With Children Around The World 1

Tatjana rodic

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WITH CHILDREN AROUND

THE WORLD Illustrated by

Dusan PavliC

Tatjana Rodic

WITH CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD Illustrated by

DuŠan PavliC

INTRODUCTION For years a quiet war went on in my family around the subject of a sleigh for the children. Without our being aware of it, a culture of Alpine merriment clashed with one of sub-tropical sand and sunbathing. Arguments for and against piled up: everybody else has a sleigh, why should the children look at their friends with envy, the winter air is healthy, and after all a sleigh does not cost that much ‌ on the other hand, who has seen any decent snow in Belgrade for years, our cellar is already packed, and we could always borrow a sled if needed. It went on and on until one day I asked my husband: "Did you have a sled when you were young?" At that moment everything became very simple, the knot was untangled, arguments were replaced by promises and persuasion by an exchange of experiences. Experiences of a winter that was perfect for sledding and a winter of tangerines and mimosas.

The experience of being different is what this book is about. In this day and age more than ever before, we need to understand differences and to accept them.

Our big planet is becoming smaller and smaller, whether we view it through the window of an airliner or on a computer screen. Growing up is not easy in such a world. You need to listen to those who are older than you, but also to use your own head. To do what some people are doing, but never to do what some other people are doing. And, of course, never to make the wrong choice of who are the former and who are the latter. Everyone who has ever lived in another country knows what adapting to a different culture means. How much time it takes to recognise a difference which exists where you never expected it; to understand the reasons for something you thought was unnecessary or simply the result of someone's mistake. To choose what needs to be forgotten and learnt again in a different way, what should be adapted and adjusted, what should be reduced and hidden away, and what should be placed at the focus, as the foundation for one's further existence.

This book could provide a guidepost for children for understanding and accepting that world without suspicion and fear of the many different customs, habits and beliefs that exist in it. Observing and understanding others will help us to see and understand ourselves better.

The biggest threat to development are uniform models and obstacles to the study of variety. By offering diverse research models, multi-cultural education demolishes all barriers. Potential gains from such education exceed by far its actual content; besides acquiring knowledge of other cultures, it leads to better self-understanding, acceptance of others as legitimate partners on the globe, openness to novelty and creative thinking always searching for reason.

Parents, educators and teachers seeking to develop multi-culturalism in children will be able to find in this charming book a very useful support and stimulus for their efforts.

Dr Tinde Kovac-Cerovic Lecturer, Psychology Department, Belgrade University Faculty of Philosophy Belgrade, 24 March 1998

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ABOUT THIS BOOK HOW THIS BOOK WAS CREATED This book was created on the basis of Hands Around the World, a multi-cultural programme applied for three years in the "De~ja otkrivalica," a children's studio in Belgrade.

Recognition of a need for such a programme appeared in the early 1990s, a period marked in this region by extreme ethnic and cultural intolerance. We proceeded from an assumption that becoming aware of diverse customs and views of the world at an early age can contribute to the development of an open and tolerant spirit in children, and that knowledge about the differences existing between cultures represents a step towards their acceptance and the recognition of the enormous wealth they encompass.

Realisation of Hands Around the World began early in 1994 in the form of workshops for children aged four to seven. The high level of interest and motivation for the activities in the programme we saw in the children led us to collect new materials to upgrade it. As a result, from 1997 it developed into the following forms: 1. workshops for children aged 4 and 5, involving narrative focused on specific countries, and 2. workshops for children aged 6 and 7, involving activities focused on specific countries.

Accordingly, the selection of activities and countries in this book was made on the basis of the wishes and preferences expressed by the children.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK With Children Around the World will take you on a journey through 22 countries during which you will learn about different peoples, cultures and customs. Your itinerary is up to you - you can visit them in any order you like. Each segment includes the basic geographical, natural, social and cultural information, as well as many suggestions for diverse games and activities. On page 4 we present the symbols used in the book to help you find your way around. The symbols also make possible "thematic" reading, where you might be interested only in a specific subject-matter (for example just songs or food).

We advise parents to read the book together with their children, to talk about it with them, and of course also to try their hand at some of the suggested activities.

Children of pre-school age and those slightly older may also read the book on their own.

They need to seek the assistance of adults only when they want to engage in one of the activities marked with a small hand and big hand - the symbol for activities to be undertaken with someone older.

The materials suggested for nursery school use should best be developed further in accordance with the children's wished and interests.

Finally, let me remind you that the pages of this book are only the initial step in motivating children to learn more about the world in which they live and about their peers - the children of that world.

