lesson plans (upper elementary)
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curriculum & resources
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who? than 10 million new classrooms throughout 100 countries.
This morning, 41 million children in sub-Saharan Africa alone woke
Building Tomorrow (BT) is an Indianapolis-based social-profit up with no school to attend. In Uganda, 57 percent of children
organization that works with students in the USA to raise awareness finish primary school and only 18 percent get the chance to attend
and funds to build primary-level academies for underserved children secondary school.
in sub-Saharan Africa.
To put it in perspective…
BT works with students at over 18 colleges and universities across
the US, has a partnership with Key Club International, the world’s If every student in the red
largest high school service organization, and has a growing network states shown was not in
of young professionals through BT’s Social Investment Council. school, that would equal the
number of children in sub-
Our next task is getting all students, of all ages, involved. Saharan Africa who wake up
This is where you come in. every day with no school to
attend. Sound OK to you? We don’t think so, either.
BT currently works in Uganda,
identifying areas where there are
many vulnerable children with little how can you help?
or no access to a primary school. In
Building Tomorrow wants your class to learn as much as possible
these areas, BT purchases a plot of
about Uganda, and about children in Africa before they participate in
land and, with the help of the local
“Sit for Good”. In this packet you will find lesson plans that are easily
community, constructs a ten-room school. Upon completion of the
adaptable for any classroom. We suggest doing:
school, the building is leased to the local government to manage
day-to-day operations under an agreement with BT. • One lesson each day, for four days, and then on the fifth day
holding a “Sit For Good” in your classroom.
Under the BT model, our chapters raise the $45,000 needed to build • Hold one “Uganda Day” compiling all the lessons into one full day
a BT academy and the local communities contribute 25,000 hours of while doing Sit For Good.
labor to construct it.
Visit SitforGood.org for more details on the event and to find out
Today, BT has classroom space for over 1,250 students, a number how you can sign up.
that will double before the end of 2010. On that note, we invite you
to be a part of our future. BT has created two similar sets of lessons to use in your classroom.
The Lower Elementary Unit is geared toward kindergarten through
third grade, and the Upper Elementary Unit is for fourth through
why? sixth grade. Feel free to use both to adapt to your students.
According to the World Bank, in order to accomplish the Millennium
Development Goal of providing Universal Primary Education for More resources are available such as extensions and interactive
children worldwide by 2015, humanity must undertake the largest activities at SitforGood.org. Use these resources to enhance Sit for
building project the world has ever seen—the construction of more Good and the lessons provided.
Building Tomorrow (a) 407 Fulton St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (p) 317.632.3545 (e) info@buildingtomorrow.org (w) www.buildingtomorrow.org
language arts upper elementary
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Upper Elementary Unit
Language Lesson [Teacher Instructions]
Letters from Uganda
Objectives:
• Students will be able to find information in a text
• Students will be able to comprehend a letter
• Students will be able to answer specific questions from a reading
Standards provided by McRel
Standard 7 Level 2:2 Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries,
directions, procedures, magazines)
Materials Needed:
• Letters printed for each Reading Club
Direct Instructions:
Reading Clubs are a series of similar stories with a common theme that are read in a sequence to students. During this reading club series students will read
letters from current and future Building Tomorrow (BT) students and their families who are working alongside BT to build an academy in their community. This
lesson is designed for small groups, but if you prefer whole class discussion see the Lower Elementary Unit: Language Lesson.
Reading Clubs can be done all in one sitting, or spread out over a number of days. Students will have five reading club meetings, each focusing on a different
individual in Uganda. Students will split into five reading groups (based on level or behavior). Once students are in their groups, they can move around the
room clockwise until they have been to all five reading groups. Once each group is at a reading club, they should start by reading the biography letter and then
answering the discussion questions. Each group should spend around eight minutes in each group. After eight minutes, the teacher will flip the lights and ask all
the groups to move clockwise to the next club.
