The United States is considered the "melting pot" of cultures. Immigrants from different countries, with different religions and of different races all live together in communities across the nation. Most classrooms have a variety of religious, racial and cultural heritages - as does ours. Students need to recognize and appreciate the value of each culture so they can be socially responsible citizens.Â
Students will prepare to celebrate their cultural heritage by compiling a family tree, page from history, world map, passport, and travel log, food and clothing, and making a flag for their topic country, among other things. This information will be compiled in a research paper and also presented in a speech during the year. Most of the work will be completed in class, however, your child will be interviewing a family member that can share information on when their family member first immigrated to the United States and assisting in developing a family tree.
Internet Sources for Country Research
Sweet Search - A search engine for students that emphasizes high quality resources evaluated and approved by educators, librarians and research experts.
National Geographic Kids - Type your country name into the search box and check out the information about your country, organized by topics. (http://kids.nationalgeographic.com)
Time for Kids Around the World - Check out the additional information provided by TFK about their featured countries. Not every country is on the list, so check to see if yours is there. (www.timeforkids.com/around-the-world)
CIA World Fact-book - This website has every country - just search the list on the right hand side menu. The information is written for adults, so it may be challenging, but it's reliable info. (
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/)
Ducksters Geography - This website sorts countries by continent/region. It has a wide range of countries, with lots of facts and basic information. (www.ducksters.com/geography/)
Fun Facts for Kids: Countries - Check out the fun facts listed for a wide range of countries on this website from New Zealand. (www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/countries.html)
Students of the World - This non-profit website includes a lot of statistics and facts about a very large selection of countries. (www.studentsoftheworld.info/menu_infopays.html)
Kid's World Travel Guide - A small selection of 15 significant countries are featured on this website, which includes information about each country organized by topic. (www.kids-world-travel-guide.com)
Lonely Planet - This company publishes travel books for tourists. Search for travel information and background facts about your country. (www.lonelyplanet.com)