Tatjana Rodi}

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LANGUAGE

SONG

NORTH AMERICA CUSTOM

CLOTHES

GAMES

SOUTH AMERICA

BUILDINGS

I N T E R E S T I N G DE TA I L S

FOOD

ANIMALS

TR ANSPORT

SPORT

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

SUGGESTED READING

ACTIVITY

A C T I V I T Y W I T H T H E H E L P OF A D U LT S

4

EUROPE

ASIA

AFRICA

AUSTRALIA

CONTENTS Great Britain

6

Ireland

10

Sweden

France Spain Italy

44

Thailand

47

India

50

Japan

54

13

Germany Holland

Saudi Arabia

16 (The Netherlands)

19 22 China

59

25 Brazil

28

63 66

Mexico

Greece

31

Russia

34

The United States

69

Ghana

37

Canada

73

Israel

41

Australia

76

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GREAT

BRITAIN

ENGLAND SCOTLAND WALES NORTHERN IRELAND

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland together make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its flag, called the Union Jack, is a combination of the English, Scottish and Irish flags. Here we shall say more about England and Scotland.

England is a land of rivers, lakes, valleys, low-lying hills and grass which stays a wonderful shade of green thanks to a humid climate. In the north lies the Lake District, while the chalk White cliffs of Dover are in the south-east. The river Thames flows through London, the capital of England and of the entire United Kingdom.

Scotland is a land of hills and mountains, with wooded valleys and swamps with purple heather bushes. The capital Edinburgh is packed with wonderful old palaces, one of which, Holyrood, is where the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, stays when she visits the city.

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The languages spoken in Great Britain are English, Gaelic and Welsh. Here are a few English words we use every day: STOP, BUS, FILM‌ Nau~imo nekoliko re~i na engleskom: GOOD MORNING - Dobro jutro HELLO, HI - Zdravo GOODBYE - Zbogom ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN - brojevi do 10 England has a long tradition of kings and queens, and it is no wonder that this children's rhyme speaks of the king and the queen.

LAVENDER

lavander’s blue Lavender's blue, diddle, diddle Lavender's green; When I am King, diddle, diddle You shall be Queen.

tea time - is an invitation called out every fternoon between 4 and 5 p.m. when people all over England drink tea and eat little cakes and sandwiches. Why don't you organise your own tea party at that time?

Buy or bake some biscuits, and use the occasion to discuss good manners, courtesy and the weather.

LONDON - The Queen's home is Buckingham Palace, in central London. It is guarded by soldiers wearing red coats and tall fur hats. Hundreds of people come every day to watch the changing of the guard, when one group of sentries is replaced by another.

KEEPING CALM - Play this game with your friends. Stand still and keep a calm face. A friend should try to make you laugh. Is it difficult to keep still? Now change roles.

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY is a day of love enjoyed by everyone, children as well as adults. It is celebrated on each February 14, when we give people close and dear to us little presents and cards with messages of love and respect.

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY CARD - Fold a sheet of paper in half.

Cut out and draw a heart shape, folding the heart into the card. Decorate as we have shown and write a message to someone.

When that person opens the card, the heart will pop out!

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GEESE is a very old board game.

You need a playing board, one counter for each player, a die. Whoever is the first to reach the last space is the winner.

Make a board as shown. Each player should pick a counter and throw the die.

The highest number starts the game. Each player then throws the die and moves forward as many spaces as the die shows.

Goose Free throw

The symbols mean the following: (backwards) - Players landing on this space go back as many spaces as they had moved forward. (forwards) - Players landing on this space advance as many spaces forward.

Prison

Prison - Players landing on this space miss one turn.

Free throw - Players landing on this space take an extra turn immediately.

Goose - Players landing on this space stay there until their next turn.

To reach the last space, players must get on their dies the exact number of spaces they need.

The English travel everywhere just like we do: by bus, train, ship and plane.

But they also have some vehicles which might seem odd to us! Their cars move on the left side of the road and their steering wheels are also on the opposite side from ours. Ask your parents to explain how they would drive their cars in England.

DOUBLE-DECKERS - In the streets of London you can see thousands of red double-decker public buses. If you want to travel faster, however, you should take the underground railway, the so-called "tube" (so named after the circular concrete sections which make up the tunnels of the system, the first in the world, begun in 1863).

Draw and colour a double-decker bus. Cut faces out of magazines and paste into the window openings.

