Music Celebrities
• Going on a diet
• Single or Mixed Sex Schools
• The History of Football
• The Poor and Less Fortunate
• The Special Bus
• Why do we need to play?

For this part, you practice grammar and vocabulary.

• Better swimming
• Cardboard Bike
• Dealing with waste plastic
• Drinking Water
• Fit for Sports
• Following Your Nose
• Growing Bananas
• Holiday with a Friend
• Making Perfume
• The Farm Trip
• The Jobs Market
• Tree Climbing
• Weather Forecasting
• Young Enterprise

For this part, you practice vocabulary word-building by changing different words using a base word.

• Angel of Mercy
• Fast Food Industry
• Life on Other Planets
• Mystery Weekend Break
• Pollution Problems
• Understanding Time
• Workforce on the Move

For this part,  you have to express a message in different ways showing flexibility and resource in the use of language.

• B2 First Use of English Part 4
• B2 Key Word Transformation 1
• B2 Key Word Transformation 10
• B2 Key Word Transformation 2
• B2 Key Word Transformation 3
• B2 Key Word Transformation 4
• B2 Key Word Transformation 5
• B2 Key Word Transformation 6
• B2 Key Word Transformation 7
• B2 Key Word Transformation 8
• B2 Key Word Transformation 9

For this part, you practice how to understand the details of a text, including opinions and attitudes.

• Cycling to India
• Hottest Place on Earth
• Living and Working in Another Country
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Wrestler who Wrote a Book

For this part, you practice how to understand the structure and follow the development of a text.

• Benefits of Getting Fit
• Our Polluted World

For this part, you practice how to find specific information in a text or texts.

• Collecting Things
• English Seaside Resorts
• Teenage Summer Camps
• B2 Article Video
• B2 Book Review Video
• B2 Descriptive Email Video
• B2 Place Review Video
• B2 Short Story Video
• B2 Cities of the Future
• B2 Fast Food
• B2 Following Fashion
• B2 Live Concert
• B2 Pollution Problems
• B2 Taking a Gap Year
• B2 A Work of Art
• B2 Being a Celebrity
• B2 Life Away
• B2 Preventing Crime
• B2 School Improvement
• B2 Shopping Online
• B2 Tablet or Laptop
• B2 The Countryside
• School Canteen
• B2 A School Trip to Italy
• B2 An Important Day
• B2 Forgetful Girl
• The Hidden Beach
• The Lost Photo
• B2 IMDb Website Review
• B2 Jurassic Park Book Review
• B2 Mountain Bike Park
• B2 Romeo and Juliet Play Review
• B2 Ted Film Review
• Scarlett Animation Review
• B2 Berlin Travel Report
• B2 Shops Report
• B2 Visiting Places Report
• B2 Birthday Party Letter
• B2 Computer Games Email
• B2 Favourite Film Email
• B2 Holiday in Thailand Email
• B2 New Attraction Letter
• B2 Place to Visit Email
• B2 Spending Money Email
• B2 Visiting Relative Email

In addition, we add listening and speaking exercises in order to practise for this part of the B2 First Exam.

• Speaking Part 1
• Speaking Part 2
• Speaking Part 3
• Speaking Part 4
• Listening Part 1
• Listening Part 2
• Listening Part 3
• Listening Part 4

In this part you talk to the examiner about yourself and your life, e.g. your name, school, interests and future plans.

B2 Speaking Part 1 Exercise 1 B2 Speaking Part 1 Exercise 2 B2 Speaking Part 1 Exercise 3

In this part, you talk about two photos on your own which you have to compare for about 1 minute . After you have finished, your partner will be asked a short question about your photo. When your partner has spoken about their photos for about 1 minute , you will be asked a question about their photos.

B2 Speaking Part 2 Exercise 1

In this part you express ideas with your partner by looking at a discussion point that the examiner gives you.

This will be available soon.

In this part, you focus on general aspects of a topic with the examiner or you may involve your partner.

In this part, you will hear people talking in eight different situations.

Entertainment Short Conversations Talking about Sports

In this part, you will hear someone being interviewed.

Extreme Snowboarding Future Options Newly Published Book The Talent Show

In this part, you will hear five people talking about different things.

Demonstration Travel Worries

In this part, you will hear an interview.

Protecting the Environment Staying Healthy

Cambridge English exams are designed for learners at all levels from the pre-intermediate level Cambridge English: Key (KET) to the very advanced level Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE). These exams give candidates proof of their ability to use English in a wide variety of contexts, relevant to work, study and leisure activities.

A2 Key | B1 Preliminary | B2 First

How useful were these activities?