After all the groups have visited each club, bring the class back into a discussion area. Ask students debriefing questions to see what they learned from this
exercise:
1. What is something you have in common with someone you learned about today?
2. Who would you want to be friends with after reading the profile’s today?
3. Why do all of these people work so hard to build a school?
4. If you lived in Sub-Saharan Africa, would you want a school to go to, to learn?
5. What is one thing you learned today in reading clubs?
After the debriefing and discussion end the activity with reminding students that Building Tomorrow is an organization that works with students to raise money
to build schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. All of the people we learned about today are real, and they live in a village that has a school built by Building Tomorrow.
*Disclaimer: The letters that are being used are real individuals that were interviewed by Building Tomorrow, however the letters are not actually written by the individual.
Building Tomorrow (a) 407 Fulton St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (p) 317.632.3545 (e) info@buildingtomorrow.org (w) www.buildingtomorrow.org
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Hi! My name is Edith. I am 13
years old. I live in Gita, it is a village in
Uganda, the country that I live in. I
live with my mom and my five older brothers.
When I grow up I want to be a nurse so I can give
medical treatment to people in my village. Right now
if someone in my village gets sick, we have to walk to
another village. In order to be a nurse, I must study
hard at school. My favorite subject is math. When I
am not in school I love to play netball, which is similar
to basketball in your country. I also help build an
academy in my village with Building Tomorrow. I want
the school built so that other kids in my village will
have a place to learn.
- Edith
meet Edith. ®
1. Where does Edith live?
2. Who does Edith live with?
3. What does Edith want to be when she grows up?
4. What is Edith’s favorite sport?
5. In Uganda, netball is “described as using a ball and shooting it into a circular
hoop”. What sport do you think this is similar to in the United States?
6. Who will go to the Academy that Gertrude knows?
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Hi! My name is Ventril.
I am 7 years old. I live in
Lutisi, (you can say it,
it’s Lu-Tee-See) It is in Uganda.
I have lived in Lutisi my entire life
with my grandmother. She is 83 years
old and she was the first person to
help build my school, I think she is a
strong woman! Before my new school was
built I walked 2.5 hours to a school,
but I had to stop going because it was
too far away. When I grow up I want to
be an engineer or a mechanic. I love to
collect water bottles and try to make
the tops of them fit together. Now that
the BT Academy of Lutisi is open, I
don’t have to walk very far to school!
- Ventril
meet Ventril. ®
1. What village does Ventril live in?
2. When Ventril did go to school, how many hours did he spend walking to get
there?
3. Who was the first person to help out with building the new school?
4. Why did Ventril’s grandmother work every day at the site?
5. What does Ventril want to be when he grows up?
6. What is Ventril’s favorite hobby?
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Hi! My name is Gertrude. I live in
the village of Gita, in Uganda, Africa. I
am 52 years old. I have seven children
and eight grandchildren. I am proud that
my children have received more education than I did. I
only finished school through Primary 3, which is the same
as third grade in America! My grandchildren are in school
too, during the school year, all of my grandchildren live with
me. I am so excited because Building Tomorrow is building
a school in Gita, and I am helping to build the school, in my
free time. When I am not building the school I work as a
farmer to help support my family and as the Secretary of
Information for the local governing committee. I will be so
happy when the school is finally built and my grandchildren
can go there!
- Gertrude
meet Gertrude. ®
1. Where does Gertrude live?
2. Gertrude has seven children, how many grandchildren does she have?
3. What grade in school was the last grade Gertrude completed?
4. Who lives with Gertrude during the school year?
5. What office does Gertrude hold in the local governing committee?
6. Who will go to the Academy that Gertrude knows?
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Hi! My name is George. I live
in Kiyamba, which is a village in
Uganda, Africa. I am 16 years old
and I spend much of my time building
a school in my community with Building Tomorrow. I
work about 25 hours per week mixing cement, laying
bricks and working on constructing the school. I want
the school to be built so that my sisters will have
a school to attend, and an opportunity to learn
inside a classroom. When I grow up I want to be an
agricultural engineer so that I can provide for
my family and teach others in my community how to
provide for themselves, too.
George
meet George.
1. Where does George live?
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2. Who does George live with?
3. How many community meetings has George missed?
4. Why does George say he is working at the school?
5. How many hours does George usually work during the week?
6. What does George want to be when he grows up?
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Hi. I’m Esther. I am 6 years
old. My mother is Hariyet, you might
know her because she spends so much
time at the new Building Tomorrow Academy of Gita.
