Both fourth and fifth graders at Stewart School enjoyed participating in a cross-curricular activity this winter.
In their physical education classes, they learned the steps to the popular exercise regimen “Zumba” which combines world music rhythms and popular dance steps. Created by a Colombian, this exercise routine was expanded in FLES classes through accompaniment by modern Latin music with FLES teacher April Cornachio. Students paired the steps they learned to popular Colombian music, enhancing their study of the varied cultures and traditions of the 21 Spanish-speaking countries of the world, as well as complying with the district’s goal of adding more physical exercise to the school day.
In addition to enjoying Zumba, fourth graders wrote short essays about their homes as a culminating activity to their study of the house. They included information about the color, size and names of the rooms in their homes, as well as their favorite room. Each student finished the project by drawing and coloring an original portrait of his/her home. The finished house drawings are on display outside their classrooms at Stewart.
Fifth graders learned vocabulary and expressions about physical and personality traits, and wrote and recited self-descriptions. They also played games describing their favorite celebrities and described classmates without naming them. Students had fun listening to the descriptions in Spanish and guessing their identities. As a final project, they created stick puppets which they presented to their classmates, verbally describing all their characteristics, including clothing type and color.
