Let’s travel around the world

Age6-9

ValueDemocratic

LocationIndoor

Recommended group size1-5

Recommended time / Minutes120+

Topic	Diversity (respect)
Overview	Explore the world and investigate in groups to better know the diversity of our world through sensory impressions and practical discussions focusing on different destinations and their eco-systems, their traditions, and everything that makes each destination unique.
Learning objectives	● Recognize the importance of diversity in nature (biodiversity) for the mankind ● Understand how diversity has positive effects on the personal development, community and environment and associate diversity with sustainable development and growth ● Express the feelings, opinions and attitudes without fear of rejection or criticism
Skills developed	● Practice the fun of discovering, using teamwork and collaborative learning, other cultures through child-friendly knowledge about different countries/continents from a sustainable perspective ● Exchange ideas about the diversity of our world and the different ecosystems through sensory impressions and practical discussions
Method	Investigation, group work, exposition and debate. The idea is that the children get to know the diversity of our world through group work, sensory impressions and practical discussions. You can create a "travel diary" and "passport“. The children always get a special stamp, photo or other reminder in their passport in the countries they “travel” to from the exposition of the work of others.
Materials	Child friendly world map, paper, pens, glue, scissors to make papers with the 8 destinations (each group will pick one), passports and travel diaries. Children are requested to bring or make up objects that are related to the different cultures that will be subject of the exercise
Guidelines	Step 1. The facilitator tells children that they will go on a trip around the world together and that they can decide where they want to go. Children sit around a child-friendly world map and tell what they discover. Game: "I spy" can be included. Explanation of the rules of the game in English: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_spy#:~:text=The%20Spy%20silently%20selects%20an%20object%20that%20is,C%22%20if%20the%20chosen%20object%20is%20a%20car%29 Step 2: The children are planning their trip around the world. Awareness raising: What can you travel with? Where do you want to go? Children choose countries/continents for the world tour. Children normally find new ideas and ask for further information about the respective country/continent. Step 3: Make groups of 2-4 students and ask them to select one person per group that will pick 1 paper out of the 8 that have inside the name of a destination (see step 6, below). Explain the following steps: Step 4: For each new destination, they will have 1 hour to research: ecosystems, flags, typical things, food, photos or clothes, games, animals, etc (see example ideas of activities below). Younger children might need some help from the facilitator. Step 5: Travel arrangements: The facilitator designs a passport and makes copies for all children. The children receive a "passport" and receive stamps (or stickers) on each „trip“ to a different place when each group presents the destination. Possibility: design of a "Travel Diary". (This is up to the facilitator. A travel diary can be created with the children and small pictures prepared to glue inside or children can draw pictures in their travel diary including their interpretation of the different ecosystems) Step 6: You can show in a powerpoint presentation or in printed papers the following ideas for each destination: Destination 1 - Arctic / Innuits Search country on the world map and look at pictures Ecosystems: taiga (or boreal forest) and tundra Build an igloo Games of the Inuit children Animals of the Arctic Mix polar bear drink Destination 2 – America/USA or Canada: Search countries on the world map and look at pictures Ecosystems: forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, freshwater and marine Paint the flags of USA or Canada Learn English words Build skyscrapers Address native Americans culture Pancakes and maple syrup! Finger plays, singing songs Destination 3 - Africa: Search the continent on the world map and look at pictures Ecosystems: African savanna ecosystem is a tropical grassland with warm temperatures year-round and with its highest seasonal rainfall in the summer Build an African village Banana bread Drums Songs and games from Africa Animals in Africa Destination 4 - Egypt: Ecosystem: Red Sea coral reef, the wetlands bordering the Nile freshwaters, the bitter lakes, and the coastal lagoons. These latter ecosystems are the habitats of migratory birds that constitute 71.8% of the Egyptian bird biodiversity. Build pyramids Games: e.g. mummy game Hieroglyphics Dress up Destination 5 - Australia: Ecosystems: (1) mountain ecosystems, (2) tropical savannas, (3) coastal floodplains and wetlands, (4) coral reefs, (5) drier rainforests, (6) wetlands and floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, (7) the Mediterranean ecosystems of southwestern Australia, (8) offshore islands, Build boomerang Aboriginal people Dot Painting (Aboriginal Art) Dream time stories Uluru Sheep Australian children's games Destination 6 - China: Ecosystems: cropland, forest, grassland, desert, marshes, lakes, bays and urban ecosystems… Eat with chopsticks Make fans Paint porcelain Dragon dance Symbols and characters, Chinese numbers Tangram Chinese children's games Destination 7 - India: Ecosystems. forests, wetlands, grasslands, desert, coastal and marine ecosystems Paint with henna View pictures Chauks paint (traditional drawings) Destination 8 - Russia: Ecosystems. polar deserts, tundra, forest tundra, taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest steppe, steppe, semi-desert and subtropics Tinker matryoshka Tea from the samovar Russian fairy tale Finger play Step 7: Each group presents using powerpoint, cardboards, pictures (however they prefer) what they have found in a timing of 15 minutes per group. After their presentation they stick a stamp or sticker on the passports of the students who have attended their presentation. Step 8: Discussion time: It is important that after the activities, all children are requested to exchange ideas and impressions. Examples of questions to debate: What activity did you like best? What is your favourite ecosystem and why?(they can also vote) Did you know how diverse our world is? (you can add more questions: what was your favourite food?, animals? Etc) If using a travel diary, ask volunteers to show what they have included from the different destinations. It is important to create a good atmosphere and let them express their feelings, opinions and attitudes without fear of rejection or criticism.
TipsAdditional materialsHow to apply online?What to do at home?	Timings and online or face to face activities: It could be one hour per day or even one hour per day and week or more per destination, depending on ideas for activities, for example: one day – African ecosystems, one day – African food, etc.. the facilitator may adapt the examples provided. They are mentioned to get an idea of what can be done: it may vary according to interests, prior travel experience or cultural origin of group members (facilitators and/or children). All examples can be modified according to age, vocabulary and ability of the group and can be reduced, bypassed or simplified. They can be implemented face to face or online showing PPT presentations, pictures, videos...etc. Another variation can be to cover countries from which the parents of the children migrated. This way families/parents can be involved in providing material, pictures, games, food etc. from their home country. Another variation includes the groups bringing all a big cardboard with the ecosystems available in the designation plus different pictures, food, music…etc and expose it in 1 table each and invite parents to make a world tour. The length of the activity varies according to needs and possibilities of children and facilitators. It can be one destination per day or even per week, depending on activities included.
Author	M. Begoña Arenas. Inspired and adapted from: Dagmar Höhn, Ev. Kindergarten “Arche Noah” der Heiland - Kirche Bonn (DE).
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