...because learning is an adventure!

Welcome to the world of Gumbo Island, where all of Louisiana's exciting ingredients -- its people, places, culture and history -- combine to make a home state more diverse than most others in our nation. Through the instructional videos Louisiana Public Broadcasting is producing, your class can tour a Central Louisiana farm, a museum, a cotton gin, or a dazzling display of natural beauty. Gumbo Island's goal is not only to stimulate interest and educate your children about Louisiana, but also to instill pride in the place where they live.

By watching young Britt Henderson enter new situations with confidence and courtesy, children who view Gumbo Island are encouraged to be confident and curious. They are introduced the the process of meeting others and asking questions. Teachers might emphasize with students that Gumbo Island is a magic situation where no harm can come to Britt, but in real life they should always be accompanied by an adult when speaking to or going somewhere with adults who are strangers. There's an opportunity for teachers to address the issue of "stranger-danger."

This Adventure Guide is filled with hands-on activities to reinforce what is taught in the video. The demonstrations can be as simple or as involved as you feel ready to tackle, but the key here is F U N !

It is our hope that Gumbo Island is an instructional video which you'll be proud to view with your students again and again.

Sincerely,
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
and dbWC, Inc.