The Activities section provides all background information for class discussion		Primary Level Classroom Activities
			Show students the picture books listed in the Readings Section and ask them to guess which country they will tell about. Use pictures from the books depicting typical Dutch scenes such as windmills, wooden shoes, Dutch buildings, etc. to give students a clue.
			After identifying that these stories take place in Holland (a better known term to younger children than The Netherlands) have them help locate the country on a map or the globe.
			Read The Cow Who Fell in the Canal. Explain the following facts after reading the story:
			The official name for Holland is The Kingdom of the Netherlands, or The Netherlands. The people who live in The Netherlands are known in English as the "Dutch." That is also what we call the language they speak in The Netherlands. The Netherlands is a very small country but many people live there. Water has always been an important part of the country's history. The Netherlands is located next to the North Sea. Much of the country is either at or just a bit above sea level which means water can be found just below the surface of the ground. The water keeps the grass very green in the Netherlands, but it makes it difficult to grow crops and raise animals without someway to control the water. Windmills and Canals Long ago farmers needed to figure out a way to drain the water on their land so they could raise crops and build their homes. They discovered that windmills could pump the water off the land an man-made canals could help carry the water away from their fields. Even though they could control water most of the time, they were still very scared of floods. Dunes and Dikes At first sand dunes protected the Dutch from the sea. Unfortunately sometimes the sand was not strong enough to hold back the water and the land behind the dunes flooded. The Dutch learned that they could add stones and mud to the dunes to help make them stronger. These improved hills were called dikes. They generally worked very well unless the water got high enough to go over the top or if part of the dike broke. If a dike broke in one place, the power of the water could make the whole thing crumble and the land and people behind it would be flooded. This is why people got very scared if they thought there was something wrong with their dikes. Today the Dutch still rely on dunes and dikes to control water, but modern dams have made it much safer to live near the sea. Some dams are used only when the water rises too high. Most of the time dikes and dunes can still hold back the sea. Using Water Because of all the water surrounding them, the Dutch people have learned how to use the water to help them. They fish. They use the water as transportation for people and things. They even use the canals as fences to keep their cows in their pastures! The Dutch are known all over the world for their ability to sail (navigate) ships. They are also known for their dams and their efforts to drain parts of the sea in order to create new farmland. Even with all of their new inventions, the Dutch are still known for their windmills, dikes, and canals. If you would travel to The Netherlands you could still see the same windmills, dikes and canals that have been there for a very long time. The Hole in the Dike In the story The Hole in the Dike, Peter, a young Dutch boy from a long time ago discovers a hole in the dike near his home. He knows that if nothing is done about the hole his home and town will be flooded. Resourceful Peter puts his finger in the hole in the dike and saves his town. Although no one person really could stop the flood in the way that Peter did, this story shows us how important water is to the Dutch people and their way of life. Read aloud The Hole in the Dike Read aloud The Boy Who Held Back the Sea
			Compare this book with The Hole in the Dike. Discuss how the stories are the same and how they are different. Discuss styles of writing and illustrating. Possible questions: How are these books different? How are the stories in these books different? In which story was Peter naughtier? How was Peter thanked in each story? How did Peter react to this? Which story seemed scarier? Which story seemed happier? Why? What was the main message of each story? Why do you think the illustrations are so different from each other? Do you think each illustrator did a good job in showing the mood of the story?
			While at the village:
			Children will be drawn into the landscape by a guide familiar with the stories already read in class. Students will be asked to look for recognizable landscape features from the stories. The tour guide will also point our interesting water-related miniatures for the students to look at such as dikes, canals, the pole jumper, the gatehouse, and the water wheel. The replica of the city of Alkmaar will bring to life many of the illustrations in the book The Cow Who Fell in the Canal. Students will see a replica of a Dutch farm, the cheese market, and the charming row houses lining the streets. Students will also see canals, boats, windmills, and even the straw hats that Hendrika could not resist. From the stories about Peter and the dike, students will be able to visualize how a dike actually holds back the water. They'll also become aware of the impossibility of one finger holding back the sea. Before leaving, students will be given time to retell the stories to each other as they look at the miniature Dutch landscape. Older students will be engaged in a discussion of the importance of water in The Netherlands. They will be asked to use part of the village to illustrate why water often dominates any photos or illustrations of The Netherlands.
			After visiting the village:
			In the classroom students will draw their own illustration(s) from one of the stories read so they can share the tale with someone else. They will be encouraged to remember what they saw at the village that will best help illustrate the story. Students may also which to create their own stories using the miniature village as the setting of their story.