I have five siblings, so my mom has 6 children
all together, including me of course! She is
busy taking care of us but she still spends time
working to build our school every week. She helped
dig the foundation and she also cleared the land
where our school is being built. She works so hard
on building the school because she wants all of
her children to receive an education. My mother
was only able to go to school through Primary 4,
the same as 4th grade in America. I cannot wait
for the Building Tomorrow Academy of Gita to be
finished so that I can go there and learn every
day.
- Esther
meet Esther.
1. Where does Esther live?
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2. Who is Esther’s mother?
3. What does the word “siblings” mean?
4. At what grade did Hariyet stop going to school?
5. What are two things Hariyet does to help build the school?
6. Why does Hariyet want her children to go to school?
math upper elementary
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Upper Elementary Unit
Math Lesson [Teacher Instructions]
Objectives:
• Students will understand the costs of items necessary to build a classroom in Uganda
• Students will be able to look up prices of an item and decide how much money they need to purchase it
Standards provided by McRel
Standard 8 Lesson 2:5 Solves simple open sentences involving operations on whole numbers (e.g.,? + 17 = 23)
Materials Needed:
• The National Ugandan Construction Store Price Sheet
• Under Construction Worksheet
Direct Instructions:
Start this lesson by explaining to students that in order to build a Building Tomorrow Academy, construction supplies are needed. Start discussion
by asking a few questions. Choose one or both of these questions to get you started:
• What type of things do you think are needed to build a school?
• What materials do you think are absolutely necessary to build a school? Do you think the builders in Uganda have everything we do
when we build a school?
After the discussion, explain to students that when the community in Uganda comes together to build the school, they need supplies just like we
need supplies to build things here where we live. Give students instructions by explaining the activity, for example, “Today for math we are going to
be the construction workers building the school in Uganda! How many of you think that would be a cool job?” Explain to students that in order for
them to purchase the supplies, they must use math to decide what they will buy. Complete the Under Construction Worksheet using the “National
Uganda Construction Store” supply list and prices.
Extension or Introduction Activity:
Instead of using the pictures of supplies, actually have students construct a school to introduce the activity. Using index cards, tape, paperclips, and
other materials; have each material represent an actual material used to build a school. Use this activity before the lesson as an introduction or use
the activity after the lesson as a conclusion.
Building Tomorrow (a) 407 Fulton St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (p) 317.632.3545 (e) info@buildingtomorrow.org (w) www.buildingtomorrow.org
Ugandan National Construction Store ®
Everything You Need, To Build Anything You Need!
$5 $4.2 5 $8
45 br ick s 10 ft of gu tt er
1 shovel
$2.50 (nails)
$6
5 sca ffol ding pole s nails and wood
$3 (wood)
under construction ®
Complete the following problems to determine the total cost of the
main supplies used to build a Building Tomorrow school in Uganda.
Make sure to write out your equation and show your work!
1. Our school needs one door for the library. Each door costs $110. How much money will we spend
to put one door on our library?
2. It takes 35 boxes of nails to build a school in Uganda. The box of nails cost $2.50 each. How much
money will we spend on boxes of nails if we purchase enough to build the entire school?
3. Each classroom in Uganda has three windows. Windows cost $90 each. How much money will we
spend on windows to build one classroom?
4. It takes 60 bags of cement to build a classroom in Uganda. One bag of cement costs $25. How
much money will we spend on cement to build one classroom?
5. It takes 50 pieces of wood to build a roof truss for our school. Each piece of wood costs $3 each.
How much money will we spend on wood to build the roof truss for our school?
science upper elementary
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Upper Elementary Unit
Science Lesson [Teacher Instructions]
Classrom Safari
Objectives:
• Students will discover the life sciences of animals in Africa
• Students will become experts on one particular animal in Africa
• Students will work in a group and work collaboratively on their project
Standards provided by McRel
Standard 6: Level2:3 Knows that an organism’s patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism’s environment (e.g., kinds and
numbers of other organisms present, availability of food and resources, physical characteristics of the environment)
Materials Needed:
• Available resources on African Animals
• List of African Animals
Direct Instructions:
In this lesson students will learn about animals in Uganda by becoming expert explorers. Begin by assigning students into groups of two or three.