Click on a trophy to rate them!

Average rating 1.9 / 5. Vote count: 47

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Trip around the world with english4tutors

As an ESL teacher, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to get students excited about learning English. I mean, let’s face it, grammar rules and vocabulary lists aren’t exactly the most thrilling topics in the world. However, I also know that there are plenty of creative ways to make learning English fun and exciting for students. That’s why I’m excited to share with you the advantages of using our travel -themed ESL lesson plans that cover a variety of topics, including trip planning, accommodation, transportation, customs, cultures, sightseeing, and more.  

What’s that? Your students can’t afford traveling to these places? Fear not, my fellow teacher. It’ll be like taking a virtual trip around the world without them ever leaving the comfort of their own home (or classroom). And who doesn’t love a good adventure? 

What are the advantages?

Fasten your seatbelts and let me explain why english4tutors Travel lesson plans provide an exciting and immersive way for students to learn English. 

Sparking creative thinking

One of the greatest advantages is that they encourage students to think critically and creatively. As students learn about different destinations, they are also exposed to new cultures, traditions, and customs. This provides a great opportunity for students to practice their critical thinking skills by comparing and contrasting different cultures and exploring the similarities and differences between them. Your student will learn why British people drive on the left side of the road, why Americans smile so much, what is ‘stiff upper lip’, and much more.

Discussions based on personal experience

By incorporating travel -related vocabulary and grammar, students can better understand the language in context and engage in meaningful conversations about their own cross-cultural or traveling experiences. Why not give it a try with ‘ What did you do on holiday? ’

Improving language skills through interactive activities

Lesson plans in this category help students develop important language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Through interactive activities such as role-playing, associations, guessing games, and more, students can practice these skills in a fun and engaging way. Plus, the content itself is sure to keep them interested and motivated.

Navigating real-world situations

Another advantage is that they provide an opportunity for students to improve practical language skills. Whether it’s ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or haggling with street vendors, our lesson plans equip students with the language they need to navigate real-world situations. These practical language skills are invaluable for students who plan to go abroad or those living in multicultural communities. 

Exploring places and cultures

Perhaps one of the most exciting advantages of using these lesson plans is that they can inspire students to explore the world beyond their own borders. By learning about different destinations and cultures, students may even get itchy feet. This not only expands their worldview but also motivates them to continue learning English in order to communicate with people from different backgrounds. They’ll be able to learn and talk about the Lofoten Islands, find out and discuss why Danes are considered the happiest nation, or learn how to avoid London’s worst tourist traps.

So, if you’re looking for a way to make learning English more fun and entertaining for your students, consider using our ESL lesson plans. You’ll be sure to create a learning experience that your students will never forget. And who knows, you might just inspire your students to become the world travelers they were meant to be. Bon voyage!

P.S. If all else fails, your student can always order pizza in English (because let’s be real, pizza is the universal language).

Tijana is an ESL Teacher, Teacher Trainer, and ESL Content Creator with a decade-long working experience. She designed 600+ lesson plans. Tijana holds a B.A. in Applied Linguistics from UVic, an M.A. in Curriculum and Education from UBC, as well as a 120-hour TEFL certificate.

Similar topics

Teaching listening in English lessons for adults

Today, we dive into a crucial aspect of language acquisition: listening skills. As ESL teachers, we understand the challenges that adult learners face when it…

TV shows and movies for ESL learners

Providing short texts for the student to practice reading comprehension? Check! Incorporating short videos in lesson plans? Check! Good ESL movie recommendations for the student? Umm……

Tips for teaching beginner ESL students

Many language teachers claim that teaching at the beginner level is not a challenge. However, it can be completely the opposite since everything really depends…

The Homeschool Resource Room

creative ideas, practical advice, genuine support

Around the World in 5 Days: Elementary Continent Studies

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for details.

Welcome to the first day of our Around the World Hopscotch!

Today you’ll find books, activities, and resources to support your geography studies. plus, you will find links to our 5 days around-the-world series and resources organized by continent.

I’m so happy to be able to share these amazing resources with you. We went around-the-world with our kindergarten curriculum and plan on “traveling” again when my younger kids are in K and 2nd grade.

These resources are meant to complement and enrich your lesson plans. If you are creating your own plans, you will find resources here that certainly could fill up a year! Our family enjoys reading, crafts, hands-on activities, projects, and using media to support learning. We are truly an eclectic bunch!

These resources are appropriate for 5-8 years old, roughly primary grades k-2. As always, use your best discretion. 

AROUND THE WORLD HOPSCOTCH

Hop around to find a ton of resources to support your elementary continent studies.