ROBIN HOOD is a legendary English figure, a rebel and an outlaw who lived with his gang in Sherwood forest near the city of Nottingham. He took from the rich and helped the poor. The legend of Robin Hood continues to live in English folklore.

Do you know of any outlaws like Robin Hood in your own country's history?

Try and find the Walt Disney cartoon about Robin Hood in which the main characters are played by animal figures.

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WANTED - Robin Hood and his men were constantly hunted by representatives of the law, particularly the Sheriff of Nottingham. Make a "WANTED" poster in which you offer a reward for someone's capture!

TARTANS - Long ago, the people who settled in Scotland all dressed the same. But as time passed, some clans became more prosperous and tried to show this in their apparel. They began wearing over the shoulder a woollen checked cloth with a distinctive pattern for each clan, and this tradition is still alive.

Design your own checked pattern - your own tartan!

The KILT is a knee-length skirt worn by men in Scotland, nowadays with a short suit jacket. Instead of the pockets we would have on trousers, a decorative leather bag is worn on a sash wound around the waist. A Scottish cap or round woollen cap is worn on the head. Similar checked skirts are also worn by women.

Draw and boy and a girl dressed in traditional Scottish dress.

GAJDE (bagpipe) su nacionalni instrument [kotske. U stara vremena svako selo i svaki poglavica klana imali su svoga gajda{a. Nijedna sve~anost ili ratni juri{ nisu se mogli zamisliti bez gajdi. I danas se gajde koriste na seoskim sve~anostima a izra|uju se u malim radionicama na starinski na~in.

Poslu{ajte zvuk gajdi. Podse}aju li vas na neki drugi instrument?

Da li se gajde koriste i kod nas?

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK is an old English tale of a boy who sold his only cow for three beans he later found to have magic powers. Climbing on the huge stalk that sprouted from one of the beans, he arrived in the kingdom of an evil giant whom he later defeated. Find this story and read it.

The Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the famous children's novel Treasure Island.

Krenite na put sa Stivensonom i prona|ite ostrvo s blagom.

THE LOCH NESS MONSTER Many people believe that a prehistoric monster lives in the Loch Ness lake in Scotland. Some claimed to have seen it, but no reliable evidence exists. A film was shot recently based on the legend of the "Nessie". Try and imagine what such a monster could look like.

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The THISTLE is the national emblem of Scotland. Legend says that long ago a thistle revealed to the Scots the presence of an invading army, when one of the attackers stepped on the prickly plant and let out a loud yell!

IRELAND

THE NATIONAL FLAG The Green colour represents the Catholics, the orange the Protestants (originally supporters of William of Orange), and the white stands for the peace between the two parts of the population.

Ireland is also called Eire or the Emerald Isle because it is so green, owing to all the rain that falls throughout the year. The fascinating country is full of lovely cottages with thatched roofs, winding country lanes and "haunted" houses.

Ireland's capital is called Dublin.

The people of Ireland speak Celtic and English.

Repeat all the words and greetings you know in English.

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Because of its rich vegetation and its freshness, many people see Ireland as a land still populated by dancing and joyous dwarfs (gnomes, elves and goblins), wizards and fairies. WEE FALORIE MAN is a very popular and very merry song.

ELVES

wee falorie man I am the wee falorie man A rattlin' rovin' Irishman, I can do all that ever you can, For I am the wee falorie man.

The elves in Ireland are believed to be guardians of treasure whose location they reveal only to those they know well.

Organise a treasure hunt during which you will sing this song and dance along with it!

SAINT BRIGID'S DAY, the patron saint of Ireland, protector of cows and milk, is celebrated with a fast on February 1. On that day, every house and barn in Ireland was once decorated with a cross, a Crois Bride, believed to protect all buildings from fire and other damage.

Children in Ireland learn in school how the cross can be made: as a diamond shape, a ring of fire, etc.

The cross was originally made of reeds, but instead you can use long and firm stalks of grass or thin branches that have fallen off trees. Put three and three stalks together and tie one end with thread or wool yarn. Now interweave as shown in the picture and tie the other ends. Now tie a thread to one end and hang over a door.

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY is marked on March 17 to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, who was also a great educator.

Saint Patrick brought the shamrock to Ireland and it later became that land's symbol. The day is marked by many people by carrying some shamrock in their hand.

HALLOWEEN (ALL HALLOWS EVE)

Ireland is the world's only country to celebrate October 31, the day before All Saints' Day. Irish immigrants took the custom with them to America, where it is marked nowadays with scary shows of witches, ghosts and demons, skeletons and black cats, pumpkins hollowed out as human faces with lit candles inside them.

