Teach

Google Earth - A program that renders a 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery, so you can go on an adventure any time, anywhere!

World's Largest Lesson - A program from Project Everyone, promoting use of the Sustainable Development Goals in learning so that children can contribute to a better future for all.

UNICEF Kid Power - A program of UNICEF USA that gives kids the power to save lives by connecting their everyday activity to real-world impact.

Global Nomads Group - Leveraging technology to foster authentic, global, youth-driven dailogue.

Learn Around the World - Virtual field trips, guest speakers, and collaborationsto promote global awareness and digital citizenship.

Skype a Scientist - Connecting scientists with classrooms across the globe.

Nepris - Nepris connects educators and learners with a network of industry professionals, virtually, bringing real-world relevance and career exposure to all students. Nepris also provides a skills-based volunteering platform for organizations to extend education outreach, and build their brand among the future workforce.

Global Lives Project - A video library of life experience, created by collaborators from around the world.

Journeys in Film - Amplifying the storytelling power of film to educate the most visually literate generation in history. They believe that teaching with film has the power to help educate our next generation with a richer understanding of the diverse and complex world in which we live. Music teachers, check out Library > Subjects > Music.

Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips - These virtual events let educators take students to amazing places and give them remarkable experiences, without ever leaving the classroom.

Out of Eden Walk - A free online learning program for youth around the world -- slowing down, sharing stories, making connections.

Explorer Classroom - Live interactive sessions that connect young people with National Geographic Explorers — to hear behind-the-scenes stories and interact with cutting-edge scientists, researchers, and powerful storytellers from around the globe.

US History in a Global Context - Equipping youth with a global perspective and understanding of political, social, and environmental issues worldwide.

Fan School - Draft real-world content, and become a digital citizen. Predict global events to make your learning relevant and fun. Compete for civic competence and become more aware and active in your own learning.

Nat Geo MapMaker - Bring maps into your classroom, and empower learners to map the world they want to see. Designed to be intuitive and easy to use, you and your students can explore Earth's interconnected systems through a collection of curated basemaps, data layers, and annotation tools.

Our World in Data - Research and data to make progress against the world's largest problems.

PBS Learning Media: Global Learning and Awareness - Explore why learning about the international community matters. Learn about major global issues—including education, global conservation and environmentalism, global health, and human rights—through videos, images, background essays, and lesson plans. These resources are designed to foster understanding of the lives of youth around the globe and enhance U.S. students’ understanding of their roles in the world.

The Best Sites for Learning About the World's Different Cultures - A useful list compiled by Larry Ferlazzo.

3 Quick Tips and 40+ Resources for Globalizing Your Learner Experiences - Another useful compilation, this one from Deanne Moore.

360 Cities - The largest supplier of 360° photos and videos for education publishers and EdTech providers; consider using this tool during your next virtual field trip!

Words Without Borders - Check out the "Education" tab to learn about how WWB Campus can connect you and your students with global literature.

Global Dimension - Teaching resources to bring global connection, conversation, and compassion to your classroom.

iEARN - iEARN projects align to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Join interactive curriculum-based groups where students are creating, researching, sharing opinions and becoming global citizens.

Belouga - Collaborative educational series and shows aligned to subject area, standards and the global goals.

Classroom Bridges - A resource teachers can use to find other classrooms around the world who would like to connect and/or collaborate.

Traveling Teddy - The Traveling Teddy Bears Project was started with the goal of connecting young children in classrooms across the globe. This year, each of their bears is supporting one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to help spread awareness in schools around the globe.

ePals - Locate students around the world who would like to engage in pen pal exchanges and/or collaborations with your own students.

Pen Pal Schools - Another pen pal-finding service, this one with member schools from 150 member countries. Pen Pal Schools focuses, specifically, on building global awareness through cross-cultural project-based learning opportunities.