Day 1 Sunday : Elementary Continent Studies. That’s this post! You’ll find: General geography resources and materials appropriate for elementary aged children plus all of the links to our resources by continent!

Day 2 Monday : Around the World Picture Books

Day 3 Tuesday : Movies Around the World

Day 4 Wednesday : Shows Around the World

Day 5 Thursday : Apps and Websites for Elementary Geography

Be sure to grab the  Around the World printable pack at the bottom of this post ! Find our very favorite resources, printable lists, and a few ideas that will work with any continent or country study!

Continent Study Resources

The links below lead to our other posts created to enrich our elementary continent studies. Click a link or browse all of our around-the-world posts here .

Kid’s NORTH AMERICA Resources and Activities

Animal Studies: North American Grizzly Bear Books, activities, playlists, and a lapbook project.

Kindergarten Books & Activities: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt A full unit study inspired by the classic children’s story.

North America Streaming Resources Movies, shows, and playlists to supplement your lesson plans.

SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA Activities and Media for Kids

Rain Forest Unit and Animal Study: Poison Arrow Frog Learn about the tropical rain forest with through beautiful books, create your own kapok tree, and make a lapbook about the poison dart frog (aka poison dart frog).

South & Central America Streaming Resources Movies, shows, and playlists to supplement your lesson plans.

EUROPE Unit Studies and Resources for Kids

Unit Studies: We spent extra time in Europe, and gathered excellent projects, books, and resources for a few country studies. United Kingdom Unit France Unit Greece Unit

Kindergarten Books and Activities: Ratatouille Movie Unit Study A full unit study based on the Disney movie.

Europe Streaming Resources Movies, shows, and playlists to supplement your lesson plans.

Activities and Resources for Kids about Africa

Elementary Introduction to Africa Books, activities, and media to introduce children to Africa’s habitats, people, and animals.

Jane Goodall Lapboook and Animal Study: Chimpanzees Create a DIY lapbook, read about this ground-breaking scientist, and discover online resources and printables to support your unit.

Africa Streaming Resources Movies, shows, and playlists to supplement your lesson plans.

Resources About Asia for Kids

Asia Streaming Resources Movies, shows, and playlists to supplement your lesson plans.

Kid’s AUSTRALIA & THE PACIFIC ISLANDS (OCEANIA) Resources

Oceania Streaming Resources Movies, shows, and playlists to supplement your lesson plans.

POLAR REGIONS – ANTARCTICA & THE ARCTIC CIRCLE for Kids

North and South Pole Streaming Resources Movies, shows, and playlists to supplement your lesson plans.

ELEMENTARY GEOGRAPHY RESOURCES

National Geographic Kids First Big Books We referred back to these books many time over the year. With large text, charts, and gorgeous images, these texts are a great reference for Around the World studies. Take a at the  Big Book of Animals  for animals categorized by habitat, well-known scientists, philanthropists, artists, and more in  Big Book of Who , and landmarks arranged by continent  Big Book of the World .

How to Make and Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman This was an adorable introduction to our Around the World activities.

View the read aloud here or watch our Apples and Maps playlist !

Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne See the full list of titles organized by continent .

Our hands-down favorite from our around-the-world studies, Magic Tree House has books for every continent. We listened to audio books , read aloud together, and eventually my son started reading them on his own. A wonderful series to motivate a beginning reader.

Around the World ARTS & CRAFTS for Kids

We created so many projects over the course of the year. If you have an artistic child, looking at art and architecture around the world is so inspiring. Below is my five-year-old’s Greek Mosaic from our Greece Unit Study .

Around the World Coloring Book by Winky Adam World facts like a text book and more engaging than a workbook, this coloring book was a great companion for our Around the World studies.

Art Around the World: Loo-Loo, Boo, and More Art You Can Do by Denis Roche We tried several around-the-world art books over the year, but this was our favorite. The colorful illustrations, interesting facts, and simple directions make the activities accessable for pre-k and primary aged kiddos.

If you love puzzles and art studying geography, don’t miss these fabulous  GeoPuzzles ! We learned so much by putting together these durable, thick, bright puzzles. Each puzzle is a different continent with countries in by shape. They also offer a  world map puzzle . They look complicated at first, but with around 70 pieces each, your child will be putting them together independently in no time.

Use these puzzles to discuss continents, countries, and regions of the world. Practice reading the names or sounding out new words. Name the oceans, look at a compass rose, and compare the sizes of countries from around the world or each continent.