Children wearing costumes knock on doors saying "Trick or treat!" to elicit candy from the hosts!

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GREEN DAY Organise a "Green day" for yourself when, like the Irish, you will wear only green!

JACK O' -LANTERN is a pumpkin which has been hollowed out, eye, nose and mouth slits cut out of the skin and a lit candle placed inside. You could make one of paper if you cannot find a pumpkin. Draw a pumpkin and then cut out the slits. On another piece of paper draw a large candle and place behind the first drawing - here's your Jack o'-lantern!

DERBY O'GILL is a story about an Irishman who while looking for a lost horse arrived in the kingdom of the elves. Here he encountered many surprises - from song and dance to a great treasure.

Try to find this story. Make a comic strip of it or try to act it out as a play.

Also try and write your own story about tiny people who live underground and guard secrets and valuable things of which we dream.

Ireland's national sports are HURLING (somewhat like hockey) and GAELIC FOOTBALL (somewhat like soccer).

PASS THE ORANGE For this game you can use oranges, but also apples, tennis balls or anything similar. Each team has the same number of players. The first players holds an orange under their chins.

When the GO is given, they should try to pass it to the next player, and so on until the last, but without using their hands. The first team to reach the last player are the winners.

SOFT DRINKS - SODAS Ginger ale, the first sweet fizzy drink, was invented by Dr. Cantrell, an Irishman, back in 1850.

Do you drink sodas? Which do you like the most? Do you know how they are made?

Ask your parents which were their favourite fizzy drinks when they were young.

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SWEDEN

THE NATIONAL FLAG The golden cross on the flag, which appears with four light-blue rectangles, is a symbol of the Swedish monarchy.

Sweden is the biggest country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe.

Its winters are long and cold, because the warm winds from the Atlantic Ocean are blocked by mountain chains to the west.

The snow almost never melts in the northern regions, called Norrland, and not many people live there.

Sweden's capital is called Stockholm.

Much of it lies on islands linked by bridges

The languages spoken in Sweden are Swedish, Finnish and Lapp.

Here are a few Swedish words:

GODDAG - Hello.

HEJ DO - Goodbye

TACK - Thank you

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LITTLE FROGS

2. strofa: NI U[I, ^AK NI U[I, ^AK NI REPA NEMAJU...

Dance to this song!

Start by standing in a circle holding your hands.

During the first stanza, circle towards the left.

During the second, let go your hands and point to your ears and your tails.

During the refrain, put your hands on your hips and jump in a circle!

Sweden is known for a special way of serving food SMORGAASBORD. It consists of several dishes on a long table which are served in a particular order.

1.

2.

3.

4.

COLD FISH DISHES (eel, sardines, shrimp, salmon) COLD MEAT DISHES (pate, game, ham, vegetable salad) HOT DISHES (meatballs, omelette, sausages, cooked fish) DESSERTS (pastries, cakes, fresh fruit, cheese).

Select one dish from each group and try to eat in the order given above. BON APPETIT!

The year's longest day is June 21, a special holiday in Sweden. It is a celebration of the coming of the summer, which is very short in Sweden. Adults and children all stay up all night, dancing around Maypoles (the term comes not from the month, but from the old Swedish word mayar, meaning "to decorate with branches and leaves". The MAYSTANG is a tall pole with a crossbar which has wraths at its ends.

Make your own MAYSTANG. Tie two poles together as shown and decorate with leaves, flowers and coloured tape. Then dance around the Maypole to the song Little Frogs.

St. LUCIA'S DAY is a holiday of light, marked in Sweden in December to celebrate the return of daylight and longer days. The oldest girl in the house plays the role of St. Lucia, wearing a long white dress and a crown of leaves with tiny lit candles. She serves everyone in the house coffee and cakes in bed.

Smaller children also put on special dress and wear half-cylinder hats decorated with little stars.

Mark St. Lucia's Day. Design a crown made of paper leaves and small candles, and tall hats decorated with stars. Put on your best clothes, put on the crown or hat and serve your family and visitors coffee and cakes.

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PIPPI LONGSTOCKING - We can thank writer Asrtid Lindgren for this exciting tale of a naughty little girl whose adventures have always fascinated both boys and girls. Pippi Longstocking tried never to copy others in dress and hairstyle!

Read the story of Pippi Longstocking. Draw what she looked like, how she looked.

Act out one of her adventures.

GODDAG means Good day in Swedish. This game is played at the start of the school year so the kids get to meet one another. You need a relatively large number of players.

