Local kindergarten teacher Patricia Genovese has been a wonderful advocate and supporter of our mission to help children learn about the importance of affordable housing. Her classes have even participated in numerous Habitat events over the years. We are excited to share her guest blog post below in honor of World Habitat Day 2014.
My Kindergarten class annually celebrates World Habitat Day. Our activities subsequently interrelate with Habitat for Humanity’s Act! Speak! Build! Week! in the latter part of the year. Habitat is designated as our word of the week. We focus on the different habitats we have already learned and use Thinking Maps to activate students’ prior knowledge and experience. This leads us to a discussion of adequate homes and how many people in our world do not have adequate, safe places to live. Our focus is on service and how we can be good citizens by advocating for those in need. We read the book, Building Friends, by Habitat for Humanity International and dramatize the story. Students identify the component parts of an adequate home, create a safe home with blocks, and use art materials to show people living inadequate homes. I am always touched by the children’s desire to model good citizenship and their realization that they can make a difference in our world.