These lessons can be tailored to fit the needs of a particular class. The units of study match the NYS learning standards.

English Language Arts
Yes I Can was written in verse. The words at the end of each line of the verse rhyme, which is traditional. "Haiku" is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. Haiku poems consist of 3 lines. The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables. The lines rarely rhyme.
Here's a Haiku to help you remember:
I am first with five
Then seven in the middle --
Five again to end.

Students will: Choose a theme for their Haiku poem, based on the book and write their own poem (determination, trying, success, fear, triumph, change, being different, competition, following dreams, etc). A suggestion is that their final poem be enlarged onto 9” x 13” construction paper and adorned with visual that complement the poem. Cutouts from magazines, stickers or additional drawings are some ideas to use.
Teachers will: Be sure students understand the meaning of Haiku poetry.

Social Studies
Jamaican Festivals:
» August 6 is Independence Day in Jamaica
» In Christmas there are the Junkonoo dancers
» Carnival is fairly new to Jamaica and is an export from the Eastern Caribbean

Canadian Festivals:
» Boxing Day
» Canada Day
» Remembrance Day

Teachers Will: Discuss the national holidays and celebrations that Americans observe. Present information in an engaging way about the national holidays or celebrations in both Canada and Jamaica.

Students Will: Research the holiday and present to each other the history, date, and how a particular holiday or celebration is conducted. This can be done in teams of two and presentation can be made lively with visuals and technology. There will be more than one group with the same topic. This is okay because the each presentation may come from a different perspective.

Math
Teachers will: Uses the conversion amounts for both US and Jamaican dollars to calculate how much things cost.

Student will: In pairs, uses the conversion chart on the embedded document to complete the math problems. Click here for reproducible

Science
Time Zones and the relation to the sun and the earth…
Teachers will display a map of world time zones and use it as a lesson on the sun rising and setting at different times for the Jamaican Bobsledders. Getting used to the time changes could have been especially challenging for the team as first-time world travelers.