Dolphins around the World

Bringing back an iconic activity at CSA

I remember when I was in Pre-K… School was more fun back then. Maybe it’s because I’ve become more mature and grown-up or maybe it's because the school has stopped doing some of its most fun activities. Some events that I remember the most are blue vs gray, dolphins around the world, the kermés, and the goleadores. Each event left lasting memories of carefree play and plain old fun. In this article, I am going to be focusing on one event, Dolphins around the World.

If you have no idea what Dolphins Around the World are, let me explain. It was when a class chose one country, learned about it, and decorated the classroom that way. The kids would bring food and even dress up in the typical dress. Then other classes would come, take a tour of the classroom, and listen to us saying a few facts about it. I feel that because it was more hands-on learning than just sitting and listening, this specific event has always stuck with me.

According to the New School of Architecture and Design, hands-on learning “elevates any type of learner.” This type of learning (also known as Kinesthetic Learning) caters to students who learn best by seeing and hearing since it mixes both skills and makes learning easier. Now, it makes more sense why I remember Dolphins Around the World so vividly.

I asked some students to tell me if they remembered this activity and why they liked it. Adriana Martinez, a sophomore, said she liked it because they could eat food from different cultures, and it was a different learning experience. Isabel Caldera, also a sophomore, said, “It was a nice way for your class to collaborate by learning a specific culture.” I asked several other students who said they also loved it and missed when school had more hands-on learning than just being lectured to.

Adriana and Isabel seem thrilled with the idea of Dolphins around the World making a comeback. Photo by Alejandra Rodriguez

I went back to the past and interviewed my very own PK4 teacher, Ms. Olga Leal. I asked her what she liked best about the event, and she said that it was fun because the kids got to learn about different traditions and cultures. However, she did think that the kids might’ve been too small to understand what was going on.

She would also change certain things about it, like putting a limit as to how parents are involved. She remembers that some of them got too competitive or did all the work. Lastly, I asked her if she thought it would be possible to incorporate this activity again; she said yes, but that the teachers have to coordinate it and get authorization from the principal.

I interviewed one more person, Mrs. Nubia. She is a history teacher so I asked her if she thought this would be a good idea. She said that of course, it would since it’s “recreational learning” and you learn about cultures “in a fun, easy way.” She also liked that it didn’t feel as forced as writing an essay since it's like “learning without knowing you're learning.” Ms. Nubia thought some things could be improved, like campaigning for the activity, decorating the outside of the school based on the countries, putting up facts about countries in the hallways so that, when you get to the classes, you already have prior knowledge, and some good ol’ competition. The competitions could be on Quizizz or Kahoot.

For one, Mrs. Nubia sounded like she knew how to improve this activity. I think we should be given the chance to make it happen so that new generations of CSA students can enjoy it. They will surely remember it, always.