Conversations on Facebook during the last Olympics had really bothered me. How sad that so many people were unnecessarily upset that Africa got to send athletes to represent each of its 'states' and we weren't allowed to do the same. When in reality Africa is not a country, but a continent with many countries.
Before all this I had always wanted to do studies on every country, but after seeing those conversations I knew for sure that I wanted to introduce, and study all 195 official countries with our children. And not merely where they are found on a map as many geography curricula do, but dig deeper to learn about culture, customs, food, famous people, plants, animals, and so much more.
I spent hours trying to find things and pinned them to my Pinterest, giving each country its own board. Some countries it's really challenging to find things I'm looking for. With my initial research being pinned I was happy to discover how Pinterest worked. Under each pin there's a number telling you on how many other boards this pin can be found.
I would click on the picture and then click on that number which opened a page with all those boards and I could easily check them out and find new material I was looking for without the headache and time of seeking and searching for hours and still having difficulty finding what I wanted.
I almost panicked when a few weeks ago that option no longer worked. I'm still sad about it. Why change something that worked so well, and make Pinterest harder to navigate and a whole lot less user friendly?
I'm working on preparing the lesson plans for our country studies next year. I'm having a difficult time with it again. For example ... Afghanistan. The very word brings unpleasant images to mind, right? And I challenge anyone to search for educational type things regarding it. You see, I don't want to simply focus on the unpleasant side of the country. There are mother's living there who love their children just as much as we love ours and are busy taking care of their family. What food are they enjoying? How do typical days look for children? What are some popular games they play? What animals might they care for? Hunt? What foods do they raise? What are some of the native trees, flowers, and other plants? What insects and pests are present? What music do they listen to? What are popular instruments they play. What books have been written by them? Who are some famous people in history? What are some popular sports? How many states/provinces? What does their money look like? What would the exchange rate be? What is their national anthem? What's the meaning behind their flag? What holidays do they observe. What are some festivals they have? How does life differ in different areas of the country? What entertainment do they have? What traditions do they keep? What do dances look like? What are some national landmarks? What are some of their minerals and other natural resources? What industries can be found? What crafts and art projects could we do and food could we try to finish out our study?
That wasn't a complete list of the things I look for, but you get the idea. And if you can figure out and tell me how to get Pinterest back to its former self I would be most grateful.
A family in our congregation is from Tanzania, and the wife often goes to local schools to talk about her country. She has made the point often - and emphatically - that Africa is not just one country. She tells the kids that people who live in Mali have no more in common with Botswana than folks from Greece have with Poland. Sadly, a lot of the students have never heard of *either* country. So much for African Studies!
ReplyDeleteI think it's sad how much slips between the cracks. I'm glad she is getting at least some people to understand that Africa is not a country.
DeleteI love your passion and dedication to this. It is SO important. We are a world of PEOPLE. My husband has traveled the world for work and the ignorance of those in our country about other countries and peoples is appalling. I love how ypu want to learn the personal and everyday part of their lives. Unfortunately I have never used Pinterest so I can be of no help to you there.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Betsy
Thanks for your kind words. We really enjoy learning more about other people and places.
DeleteI can't help you with Pinterest, but there is much information about the country at the websites of the Consulate of Afghanistan in NYC, as well as the Embassy in Washington, DC. There is certainly a positive slant to what is portrayed on these sites.
ReplyDeleteThank you! The information on these sites is helpful.
DeleteI don't know if it's any good or if you have already seen this feature, but if you click on the image (on Pinterest) and it opens bigger, you¨ll see a magnifying glass on the pic. If you click it you'll get 'visually similar results'
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm aware of that option. Sadly it doesn't come close to being as good as being able to get on boards that have pinned the same thing.
DeleteYes, I will admit Afghanistan brings unpleasant things to my mind. In our family that would probably mean a nine month deployment. I will be without my husband, and my daughter will be without her dad. So, in our family it's hard to look at it objectively. However, I'm glad you are able to look at the positive side.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Culturegrams!https://www.culturegrams.com/ they give tons of great information. The information is provided by people who have lived in each of the countries. I love them!
ReplyDeleteTrying reading the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson about Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteOur library has a wonderful series of dvd's called "Families of the World" with a dvd or 2 for each country. I think there are about 20+ of them and they do have one on Afghanistan. They follow 2 children in each country (one rural and one in the city) and show their typical day such as home, meals, schools, what the parents do. There is nothing questionable in these videos. I'd say they are appropriate for any age. The only problem is they are too short, about 25 minutes. We always wish they were longer, but they are a great insight into other countries and cultures.
ReplyDeleteI would love to be one of your students and learn all about those interesting things about all those countries!!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite blogs is doing a "Read the world" summer book club. There are several book recommendations about Afghanistan in the "Middle-East" section. Check it out at simplehomeschool.net. I'm not a world traveler, but love learning about other cultures and sharing them with my children! Good luck to you.
ReplyDelete