Tour the World Club

University of Nebraska- Lincoln Digital Commons - Honors Club

Tour the World Club

By: Joy Karges Copyright 2019 by Joy Karges under Creative Commons Non-Commercial License. Individuals and organizations may copy, reproduce, distribute, and perform this work and alter or remix this work for non-commercial purposes only.

Abstract

This Tour the World club gives students the opportunity to interact with the world, other cultures, and people groups. Through six or seven different countries and many hands-on activities, students will learn what it means to keep an open mind, they will develop a curiosity for the world, and they will be encouraged to prioritize learning and asking questions over giving judgments when faced with something new.

NEBRASKA HONORS PROGRAM CLC EXPANDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITY CLUBS INFORMATION SHEET:

Name of Club: Tour the World 

Age/Grade Level: 9-10 yr./3rd & 4th Grade 

Number of Attendees: (ideal number: 10) 

Goal of the Club: (learning objectives/outcomes) Learn what it means to keep an open mind, foster curiosity for the world, and encourage questions over judgements when faced with something new. 

Resources: (Information for club provided by) Several international students at my university: Yassine, Laetitia, Evode, Ruth, and Rebecca, as well as some online resources. 

Content Areas: (check all that apply) 

• ☐ Arts (Visual, Music, Theater &Performance) 
• ☐ Literacy 
• ☐ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering &Math) 
• ☒ Social Studies 
• ☐ Wellness (Physical Education, Health, Nutrition &Character Education) 

Outputs or final products: (Does the club have a final product/project to showcase to community?) A completed “passport” with their favorite things about each country we visit, as well as several other take-home crafts. 

Introducing your Club/Activities: This Tour the World Club gives students the opportunity to interact with the world, other cultures, and people groups. 

General Directions: Think of 6-7 countries you are interested in and research more about their cultural aspects; food, holidays, flag, geographic location, language, sports, etc. Integrate hands-on activities to help students connect to a few of these aspects. 

Tips/Tricks: Don’t try to teach too many cultural aspects, pick two or three and go more in depth. Make everything as interactive as possible. 

LESSON PLAN WORKSHEET

Lesson Activity Name #1: Going on a Trip

Length of Activity: 20-30 min 

Supplies: 

• World map worksheets
• colored pencils
• PowerPoint presentation 

Directions: Meet the students, have them circle and color the country they would most like to visit/learn about on the map (attached). Go over “what do you need to go on a trip?” (a map, camera and passport), and explain that these are things we’ll be using in the club. Go over “what does it mean to have an open mind?” (listening, respectful, willing to try new things, ask questions) and use these as the expectations for the rest of the club. 

Conclusion of the activity: Got to know students and their interests, kids were familiarized with the world map, and they understood expectations and structure of the club. 

Parts of activity that worked: Coloring the map at the very beginning allowed them to do something active right away; get out their jitters. 

Parts of activity that did not work: I went over the expectations of an open mind each club session, but I never really enforced them, which would have helped. 

Lesson Activity Name #2: Running of the Bulls Game

Length of Activity: 15 min 

Supplies: 

• 5 red cloths (This game should be played outside or in a gym) 

Directions: Explain the context of the “Running of the Bulls” (which comes from Spain) and show them pictures. Then, split the group into two groups. Give one group the 5 red cloths, they are the runners; the other group is the bulls. Tell the bulls to stand on one line or spot, tell the runners to stand a few paces away. You stand a few more paces away at the “finish line.” When you yell “GO,” the bulls will try to catch the runners before they get to the finish line. If they do, the bulls win, but if not, the runners win. Switch groups or teams as needed and repeat. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students experienced “the Running of the Bulls.” 

Parts of activity that worked: Students were excited to get to run around outside. 

Parts of activity that did not work: The students were getting restless after a few rounds, so I just let them have free play for a few minutes.

Lesson Activity Name #3: Passports

Length of Activity: 5-7 min 

Supplies: 

• Paper passports
• Colored pencils 

Directions: Beforehand, print off “passport pages” (attached below) for each student for however many countries you will be talking about, fold and tape them together. During the first or second club session, pass them out and have kids write their names on the front. At the end of every club session, have the kids color something they would take a picture of if they went to that country, and write their favorite thing about that country. Collect the passports at the end of each club session. At the final club session, allow the students to take home their completed passports. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students had a memory book of all the countries we talked about, and what we learned stuck better in their minds. 