Make a large circle and hold hands. One player, who is outside the circle, picks a player in the circle and taps him or her on the shoulder. The two of them then run as fast as they can in opposite directions around the circle. When they meet, they shake hands and run back to the vacated space. The one who fails to reach it continues the game as the outside man.

LAPPLAND - THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN Lappland is one of the last areas in Sweden to step out of the Ice Age. As the ice melted and retreated towards the north, about 8.000 years ago people settled in southern Sweden, and then followed the ice as the weather gradually turned warmer.

Lappland is very close to the cold Arctic, near the North Pole. It is also called the Land of the Midnight Sun. This is because during one part of the summer, the sun never sets and there is no night, while at Christmas time it is always dark and there is no daylight.

NIGHT AND DAY - Divide a sheet of paper into two halves. On one half try to draw a scene from Lappland in the summer, when there is no night, and on the other a winter scene, when there is no daylight. Compare the two!

The VIKINGS were Scandinavian seafarers who travelled much of the world between 8th and 10th centuries. They conquered new lands and traded in gold and other valuable materials. They developed fine animal decorations, especially on funeral ships, which they used to bury dead people by letting float away into the sea. They believed that in this way they would enter the kingdom of the dead more easily.

The beautifully carved prows of the ships were particularly striking.

A VIKING SHIP - Draw a Viking ship in profile on brown paper, cut it out, decorate the prow and stern with black felt-tipped pen, and then stick on a blue background.

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GERMANY

THE NATIONAL FLAG The tricolour flag has its origins in the early part of the 19th century, when what is now Germany existed as dozens of tiny states. The colours were taken from the uniforms of the then Lutzow Free Corps.

Germany lies in the very heart of Europe. Of the many forests which cover it, the most famous is the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), which lies in the south-west, where the river Danube also arises. The Black Forest got its name at a time when it was so dense that sunlight hardly penetrated the branches of the trees.

Germany is also a land of hills and mountains, the highest being the Alps, which are in the south.

Germany's capital is Berlin. The city was once divided into two halves, West Berlin and East Berlin, but has now again become a single city for all its people.

Traditional dress worn by boys and girls is like that worn by the characters in the famous story Hansel and Gretel. Girls wear pretty dresses called dirndl and lace-trimmed blouses. Boys wear leather shorts (lederhosen) with brightly-coloured suspenders. Knee-length stockings and white shirts complete the outfits, nowadays worn only during holidays.

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Here are a few words of the German language:

GUTEN TAG - Good day!

VIELEN DANK, DANKE SCHĂ–N- Thank you!

AUF WIEDERSEHN - Goodbye!

EIN, ZWEI, DREI, VIER, FĂœNF, SECHS, SIEBEN, ACHT, NEUN, ZEHN - The numbers 1 to 10.

ALL MY DUCKLINGS

Sing along and dance to this pretty song!

HAMBURGER - A fried ground beef dish which originated in Hamburg, a city in northern Germany, which was given the name Hamburger steak in America. Once placed inside a bun, its name was shortened to hamburger, and a certain Mr. McDonald placed it at the head of the menu in his restaurant. Hamburgers are usually made of beef, although there are now many versions - with salmon, caviar, chicken and even vegetarian burgers!

The second world-famous dish originating in Germany is the HOT DOG, which we know as cooked frankfurters in a bun. Frankfurters are spicy red sausages. At the time it began to be sold in America in this form, many people thought it contained dog meat, hence the name Hot dog!

Boil some sausages or frankfurters and make hot dogs. Organise a hot dog-eating competition - just don't overdo it!

The brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm wrote in the 19th century numerous fairy tales and other stories based on German folklore. The most famous are Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Drarfs, Rumpelstileskin, The Golden Goose, Rapunzel, the Town Musicians and many others.

Read, recount and act out one of the tales written by the Brothers Grimm.

THE CUCKOO CLOCK - The wooden clocks with a little cuckoo bird were invented by a man named Franz Kleterer, who lived in a Schwarzwald village. Most cuckoo clocks are made by hand in small clockmakers' workshops.

Make your own cuckoo clock! Draw a clock on paper, colour it and stick on brown cardboard, cut out a little door and paste a small cuckoo bird in the opening. Make weights of paper and some string and attach them to the clock.

CHRISTMAS - December 25 is a big holiday before which Christmas trees and decorated by children in Germany. This manner of decorating trees was later accepted in other countries.

Just as elsewhere, Father Christmas comes on Christmas Day and brings to children in Germany some of the presents they asked for on December 6, St. Nicholas Day.

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