Monthly Theme

Theme for March 1997

Children Around the World

Objective

To help children learn about other countries: the land, people, food, music, customs, etc. (Note: this is not necessarily a multicultural unit. Children should be reminded at all times that people are special, no matter what their background, race, or customs. This is more along the lines of a "Social Studies" unit).

I choose to pick four different countries from various parts of the world -- one for each week in March. When I repeat the unit in two years, I'll choose four different countries and so on, until I have files of pictures, crafts, and activities for 12 - 16 different countries.

This year's countries: India, Mexico, Scotland, Zaire.

These will not be very specific, since each week they will change according to country. Instead, I have tried to give you some general ideas to help get you started on gathering your own ideas.

Sources for Information

The Internet
- History of countries
- Pictures (I downloaded a bunch from India, printed them on my color printer, and made a beautiful bulletin board display!)
- Recipes
- Sometimes even free fonts of the country's language!
- Tales of Wonder. Folk and Fairy Tales from around the world
- National Geographic Online. Good pictures, stories, and some activities. Same quality as their printed magazine!
Highlights Magazine (especially for craft ideas)
Social Studies teachers from local schools*
Foreign Language teachers from local schools
Library
- Books & magazines
- Pictures
- Cookbooks
- Crafts
- Recordings of music
Missionaries your church supports
Foreign exchange students
International "clubs" in your area
Daycare parents or friends who might have traveled to some of the places you discuss

*Do not underestimate the value of this resource. I asked my son's teacher if he would stop by and just show my children his sari when we studied India (they had just finished their unit on India). This teacher just lives two doors down from me. Instead, he loaned me the sari, a man's shirt, the India flag, some cookbooks, and a record album with Indian music on it! See the picture of my display (then use your browser's "back" button to return to this page).

Books and other printed material

Any books with color pictures of the land and people (check the children's department of your library). Three series which are especially good are (a different book for each country):
- Children Around the World
- Take a Trip to...
- A Family Lives in...
National Geographic Magazine
Any other travel magazines

Music and fingerplays

Recordings of folk dances, anthems, etc.
- Perhaps teach a simple dance
- If music is real exotic allow children to move freely to the music, waving scarves
- Play rhythm instruments to accompany the recording, trying to match some of the sounds (make sure you do this if you've made an instrument as a craft!)
Songs (generic, or country-specific)
- Jesus Loves the Little Children
- London Bridge (England)
- Day-O (Jamacia)
- Did You Ever See a Lassie? (Scotland)
- I Am a Pretty Little Dutch Girl (Holland)
- Waltzing Matilda (Australia)
- Kum Ba Yah (Africa)
- Frere Jacques (France)
Fingerplays which are about animals found in the country
- Five Little Monkeys (Jumping on the Bed)
- Four Little Monkeys (Swingin' in a Tree, Teasing Mr. Alligator...)
- One Elephant Went out to Play (Upon a spider's web one day)

Videos

Videos (such as National Geographic) which "take a tour" of that country. Children probably won't sit still for the whole thing, but you can watch it first and just show small parts that would be of interest.
Animated videos which are set in that country (the children can be exposed to some culture and language without even being aware of it!).
- Beauty and the Beast -- France
- The Jungle Book -- India
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame -- France
Kidsongs Video: "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."
Videos about animals which are native to the chosen country.

Crafts

These will depend on the country chosen

Coloring pictures (you can make your own using a printing program such as Print Shop Deluxe or PrintMaster by choosing the "coloring book" option when you print).
Paper bag puppets of people, animals (or other simple puppets).
- Check library for pattern books
- Another good source for these and other crafts is Copycat Magazine (again, check your library for this)
Make musical instruments similar to those from the country.
Masks out of paper plates
- Similar to the ceremonial masks natives wear, if applicable
- Masks of animals native to the country
Group projects (use your imagination!)
- Mexico -- make a pinata
- Wall mural or collage of pictures from magazines
- When studying Arctic regions -- make an igloo out of sugar cubes

Activities

Find the country on a globe. Compare it to where you live. Discuss how you would have to travel to get there.
Pretend to be a family from that country and act out a day's activities.
Pretend to be an animal from that country.
Fix one or more foods ethnic to that country (remember to simplify for children; especially tone down spicy dishes).
Where applicable, teach the children a simple game children play in that country.
Expose children to the country's main language by playing tapes of someone speaking that language.
Learn to say a few words or count to ten in that language.
If you have them, let children look at Viewmaster slides about the country. I use the Viewmaster projector so all children can view at once.
Use Duplo or other building blocks and try to recreate a famous building or structure from the country
- France: The Eiffel Tower
- India: Taj Mahal
- Japan: A pagoda
- England: Big Ben or London Bridge
- Germany or Austria: A castle

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