Parts of activity that worked: Some students really enjoyed it and they loved showing me what they drew. 

Parts of activity that did not work: Some students didn’t enjoy it so much and didn’t want to color in their passports. 

Lesson Activity Name #4: Country Introductions

Length of Activity: 5-10min 

Supplies: 

• PowerPoint presentation 

Directions: At the beginning of each club session, introduce the country you’ll be talking about by showing a fun postcard from that country on the screen. Then, in a speech bubble, show the way to say “hello” in that country (i.e. “Hola” for Spain). Have the kids repeat after you the word in the speech bubble. Finally, show a map of the world and have one or two kids come up and try to find the country on the map. Show a close-up picture of the country, and the flag of the country once they find it. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students learned the language, flag, and geographical location of each country. 

Parts of activity that worked: It got students excited to know what country we would be talking about each day. 

Parts of activity that did not work: Students got a little rowdy and they all wanted to come up and find the country on the map.

Lesson Activity Name #5: Venice Carnival Masks

Length of Activity: 30 min 

Supplies: 

• Paper mask print-outs (attached)
• Colored pencils
• String
• Hole-punch
• Scissors 

Directions: Explain the context behind the Venice Carnival masks (which comes from Italy) and show them pictures. Then, let each student pick out a mask to color. Once they’re done, cut out the mask and measure the string to fit around their head. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students learned about a holiday in Italy, and they had fun masks they could take home. 

Parts of activity that worked: Students enjoyed coloring the masks. 

Parts of activity that did not work: It took too much time to cut out all the masks and measure the string, so I think it would be better to let the kids cut out their own mask, or cut them all out ahead of time. 

Lesson Activity Name #6: Peruvian Weaving

Length of Activity: 30 min 

Supplies: 

• A bunch of different colored yarns
• Masking tape
• Scissors 

Directions: Explain the context behind Peruvian Weaving (which comes from traditional clothing and indigenous peoples in Peru) and show pictures. Then, let the kids pick up to 3 colors of yarn and wrap the yarn twice around their wrist to measure it. Tape the three strings to their desk and let them braid it. When they’re done, tie a knot on the end and tie the bracelet together around their wrist. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students related to the concept of Peruvian Weaving and they had a fun bracelet to take home. 

Parts of activity that worked: I had a friend who had studied abroad in Peru come and talk about her experiences while I had each student come back one at a time and pick their string, measure their wrist, etc. which was very helpful. The students especially loved learning about the llamas. 

Parts of activity that did not work: A few students did not know how to braid, so they just gave up and had someone else do it for them.

Lesson Activity Name #7: Moroccan Marketplace

Length of Activity: 30 min 

Supplies: 

• Fake printed-out Moroccan money (not attached)
• printed pictures of Moroccan goods (rugs, spices, tagines (food coverings), fez, tea, etc.) (attached) 

Directions: Explain what a marketplace is and show them pictures. Explain how bargaining works. Then, arrange the desks/tables into two rows facing each other (this is the marketplace). Split the students into two groups; one will be the sellers and the other the buyers. Give the sellers the Moroccan goods and tell them to get behind the desks/tables. Give the buyers the Moroccan money and tell them to try and get the best deal for the Moroccan goods. Switch groups as needed and repeat. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students learned the skill of bargaining, and they got to explore a Moroccan marketplace. 

Parts of activity that worked: Students enjoyed buying and selling the goods and practicing the concept of bargaining. 

Parts of activity that did not work: We spent too long explaining at the beginning so there wasn’t enough time at the end for the marketplace. 

Lesson Activity Name #8: Rwandan Puzzle Game

Length of Activity: 20-30 min 

Supplies: 

• 2 Rwandan puzzle maps (attached), tape 

Directions: Cut out the pieces of each map and tape the outlines of the country to a wall or whiteboard. Split the students into two teams and give each member of each team a piece of the puzzle. When you read off the description of one of the pictures, each team will have to decide who has the correct picture, then that person will come to the board and figure out where the picture fits in the puzzle. Tape it to the map. Whichever team does that first, gets a point. Whoever gets the most points at the end, wins. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students learned about several aspects of Rwandan culture. 