Around the World Enrichment Pack

Download Your PDF

Top elementary geography posts from the Resource Room: 10 FUN Geography Games for Kids! Read Around the World with The Magic Tree House Map 20 Lovely Picture Books from Around the World for Kids!

I’m so excited to be part of IHomeschoolNetwork’s Hopscotch . Find tips, encouragement and resources for your homeschool in this week’s exciting posts!

Ashley helps parents who want to homeschool find the resources they need to successfully teach their children. Ashley is a former teacher, current homeschooler, published author, and designer behind Circle Time with Miss Fox printables as well as the creator of this website, The Homeschool Resource Room.

25 replies on “ Around the World in 5 Days: Elementary Continent Studies ”

• Pingback: Picture Books Around the World – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: Movies Around the World: Elementary – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: Apps and Websites for Elementary Lesson Plans – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: Shows Around the World: Elementary Continent Study – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: North America Unit – Streaming Resources – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: South and Central America Unit – Streaming Resources – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: Africa Unit – Educational Streaming Resources for Elementary Africa Continent Study – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: Europe Unit – Streaming Resources for Build Your Library Kindergarten – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: Asia Unit – Educational Streaming Resources for Elementary Asia Continent Study – Some Random Lady

Wonderful resources! We love traveling the world through books, movies, games, and activities.

Thank you 🙂

• Pingback: North and South Pole Unit – Educational Streaming Resources for Elementary Arctic and Antarctica Study – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: Read Around the World with The Magic Tree House – Some Random Lady
• Pingback: How To Get Started with Notebooking in Your Homeschool – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: Winter Olympics Lesson Plans for Kids – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: Chinese New Year Lesson Plans: Books, Crafts, and Activities for Kids – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: FUN Activities for Your Africa Lesson Plans! – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: Learn All About Amazon Animals with a Hands-on Rain Forest Lesson! – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: Complete Eric Carle Book List with links to Read Alouds – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: How to Teach Spanish When You Don’t Speak It?!? 3 Options! – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: Kindergarten Spanish Lessons – A Gentle Introduction to Foreign Language – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: K-2 Enrichment Pack, Free Printable – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: Homeschool Methods: Unit Studies - Teach Beside Me
• Pingback: 10 FUN Geography Games for Kids – The Homeschool Resource Room
• Pingback: The BEST Educational Florida Field Trips for Kids! – The Homeschool Resource Room

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Discover more from The Homeschool Resource Room

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Second Grade teachers! Join me Around the 2nd Grade Kampfire on Facebook! JOIN HERE

• Facebook Group
• Search this website

Around the Kampfire

Elementary Teaching Blog

Last updated by Linda Kamp on December 11, 2022 • 40 Comments

10 Magical Ways To Teach Holidays Around the World

As the holidays draw near, it’s the perfect time to teach your students about how different cultures celebrate Christmas holidays around the world. In this post I’ll share lots of ideas, activities, and even some freebies to make teaching holidays around the world magical for both you and your students!

Magical Ways to Teach Holidays Around the World

Reading and writing opportunities abound for your class to compare customs, do research, read informational texts, and watch videos of unique traditions they have never before seen in faraway countries. Here are ten ways to excite your students and take them on a magical journey as they learn about the unique traditions and customs of holidays around the world.

Create An Experience Your Students Won’t Forget

By adding a few simple touches, you can create an unforgettable experience for your students-right in your own classroom! Begin by welcoming your students to the airport! Play a video of planes taking off and landing,  complete with sound effects, in the background as you break the news that they’ll soon be traveling around the world!

Delight your class by acting out what a flight crew would say and do,  complete with all of the lingo and hand motions pointing to the exits. Be sure to point out all of the safety features on the flight and of course, their suitcases should be stowed and their passports at the ready.

Use this free flight script to really take it over the top!

Click here to download the FREE Holidays Around the World flight script.

Send your students this fun boarding pass and let the adventure begin!

To download the FREE digital boarding pass click here .  Please note: If you are prompted to “request access” and are on a school computer or using a school email address, that means your school has outside downloads blocked. I recommend using a personal email and computer to download the boarding pass.

Experience Holidays In Each Country

Upon arrival in each country, show this holiday traditions PowerPoint that uses actual pictures taken in each country. Give your students a window into the different gift-givers, holiday decorations, celebrations, and special foods that families around the world enjoy during the holidays.

Have Students Take A Suitcase As They Travel

Make a suitcase folder for each student to collect their “learning souvenirs” as they travel.

We made ours with construction paper but any type of paper folder, or even a grocery bag, works great by adding simple paper handles.

This keeps students organized and becomes a learning portfolio at the end of your unit.