Give each person in the group a specific job: researcher, illustrator, and scribe. Feel free to add/edit specific job assignments depending on your
class. After each group has divided their jobs assign each group an animal from the list, and explain they will become “expert explorers” for that
particular animal by researching an array of information about that animal. Use a list of African Animals: see example below. Give student’s time to
research their animal and work with their group to become expert explorers. When students are finished researching their animal, begin preparing
for the Safari. Set up chairs in the classroom in the formation of a safari van (3 across). Use your imagination to travel on a Safari through Uganda.
Have students bring in props such as old cameras, binoculars, or even make these things using cardboard boxes/toilet paper rolls. Instead of a
regular presentation, go on a safari with your students!
Parent Connection:
Have a “Safari Night” and invite parents to attend. Have each group spread out in the gym or large group instruction room. Groups can make a cut
out or poster board with pictures of their animal to go along with their presentation. Have parents sit in the “safari jeep” of chairs in the center of
the room. Lead the safari from the front seat and act as the host, calling out the expert explorers by saying, “ I see a Mountain Gorilla” (at which the
mountain gorilla group would present their project). You may also want to do this during the day and invite other classes to come and watch.
Building Tomorrow (a) 407 Fulton St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (p) 317.632.3545 (e) info@buildingtomorrow.org (w) www.buildingtomorrow.org
African Animals in Uganda ®
Leopard King Fisher Lion
Water Buck
Zebra Hippopotamus
Hyena Kob
Giraffe
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Elephant Rhinoceros Baboon
Crocodile Chimpanzee
Water Buffalo Warthog
geography upper elementary
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Upper Elementary Unit
Georgraphy Lesson [Teacher Instructions]
Travel Brochure
Objectives:
• Students will know how to locate Uganda on a map
• Students will be able to identify characteristics of Uganda
• Students will be able to identify a good travel brochure
Standards provided by McRel
Standard 4: Level 1:2 Know that places can be defined in terms of their predominant human and physical characteristics (e.g., rural, urban, forest,
desert; or by types of land forms, vegetation, water bodies, climate)
Materials Needed:
• Sample Travel Brochures (hotels, rest stops, large tourist areas)
• Research Materials Available (Maps, pictures, Internet, books)
Direct Instructions:
In this lesson students will learn about Uganda through class discussion before being introduced to an exciting activity that will allow them to
research and find information about Uganda on their own. To start off, use a map to show students where Uganda is located in Africa. Explain that
Uganda is a country just like the United States of America, but it is much smaller. Uganda is actually a little smaller than the state of Oregon. Ask
students what they see in Uganda (landforms, water, national parks, cities). Possible discussion questions:
• What country is north of Uganda?
• What famous river runs through Uganda?
• Do Ugandans have access to any oceans?
After students have finished discussion, go ahead and introduce the activity using the “Make a Travel Brochure” handout. Once students finish their
brochures, choose an extension.
• Have students present their brochure to the class
• Make a bulletin board with all of the travel brochures
• Have students create a commercial or advertisement about their brochure to perform to the class
Building Tomorrow (a) 407 Fulton St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (p) 317.632.3545 (e) info@buildingtomorrow.org (w) www.buildingtomorrow.org
1. Sudan
2. Democratic Republic of the Congo
3. Rwanda
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4. Tanzania
5. Kenya
6. Lake Victoria
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2 5
6
3 4
Make a Travel Brochure ®
Travel Brochures are used to inform readers about a certain place they should visit. After
researching the country of Uganda use your information to create a travel brochure
to attract visitors to the country. Make sure to use creativity and color to make your
brochure worth picking up off the shelf. Use resources to collect accurate information for
your brochure. Remember to convince your reader that they should visit Uganda.
Your brochure should include:
• Location and map
• Major Cities
• Recreation and Activities
• Climate and Weather Conditions
• Popular Foods
• National Parks
• Animals that live in the country
• Pictures/Graphics
.ORG
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