The Circles All Around Us

Product Information

Connect:We are all a part of different “circles” in our lives. As you read the book, think about your different circles (your families, your classes, your teams, your friends) and how it feels to be a part of a circle. During Reading As seasoned teachers, we know that the first week of school is much more than a series of introductions and icebreakers. It is our unique opportunity to set the tone, establish expectations, and cultivate the environment that will support our students throughout the entire school year. Being new to a community can feel uncomfortable. Think about how you might help someone new feel welcome using ideas in this Learning to Give lesson on “Creating a Welcoming Classroom All Year.” If you love Social Emotional Learning and want to implement it throughout the school year, grab a FREE 1 month of SEL Daily Morning Meeting here. Save It For Later

This is a gorgeous book. I opened by saying it is a meditation and I’ll close on that sentiment. The message of connection, regardless of time, space, or matter, is beautiful. In an end note, the author, Xelena Gonzalex, of Native American and Spanish descent, writes that the text is specific to her culture, but also recognizes “more people are seeing themselves as part of a greater circle.” This is certainly the case, depending on where you look, if you are looking in the right places. For this circle activity, instead of searching for hidden paper shapes, challenge kids to find items in their environment – the living room, classroom or garden – that have circular shapes. This book invites discussion: What do the pictures and words mean about themes of universal importance: acceptance, understanding, sharing, and helping to make the world a better place for everyone? Brad Montague believes “the world is better when kids and adults dream, create, and read together.” Hand-lettered text by the author is enhanced by carefree illustrations using analog and digital elements. Draw your circles either on paper or outside with sidewalk chalk.Begin with yourself. Next add a circle for your immediate family. Add their names to your family circle. Then continue drawing circles to represent all the groups you belong to in your life. Consider who might be outside your circle. What can you do to invite them in? The message in this story is a reminder of the importance of human connections. Life is so much more meaningful when we engage with different people. The narrator compares social circles to books. Think of how limiting life would be if we only had one book to read. This idea applies to the people we meet. Life is better when we make connections with many new and different people. Lesson ActivitiesA companion offering to actor Duff’s My Little Brave Girl (2021) with sound, sensitive advice from parents to children on their journey through childhood. It begins: “Grandpa says circles are all around us. We just have to look for them.” The girl’s grandfather shows her the world as he sees it, and she looks. He is teaching her to perceive connections and apprehend, even if only vaguely, the unseen conditions that enable the seeable – the ancestors that precede you as well as the progeny that reach beyond you.

The art is whimsical and earthy, impressionistic and realistic; a strange combination I want to surround myself with – mostly it is peaceful and wise. Draw a circle around yourself and consider the love you have inside. Then consider what happens when we share that love with the world. “The Circles All Around Us” challenges the reader to open themselves up to others and in doing so, make the world a better place.

After Reading

When the music stops, each child must run and stand on/in a circle. A child who doesn’t get to a circle in time is out. In each round, one circle is removed until there is one winner left. The text closes with a close-up of the girl, like the cover. This time her eyes are open. She is able to see what her grandfather has shown her. This is also something you can do with chalk. Draw the shapes on the paving in various colours and have kids cross the chalk river. 7. Circle Puzzles A young girl learns about the circular nature of all life in this lovely picture-book from first time author/illustrator team Xelena González and Adriana M. Garcia. Through her time with her grandfather, who talks about the circles all around them - the rainbow in the sky, their use of the earth for gardening, the cycles of life and death in their own family, the cultivation of the apple tree planted when she was born - the girl gains a better understanding of the world around her, and of her place in it...

If a service project is too big right now, think about starting simple acts of kindness. Watch The Circles Showon YouTube for some ideas. Invite learners to brainstorm simple things they can do to make the world a better place. Direct learners to commit to one activity and develop a plan to make it happen. The Hope for Families Center Connect:Simple acts of caring ripple out into the world and impact more than just one person. Give an example of an act of kindness that someone did for you that made a difference to you and others. Give an example of an act of kindness that you did that impacted more than just one person. Activities Collect all the circular items and discuss them after the search. This is a great opportunity to teach children the vocabulary of shapes.You can use the circles after the game for an art activity, such as pasting them onto paper to create a picture out of circles. Draw the details with markers or crayons. 2. Circles All Around Us Sitting under the tree, where they bury their ancestors, the grandfather appears sad. They both hold their hands to the earth, part of something beyond themselves. Next, invite learners to work in groups to develop a service project plan. Use the Service Project Guides created by the iTeach team at Kennesaw State University. Allow groups to present their plans. Then, vote on a project to implement. They might get wet if they accidentally step onto a rectangle (water) but the consequences will be greater if they step onto a crocodile (triangle).