Don’t Forget Your Passport!

Take a photo of each child (or use the left over tiny ones from picture day) to make passports that students can stamp when they “arrive” in each country. Bring in your real passport if you have one, and invite your students to do the same. Explain to your class the purpose of a passport and how important they are when you travel.

Students learn holiday traditions and visit these countries:

• Traditions of Kwanzaa
• China (Chinese New Year)
• India (Diwali)
• Israel (Hanukkah)
• Indonesia (Eid al-Fitr)
• Saudi Arabia (Ramadan)
• United States

You can even use the digital passport!

Assess with Exit Tickets Before They Depart

Continue the theme by assessing students with exit tickets before they depart each country.

Consider using your exit tickets as an anticipation guide before you begin teaching about each country. These are a great way to take meaningful, end of quarter grades in December, just in time for report cards. Use the digital versions for students to do on devices.

Serve In-Flight Snacks

Look for treats from the countries you are teaching or something similar to serve as a snack. Trader Joe’s carries German Stollen, Italian Panettone, and German Pfeffernusse cookies during the holidays.

If there is an IKEA in your area, you will definitely want to check it out! They carry a wide array of Swedish Christmas cookies and treats, straw Yule Goat ornaments, and even Tomten (the Swedish Santa gnome) trinkets and stuffed dolls.

Serve snacks in each country your class visits!  Little Debbie Swiss Rolls look just like traditional French Buche de Noel cake, and gingerbread cookies (Germany) are usually easily found during the holidays. Chocolate coins for Hanukkah, donut holes for Diwali, and fruit for Kwanzaa are all easy to find and make fun snacks to eat as students visit each county. Consider asking parent helpers to send some of these in so students can taste the tradition!

Have a Holidays Around the World Classroom Party

If you’re short on time and can’t teach an entire unit consider having a holidays around the world classroom party . Set up a craft and a snack at stations around the room so students can rotate to several countries. This is a fun way to spend the afternoons the last 5 days before Christmas or winter break .

Get your teammates on board and have students rotate to one classroom each afternoon.

Make it a Math Party

Hold a Holidays Around the World math party in your classroom!  Set up holiday math centers all around the room and have small groups of students rotate to each one.

I made “mathports” and boarding passes so students could stamp their passports before departing each table.

See Holidays Math Centers in versions for Grades 1-3

Send Home Souvenirs from Countries Around the World

I’m a big fan of incorporating crafts into the learning. I like ones that are easy to add a writing element to and kids really do enjoy them. These simple, souvenir post card crafts provide an opportunity for functional writing as students “write home” about what they are learning in each country they visit.

Compare Holiday Customs

After visiting a few different countries, have your students compare their customs, gift-givers, holiday foods, and traditions.

This is a wonderful time for students to share their own culture and traditions. Invite them to share the traditions in their families and the holidays they celebrate.

Create a Digital Holidays Around the World Class Book

Make a digital class scrapbook by having student each research a country. this digital scrapbook makes it easy for kids to do research with websites related to the country linked to each Google Slide. Click here t o see the holidays scrapbook templates.

Share Unique Traditions with Videos

Share an up close look at customs and traditions by showing videos of holiday traditions around the world . I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of amazing videos and read alouds in this post that I know your students will love!

National Geographic Kids has several short, and beautifully done videos that feature holiday traditions in lots of different countries. I look for additional videos that not only show the country’s customs, but focus on a unique tradition in the country we are visiting.

Have you ever heard of maple taffy? It’s a Canadian tradition often made at winter festivals where taffy is made on snow! A hot maple syrup mixture is poured into trays of clean, packed snow. As it hardens into taffy, it is rolled onto a popsicle stick. This video shows how to make maple taffy  and is a fun one to show your class.

Read About Holidays Around the World

Sadly, I know how hard it can be to squeeze out time in your schedule for social studies. Many times I use these during my reading block. This Holidays Around the World unit includes printable and digital reading passages with comprehension questions for each country.

Click here for holiday traditions reading passages that are differentiated in 3 levels for 2nd and 3rd grade with 2 types of comprehension questions. The leveled passages are ideal for small groups and whole group close reading lessons. The comprehension questions that follow give second and third graders practice with answering text dependent questions, text structures questions, and color coding text evidence.

Team Teach So Students Can Travel

As you plan your holidays around the world activities, buddy up with other teachers in your grade level  to team teach your unit. Each teacher can pick a country and have your classes rotate to a new classroom and country each day. We usually do this the last 45 or so minutes of the day. It’s a great way to get kids up and moving and it keeps everybody engaged and still learning the last week or two before break!

