In the Footsteps of Dr. Livingstone
Sample Parent Letter
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Your child is about to embark
upon a very special and exciting journey!
In the weeks ahead, the focus of study for our class will be Africa and
its people. The students will watch Bill Kurtis and his New Explorers team
travel across Africa "In the Footsteps of Dr. Livingstone." We
will then explore the area around the Nile River ourselves using a variety
of activities in and out of the classroom.
We will be making maps of the continent to show the issues facing Africa
today. We will examine African culture, including music, dance, and dress.
We will be doing an activity on animal
communication and their use of tools. We will be doing lab investigations
with water chemistry and to see the effects of deforestation. We will look
at the study of viruses like AIDS and ebola, which will affect every one
of us, directly or indirectly, in the years to come.
We ask that you help our class by being a part of your student's educational
experience. Help us gather information about immunization records, read
some of the many books we have about Africa with us and, if you have traveled
there or have studied some of our related topics, volunteer to come in and
share your experiences with us.
Please take some time to discuss our lessons with your child. You can enhance
your child's learning by visiting the library to find out more about Africa.
For even more fun, plan an African meal at home. And, with your child,
watch for Africa in the news.
We hope you will remain informed of what is going on in the classroom, and
as excited about this exploration as we are!
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