Throughout my daughters' early school years, they learned how to be good friends, how to follow directions, how to write their names, how to leave out a plate of cookies for Santa, and how to participate in the rituals of a Seder. I was thrilled that their young lives were open to such rich experiences already, but I also felt that I was being remiss about my parental responsibilities.
Like all their friends, my daughters were born in American hospitals. Unlike their friends, though, they were each born with a Cambodian story. It is the story of their parents and grandparents, and of a faraway country that is both rich in natural beauty and poor in development. I did not want to risk them forgetting their story. Equally, I did not want to risk them not celebrating their story with friends and classmates.
I have visited my daughters' schools to teach lessons on Cambodia. When I started this endeavor, locating creative resources about Cambodia for kids was nearly impossible. Fortunately, my teacher instincts kicked in. With my professional background and ideas I found online, I planned what I hoped to be intentional, informative, and interesting lessons.
I visit my daughters' classes during the week of the Khmer New Year. Their teachers have always been warm and welcoming of my visits. Over the years, I have taught preschool and elementary students about the similarity that Angkor Wat, the Eiffel Tower, and the Statue of Liberty share. I have taught them about why blueberries and strawberries do not grow in Cambodia. And I have taught them about the high esteem that the artist Auguste Rodin had held for Apsara dancers so many years ago. It was only a few weeks ago, however, as I was designing Angkor Wat on my Cricut for a 3-D craft, that I realized that maybe I should share my lessons and activities online, in case they could be helpful to educators and parents who embark on a search like I once did. Thus, I created Cambodian Culture Corner.
If you have already discovered this website, I hope you will find an activity or two to complete with your children. Please note that this is not a scholarly website. The factual content of the lessons and activities is based only on my experience, my knowledge, and my research. The site will remain in renovation for a while as I continue to upload teaching materials that I have already created, and as I continue to tinker with the design of it all. One goal of mine is to add a page for children's books. I hope you found your time here useful, and I hope you will return often!
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