Empatico - Empatico empowers teachers and students to explore the world through experiences that spark curiosity, kindness, and empathy. They combine live video with activities designed to foster meaningful connections among students ages 6-11.

Technology Ideas and Tools to Connect Students to the World - Tips for building global competence in the classroom, from EducationWeek.

Global Dignity Day - Here you’ll find a variety of curriculum ideas, toolkits and additional resources to better understand what dignity is and why it matters. Use these free resources to organize Dignity Workshops in classrooms, community and youth groups, refugee communities – or anywhere in between.

The Global Read Aloud - The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 6-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible. The scope and depth of the project is up to you. While there are commonly used such as Skype, Twitter, Padlet, or Flipgrid, you choose the tools that will make the most sense for you. Teachers get a community of other educators to do a global project with, hopefully inspiring them to continue these connections through the year.

World Read Aloud Day - Join millions around the globe as we celebrate the power of reading aloud with World Read Aloud Day, held annually on the first Wednesday of every February.

Smithsonian Learning Lab - The Smithsonian Learning Lab puts the treasures of the world's largest museum, education, and research complex within reach. The Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources, creating content with online tools, and sharing in the Smithsonian's expansive community of knowledge and learning.

Global Ed Explorer - Join the Asia Society's online community of over 600 like-minded, innovative teachers dedicated to global competence and high achievement for all students. New resources and materials are added regularly and are specifically designed to support educators to improve their skills in global competence education, performance-based assessment, and student-led inquiry.

Facebook - Connect with other globally-minded educators by joining online groups such as "Global Educator Collective" and "Global Educators & Collaborators."

Paperboy - Read newspapers from across the globe.

Global Table Adventure - Explore the culinary arts around the world.

World Cultures Activities - Hands-on activities in at the intersection of the arts and global learning.

Kinder Art - Get ready to discover art from around the world! Here you will find traditional folk art techniques from Africa, South America, North America, Australia (and more). Your students and children can make cool multicultural creations as they learn more about the world around them.

Radio Garden - Listen to radio stations across the globe.

All Around this World - All Around This World’s interactive world music for kids introduces families to almost 300 songs that originate from more than 100 countries, each of which All Around This World founder and lead teacher Jay Sand rearranged so parents and kids can easily can sing along.

Multicultural Brain Break: Dance Hits from Around the World - Here are 25 songs from around the world to “globalize” your brain breaks, courtesy of Kid World Citizen.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings - Music teachers, the ability to browse by genre and geography makes this an incredibly useful resource for locating repertoire to use in your globally-minded classroom.

International Dot Day - Imagine the power and potential of millions of people around the world connecting, collaborating, creating and celebrating all that creativity inspires and invites. Join the growing global community of creativity champions using their talents, gifts and energy to move the world to a better place.

Nat Geo World Music Library - Another great resource library for music educators!

Rotary - Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change. Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Minnesota has 10 Rotary chapter locations; use their "find a club" tool to locate a chapter near you and to get involved.

Global Minnesota - From the 2nd grader to the CEO, Global Minnesota connects individuals, organizations, and communities to the world. Through a unique lineup of programs offered from the Twin Cities to Greater Minnesota, Global Minnesota takes relevant and timely information on international issues, foreign policy, and cultural topics, and provides the space and opportunity for Minnesotans to engage and discuss.

Perpich Center - Perpich Center for Arts Education works with Minnesota teachers to help them realize their full creative and professional potential. Through networking and professional learning, teachers increase their knowledge, skills, and toolbox of resources to improve student success. Recent PD workshops have included opportunities for "glocalized" learning, such as learning about the music of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.

U of MN Institute for Global Studies - Connecting students, scholars, and communities dedicated to social justice and to understanding and transforming our globalized world.

Citizens for Global Solutions: Minnesota - Citizens for Global Solutions, and its affiliated Minnesota Chapter, strives to inspire Americans to engage with the world. They recognize that in today’s interconnected world, our lives, our jobs, and our families are increasingly affected by global problems. CGS-MN offers local programs that strengthen awareness of critical international issues. The focus of their programs is to offer perspectives on possible solutions to a variety of world problems on which they endeavor to shine a spotlight.

