Second graders view a video of the Nutcracker ballet and then compare and contrast holiday celebrations in Germany and the United States. They use the computer to write a paragraph exploring their observations.

Students examine the usefulness of every part of trees in a variety of activities in this unit.

Students read and discuss the story of a Peace Corps volunteer's experiences in Poland. They read and write a response to the story, and participate in a class analysis about their own personal decision regarding the story.