Holidays Around the World for Kids

Decorate Each Destination! It is so much fun for kids to enter a room that has been transformed. Even if you only make a few small changes, they notice! Cover your tables or groups of desks with butcher paper in the color of the country’s flag. Decorate your door with flag colored crepe paper and make a welcome sign for the country you are teaching.

Would you like some FREE Welcome Posters to decorate your destinations?

Holidays Around the World Lesson Plans

I hope these ideas make teaching your students about holidays around the world an exciting experience they won’t soon forget! If you’re planning a holidays unit soon click here for my Holidays Around the World lesson plans in a complete unit and the teaching Power Point I use. The unit also includes digital activities and the lessons on Google Slides.

  Holidays Around the World Unit

Save this post on Pinterest so you’ll have all the ideas and links when you plan!

Visit these posts for more holiday activities and teaching ideas!

Holidays Around the World Math Party Ideas! Click here

How the Gingerbread Man turned my readers into thinkers! Click here

See what happened in my classroom the last CrAzY days before break!  Click here

Happy teaching friends!

Share this:

Stop the summer slide!

Free Summer Learning Menus

Help prevent summer learning loss. Grab these free Summer Learning Menus and parent letter for 2nd grade and 3rd grade students.

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

Reader Interactions

40 comments.

December 5 at 4:12 pm

Hello I am trying to ask for the posters. I have put in my email and it will not go through. Please advise – thank you.

December 3 at 1:36 pm

Im SOOOOOO impressed! This is such a comprehensive resource! You really took the guesswork out of planning this unit. Thank you so much!!!

November 22 at 7:06 pm

I keep plugging in my email for the free posters but they do not come. Can they be sent directly?

December 13 at 11:27 am

I began a Holidays around the ‘world before I saw this post on Pinterest. Wish I had seen it sooner!! Please send the 14 welcome posters.

December 13 at 8:52 am

I subscribed but never got the email with the graphs etc. that was going to be sent to me.

Please let me know if you can get that sent to [email protected]

December 6 at 4:21 pm

Love the lessons and my students are enjoying it. Can you update your poster set to include the three new additions to your lesson? (United States, Kenya, Saudi Arabia) I am using them around the room. If so, please let me know where to find them.

Thanks so much!

December 3 at 10:18 am

What is the appropriate age for this? I’m wanting this for my kindergartner.

December 1 at 8:03 pm

Purchased and love it! Do you have instructions on how to make the suitcase? It’s perfect! Thank you

December 2 at 7:21 am

Hi Ashley! The directions for making the suitcase are on page 34 of PDF File 1 in the download. I hope your students enjoy it!

November 24 at 12:02 pm

This is what I am teaching all next month

December 2 at 7:23 am

I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine do Kathlene!

November 22 at 6:33 am

Do you have an example of how you organized your teacher binder?

December 2 at 7:26 am

Hi Karen, I don’t have a picture, but all I did was glue the tabs onto the section dividers and place the materials in each section they belonged in.You caould place the master copies in page protectors or you can hole punch them.

I hope this helps to clarify and your students enjoy the unit!

October 30 at 8:10 am

Oh my goodness, these are wonderful ideas! I especially love the “serving in-flight snacks”. This type of experiential activity sticks with students’ memories for years to come. Thanks for sharing these tips. 🙂

December 15 at 11:29 pm

It’s such a beautiful and well thought out teaching unit! Thank you for creating and sharing! I have one request.

For India, on your poster, it’s accidentally written ‘Shush’ deepavali. It’s actually ‘Shubh’ Deepavali- meaning blessed or pure row if lights.

Other than that, I’m excited to use the tickets and all the fun excitement of a vacation! Thank you!

December 5 at 8:11 am

December 1 at 3:11 pm

Do you have a video of airplane takeoff that you like to use?

December 1 at 3:14 pm

Hi Melody, Yes, I use the one that is linked in the blog post above. Also, look for videos of the Singapore airport on You Tube. It is amazing!

November 26 at 11:47 am

Where can I find this holiday unit!

November 27 at 6:34 am

Hi Shannon, There is a direct link at the bottom of the blog post for the teaching unit or you can find it here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holidays-Around-the-World-Christmas-Around-the-World-Activities-PowerPoint-4204998

November 25 at 6:17 am

Hi, Your collection of Christmas Around the World activities is fabulous and inspirational. You have encompassed all facets of an engaging and wholistic learning experience for your students. I cannot wait to revamp my CAW with your CAW unit ~ so exciting! I was wondering if you have ever considered adding Japan to your list of countries taught during your study? (Our last day of CAW, all Kindergarten teachers/classes participate in a “rotation” of classes. My country of choice is Japan! It is a wonderful experience for everyone.)