The Rainstick: A Fable - Book by Sandra Chisholm Robinson - A boy embarks on a quest to bring back the sound of rain to his West African village. Includes a discussion of how rainsticks are used today and instructions for making a rainstick... a great opportunity to partner with the woodshop teacher in your building!

The Sound that Jazz Makes - Book by Carole Boston Weatherford - This book "[traces] the roots of jazz back to its origins in Africa and up to its current incarnation in rap and hip hop" (Publisher Weekly review). A great example of "glocalization" and its longitudinal impact on culture.

The Lost Music: Gustav Mole's War on Noise - Book by Child's Play Library - In this follow-up to The Musical Life of Gustav Mole, children are introduced to musical instruments and musical styles from around the world. The book culminates with the World Festival of Music.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music - Book by Margarita Engle - Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers. Pair it with Sustainable Development Goal #5.

We Are Grateful: Ostaliheliga - Book by Traci Sorell - Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Pair it with your study of Native American musical traditions and/or traditional songs of gratitude from myriad cultures around the world.

A Symphony of Whales - Book by Steve Schuch - Based on a true story, this book follows a little girl named Glashka as she, her village, neighboring villages, and an icebreaker from a neighboring country work together to save the lives of a group of beluga whales... and music plays a role in their success! Pair it with Sustainable Development Goal #14.

The Cello of Mr. O - Book by Jane Cutler - Taking place in the midst of an unnamed region, time period, and war, one man's gift of music proves meaningful to his neighbors in a very special way. Pair it with Sustainable Development Goal #16 and a comparison to the ways in which music functioned during the Civil Rights Movement in America and during the fall of Apartheid in South Africa.

Imba Means Sing - Documentary film - Follow three Ugandan children as they tour the world with the GRAMMY-nominated African Children's Choir.

Landfill Harmonic - Documentary film - The true story of the Recylced Orchestra of Cateura, whose instruments are made entirely of garbage. Pair it with Susan Hood's book, Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, as students explore Sustainable Development Goal #12 and learn about recycling.

PULSE: A Stomp Odyssey - Film - From the Timbalada of Brazil to the Kodo drummers of Japan (and so much more), this film is "a celebration of the global beat."

Fiesta! - Film - Favorite songs from the Sesame Street friends and guests Linda Ronstadt and Celia Cruz, featuring songs in both English and Spanish.

Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln - Book by Magarita Engle - A revolution in Venezuela forces Teresa's family to flee to the United States. Still, Teresa keeps playing piano, eventually using her musical talent to bring comfort to those who need it most.

Tito Puente, Mambo King / Rey del Mambo - Book by Monica Brown - The true story of "the mambo king," told in both English and Spanish.

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth - Book by Rochelle Strauss - This book is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens. It talks about the relationship that life on earth--human, plant, and animal--has to our global well, and how the choices we make affect that well. Pair it with the Nibi Song of the Anishinaabe and Sustainable Development Goals #6 and #13.

As Told Through Music: Remembering Our Past, Envisioning Our Future - Click on the link to open a PDF file of this 18-lesson unit, including a sample lesson plan.

Project-Based Learning Unit Plan Template - Click on the link to open the PBL unit-planning template if you'd like to use it when planning your own global learning experience. The file is set to "view only," so you will need to "make a copy" of the file in order to edit it for personal use.

Global Standards - Teaching for global competence need not be viewed as "extra" work a teacher undertakes on top of their curriculum. Rather, exploring the local resonance and global significance of a content standard is an effective way to bring relevance to the curriculum. Click here to view how Global Competencies, MN Arts Standards, and 21st Century Skills aligned in this particular unit, each providing a broader and more holistic understanding of the others.