Parts of activity that worked: Students enjoyed trying to solve the puzzle. 

Parts of activity that did not work: On the last puzzle piece, I had the two students with the last pictures stand at the back of the room to make it more of a challenge, but they went too quickly to the board and tripped over each other and one of them got hurt.

Descriptions:
1. This is what houses in Rwanda used to look like, and in this particular picture is where the King of Rwanda used to live, but now it’s just a museum and it’s called “the King’s Palace.”
2. This is what people in Rwanda like to wear for weddings, celebrations and dances. It is the traditional clothing of Rwanda.
3. This is where they play a really popular sport in Rwanda; soccer. It’s called the Olympic Stadium.
4. During one of the holidays in Rwanda, they celebrate the birth of a baby gorilla with a big ceremony and they even name the baby gorilla. Some names that have been used are “gift” and “joy.”
5. This is something that is used in many popular foods in Rwanda. They use both the root and the leaves in different foods. It is called a Cassava plant. 

Finished puzzle:

Lesson Activity Name #9: India Picture Activity

Length of Activity: 15 min 

Supplies:

• India picture worksheets (attached)
• Colored pencils
• PowerPoint presentation 

Directions: Hand out worksheets at the beginning of the club session and have the students guess which word correctly describes the picture. When they’re done, go over it by showing them the correct picture and word on the PowerPoint presentation and explain more about each picture. Answer any questions they may have. 

Conclusion of the activity: Students learned several aspects of Indian culture. 

Parts of activity that worked: It got students’ curiosity going about the country and helped them to think of good questions about it. 

Parts of activity that did not work: At the beginning, students were a bit confused and didn’t know all of the words on the sheet.

Lesson Activity Name #10: India Dog and Bone Game

Length of Activity: 20 min 

Supplies: 

• A small ball or beanbag. 

**This game is best played outside or in a gym 

Directions: Explain that this is a game played in India. Then, split the students into two teams and give each member of each team a number 1-5. Tell each team to stand in a line a few paces apart, facing each other. Place the “bone” (ball or beanbag) in the middle of the two teams. When you call out a random number 1-5, that number from each team will come forward and try to get the bone. Whoever gets it first will run back to their team, but if the other person tags them before they get there, the other person gets the bone. Whoever makes it back to their team without getting tagged gets a point for their team. The team with the most points wins. Continue calling out numbers until everyone has gone. Switch up the teams if necessary and repeat.

Conclusion of the activity: Students got to experience a new game played in another country. 

Parts of activity that worked: Students were excited about being able to run around outside. 

Parts of activity that did not work:There were sometimes discrepancies about whether or not someone was tagged, and whether or not the bone was exactly in the middle.

Lesson Activity Name #11: Indian Cooking: Bhel Puri (pronounced like Bail Poori)

Length of Activity: 30 min 

Supplies: 

• Puffed rice
• Indian mild spicy flour noodles
• Mild Bhel Puri chutney
• 1 or 2 chopped up tomatoes
• Red onion and cilantro
• Paper Bowls 
• Napkins and plastic spoons
• Laid out newspapers (optional). 

Directions: Get ingredients from your local Indian market and chop up the vegetables beforehand. Explain that Bhel Puri is an Indian snack, and explain each of the ingredients. Let students choose which ingredients they want to mix in their bowls. Give a larger amount of puffed rice, and smaller amounts of the spicy noodles, tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Give half a spoonful of the chutney (it’s spicy). Have the kids mix all the ingredients together in their bowls and enjoy! 

Conclusion of the activity: Students experienced a popular Indian snack and got to help make it. 

Parts of activity that worked: Students thought the snack was very tasty. 

Parts of activity that did not work: Many of the students were not accustomed to the spice level and needed to get drinks several times to cool down their mouths. 

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This Portfolio is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors Program at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Expanded Learning Clubs by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Karges, Joy, "Tour the World Club" (2019). Honors Expanded Learning Clubs. 27. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/honorshelc/27