Many thanks, Morgan

November 27 at 6:31 am

Hi Morgan, Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind compliment! I don’t have plans to add additional countries at this time. Thanks so much for asking!

July 12 at 6:21 pm

I love this lesson. You have great ideas. Thanks

June 7 at 9:12 am

Great lesson ideas thank you!! So creative! [email protected]

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of new posts by email.

Hello Friends

I’m Linda Kamp, a 20 year primary grade teacher with a passion for creating educational materials that excite students and make learning fun! I'm so glad you're here!

Kindergarteners Go Around the World: Week 1 – United States

Introduction to week 1.

This week you will be introducing the children in your class to the concept of traveling around the world to visit different countries.  Let them know that you will be pretending to travel to distant lands and finding out about many different peoples through their stories, art, food, and more!

For a Printable Lesson Plan Schedule for the entire 28 weeks, please see the Around the World introductory post .

You can do the lesson plan activities in the order that you prefer. Below is a free printable lesson plan for week 1 in PDF format. Just click on the thumbnail below to open and view.  For best results, download to your computer before printing.

• Gather book and supplies (see checklist)
• Buy or make apple pie (or cut up apples)
• Print handouts and 3-hole punch them for notebooks (see below)

Check back during the year, as I will be adding pictures of completed projects and let you know if the kids enjoyed the lesson and any changes I would make for next time. Thanks for joining us!

Week 1 Lesson Plan

Date and destination.

Date: Last week of August** Continent : North America Country : United States

Reading (10 – 15 minutes)

Discussion : Ask questions to determine reading comprehension; tailor these to your children’s ages and abilities.  Depending on the size of your class and as time permits, try to allow each child to participate. Don’t drag this part on too long or your kids will lose interest. Here are a few to get you started:

• Did you like the story?  Why or why not?
• What was your favorite part?
• Questions based on the Who?, What?, Why?, When?, and How? of a story are great for getting kids thinking.

You may want to have your discussion time while you eat apple pie!  (See below.)

Geography (5 – 15 minutes)

Globe or Wall Map Activity : With your class,

• find the Continent of North America
• point out the different countries on the continent, including the United States
• find your State
• find your City or Town (or approximate location).

U.S.A. Map Handout *: Pass out the World Traveler Notebook Cover Page and U.S.A. Map Handout to your class (free printables below) and allow them to color the pages as time permits.  You may want this to be the last activity of your class so they can be kept busy until the next class starts or until their parents pick them up.  Have the kids place their handouts in their World Traveler Notebook (3-ring binder) before they leave.

Following are three free printables in PDF format. Just click on the thumbnails below to open and view.  For best results, download to your computer before printing.

• World Traveler Notebook Cover Page – Color (print one for each child)  OR
• World Traveler Notebook Cover Page – Black and White (print one for each child)
• U.S.A. Map Handout (print one for each child)

Other Activities (10 – 15 minutes)

• Hand one to each child and have them write their names in them.
• Explain that when people travel to different countries, a passport is required, and that it is stamped upon entry and exit of each country.
• Give them a U.S.A. passport stamp (see printable below), and let them know that next week, they will be receiving a passport stamp when they visit India!
• Have them keep their passports in their World Traveler Notebooks (3-ring binders).

U.S.A. Facts & Flag Handout *: Pass out and read this handout to your class (free printable below) and allow them to color the pages as time permits.  You may want this to be the last activity of your class so they can be kept busy until the next class starts or until their parents pick them up.  Have the kids place their handouts in their World Traveler Notebook (3-ring binder).

Following is a free printable U.S.A. Facts & Flag Handout in PDF format. Just click on the thumbnail below to open and view.  For best results, download to your computer before printing.

Culture (10 – 15 minutes)

Eat apple pie or apple slices.

Check with parents/guardians for any food allergies or issues.

*If there is not time in class, provide these as handouts for the kids to do at home. The pages can go in their World Traveler Notebooks as a record of their journeys.

**Our homeschool coop begins during the last week of August, but the Around the World course can be started at any time of year. Some re-arranging of the weekly plans may be necessary due to holidays, but with a little planning ahead of time, this should be very manageable.

Supply Lists

General supply list.

• Markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils
• Roll of paper towels and/or wet wipes

Week 1 Supply List

• Apple pie, knife and pie server OR
• Apple slices
• Small plates and napkins
• Small cups and water (optional)
• Printables from this post: Week 1 Lesson Plan, World Traveler Notebook Cover Page , Passport Stamps, U.S.A. Map Handout , and U.S.A. Facts & Flag Handout

Copyright 2014 Kathryn Depew Image from flickr.com used under the Creative Commons license. Image credit: Cameron Russell .

Related Articles

• Thanksgiving Activities and Crafts for Preschool and Kindergarten
• Genesis Bible Activities and Activities For Preschool and Kindergarten
• All About Me Lesson Plan – Preschool Curriculum Ideas For Homeschool

Disclosure : The books and supply links on this page lead to products on Amazon . I am an affiliate and will receive a small commission if these links are used to make a purchase.

Share this:

• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

© 2024 Cotton Ridge Homeschool

Powered by Esplanade Theme and WordPress

• Conversation
• Interactive

Around The World

Tags: beginner , future (going to) , geography , intermediate , kids , past simple , sequence adverbs , transport , travel

In the Around The World ESL activity, students describe a multi-stage journey involving various forms of transportation.

If possible, prepare a map that you can project/stick on the board. This can be used to help students plan and for illustration purposes during presentations.

In class, divide the students into groups of two or three.

Optionally, you could introduce the activity with a video clip/trailer from the movie ‘ Around The World in Eighty Days ‘. Ask students to note down the different types of transport they see.

• Each group plans a route around the world, starting and finishing where they currently are. They should include interesting places that they would like to visit on the way.
• The only criteria for the route is that they must use ten different modes of transportation. This may influence the route, as they should try and use creative forms of transport (e.g. snowmobile, hot air balloon, elephant).
• The students write out a step-by-step description of their route, using the target language. You can choose whether this is to be a description in the past simple, or a plan in the future with going to.
• The groups take turns presenting their journey to the class, using spoken target language.
• After each presentation, you could ask the students listening what they think will be the most exciting/dangerous/expensive part of the trip.

Target Language

There are a few different ways you can use the Around The World ESL activity. With beginners for example, you could just focus on practising the transport vocabulary (in the tense of your choice). With low-level beginners, give them the future with going to structure as a template.

Alternatively, you could use it to practise the past simple or future with going to specifically. Either way, they should practise using different verbs for different types of transport (e.g. took the train to Paris , sailed across the Atlantic , drove to Los Angeles ).

Another option is for beginner students to use sequence adverbs for the different sections of their route. In this case you may want to reduce the number of steps/types of transport required.

With intermediate students, use the Around The World ESL activity in a class on the topic of travel . They should add extra information such as how long each leg of the journey will take, how much it might cost etc. Encourage questions about these details after each presentation too.

Finally, it also works well as a cross-curricular geography activity for school-age kids. In this case students should include the names of cities, oceans/seas, rivers, mountains, deserts etc. as much as possible.

For a fun guessing game that involves describing countries and natural environments, try Where Am I .

Got a picture or video of this activity in action? How about snapping one next time you use it? We'd love to showcase your submissions- find out more here .

I am so confident now that I have supplementary materials given by site eslactive.com

It is very effective for teaching EFL

LEAVE A COMMENT Cancel reply

Warmer of the day.

Tags: beginner , intermediate , kids , narrative tenses , past simple , warmer

In the Fortunately Unfortunately ESL Activity, students create a story that alternates between positive and negative sentences.

Vocabulary Image Generator

Common tags, follow eslactive.

A Trip Around the World

Lesson plan.

Students learn about citizenship around the world and compare the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries to the rights held by U.S. citizens.  Note: This lesson contains an optional PowerPoint presentation (see Lesson Prep).  We've recently updated this lesson!

Got a 1:1 classroom? Find fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials here . For instructions and access to our growing "fillable" library,  click here .

Teacher Resources

Get access to lesson plans, teacher guides, student handouts, and other teaching materials.

• A Trip Around the World_Lesson Plan.pdf
• A Trip Around the World_StudentDocs.pdf
• A Trip Around the World_FULL.ppt

I find the materials so engaging, relevant, and easy to understand – I now use iCivics as a central resource, and use the textbook as a supplemental tool. The games are invaluable for applying the concepts we learn in class. My seniors LOVE iCivics.

Lynna Landry , AP US History & Government / Economics Teacher and Department Chair, California

Related Resources

Citizenship: Just the Facts

Civic heroism.

DC Voting Rights

Get Counted! (The U.S. Census)

Immigration & citizenship, immigration nation.

Immigration Nation Extension Pack

Immigration: Pathway to Citizenship - HS

Kids making a difference - garden edition, see how it all fits together.