Picture the World

Big Ben, double deck red buses, and the green grass of Wimbledon come to mind, when we think of London, as we have been doing during the Olympics. Paris has the Eiffel Tower; Rome, the Coliseum; Pisa, the Leaning Tower; and Sydney has its Opera House. The Taj Majal is associated with India, if not Agra, and the pyramids conjure up Egypt, if not Giza and Luxor. Now consider Buenos Aires, Timbuktu, and Shanghai. What landmarks are associated with these cities and others around the globe? How do people in these cities live? Maps tell young people where countries are, but pictures help make the abstract real.

     Photos have the power to introduce children to the landmarks and lifestyles of people in any city of the world. Why do many Olympic skiers come from Canada, Norway, and Germany? Using Google's "google maps," children can look at snowy photos of Quebec, Oslo, and Hamburg. Pictures of mosques, Buddhist temples, and cathedrals help children realize religious beliefs are different in Samarkand, Uzbekistan; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Oporto, Portugal. Based on the bicycles jammed together in photos of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, children can make some assumptions about physical fitness in these cities. Likewise, photos of motorcycles, subways, boats, and cars, as well as outdoor cafes, beaches, sporting events, and parades provide clues to the way people live.

     Thanks to the pictures and descriptions of Czech illustrator and author, Miroslav Sasek, in his "This is" series, children have been on an armchair tour of the world since 1959. His books go to Paris, London, Edinburgh, Ireland, Rome, Venice, Munich, Greece, Israel, Hong Kong, and Australia. Now, all the individual books have been included in a single volume, This is the World. Kathleen Pohl also has written a series of country books that cover Argentina, the Congo, Germany, Iran, Israel, Russia, Mexico, and Japan. Japan also is the subject of one of the 20 pocket-sized, accordion fold out "Panorama Pops" in the Candlewick Press series that also covers the cities of Paris, Rome, Venice, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, and Dublin.

      A number of books entitled Wonders of the World use photographs and text to introduce children to outstanding buildings, monuments, and engineering feats. Kids seven and up can test what they learned about the "Wonders of the World" (and "Countries of the World") by asking each other 180 trivia, true/false, and multiple-choice questions in history card games from MindWare (mindware.com).

     Look for hands-on ways children can experience global cultures. In New York City, students visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see Egyptian mummies, statues, and burial objects, but kits from the museum's store (store.metmuseum.org) bring Egypt to children 8 and older everywhere. An archaeological kit and manual enable youngsters to uncover secrets of a pyramid; another kit includes a ready to paint pyramid and a variety of Egyptian artifacts; and one of the museum's best sellers provides a guidebook, hieroglyphic alphabet chart, and 24 hieroglyphic stamps and an ink pad for writing original messages.

      The Book of Cities  by Philip Dodd and Ben Donald takes children on a photographic tour of 250 cities in 108 countries. Page after page, youngsters discover the natural features that dominate many cities: the Sierra Nevada mountains looming over Granada, Spain; the Atlas mountains that shadow Marrakesh, Morocco; the Himalayan peaks that rise above Kathmandu, Nepal; and the Alps that cradle Salzberg, Austria, and Zurich, Switzerland. Along the way, children also visit the African river towns of Bamako in Mali, Khartoum in Sudan, and the Congo's Brazzaville.

     Urge kids to start scrapbooks filled with their own pictures of foreign places and people from a variety of sources: newspapers, magazines, travel brochures, corporate annual reports, and pamphlets prepared by foreign embassies and consulates. I found a picture of Machu Picchu, Peru's 15th century Inca site, in an alumni magazine. Back issues of National Geographic, staples in used book and thrift stores, can give children a jump start for finding photos that provide a sense of different places. Every other year, the summer and winter Olympics offer an excellent opportunity to find photos of the city where the games are held. After the winter Olympics in 2014, children will be familiar with the Russian city of Sochi in the Caucasus Mountains on the Black Sea, and when the summer Olympics are held in 2016, they will see what life is like in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Wide World of Sports

Young fans of professional baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer already know their favorite teams depend on the skills of foreign players like Brazil's soccer star, Neymar. Franklin Foer's personal interest in soccer led to the international perspective he describes in How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. As an example of the way globalization should work, Foer points to the Barca soccer club of Barcelona, capital of Spain's Catalonia region and the 1992 Olympic city remembered for the archer who lit the games' flame with a burning arrow. Reflecting Barcelona's history as a Mediterranean trader willing and able to make a deal with foreigners, Foer holds up Barca as a model of nationalism without enemies or the desire to dominate the world. On the other hand, Foer criticizes multinational companies that use soccer in advertising campaigns that target all consumers alike. He believes globalization needs to respect each country's national character.

     While all sports may not lead to a theory of globalization, in years when the summer and winter Olympics are televised, young people may develop an interest in sports other than soccer, football, basketball, and baseball. Little girls start to dream of taking their places on the world's figure skating stage with South Korea's Kim Yu-na or becoming gymnasts like Gabby Douglas. Young boys set out to compete around the world like Apolo Ohno or Michael Phelps. If true to the goal set by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the friendly competition of the modern Olympiads can help create internaitonal goodwill and lead to a happier, more peaceful world.

     Not only in Olympic years, but every year, sports can draw kids into the potentially friendly and peaceful world of international competition. Flags, foreign languages, and local landmarks are on display at numerous events such as the Australian Open tennis championships, World Grand Prix auto races, the America's Cup, and Tour de France cycling races. Sumo wrestling, native to Japan, now has competitors and fans from the U.S., Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Russia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Those who watch the professional women's golfing tour know up to 40% of competitors come from Asia. On the sidelines, no country has a monopoly on producing professional coaches, scientists developing growth hormone tests, engineers revolutionizing athletic equipment, or, yes, noisemakers for cheering teams to victory. Investigations involving Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones revealed how important the role of non-athletes is in exposing cheaters and leveling the playing fields in the Olympics and other sporting events. On a lighter note, thousands will be grateful to the inventor of the new maraca-sounding caxirola that will replace the annoying vuvuzela at the 2014 World Cup soccer matches in Brazil.  In short, there are many roles for children who gain global awareness because of their interest in sports.

A Salute to Flags

Flags are a ready reminder that the world is divided into countries. In front of teams marching during the opening and closing ceremonies at the Olympics, athletes are honored by being chosen to carry the flags of their countries.

     Just as families often keep track of the state license plates they see, flag authority William G. Crampton suggests noting the date they see various country flags in person or on TV at school, post offices, hotels, parades, and sporting events. In Usborne's spotter guide to Flags of the World, Crampton includes an alphabetical list of 201 flags. Like a field guide to birds and wild flowers, this pocket-sized book helps spotters by illustrating flags in full color and by providing short descriptions of what colors and flag emblems represent. Another good source of the world's flags in full color is the website, printableworldflags.com.

    Vexillology is the study of the symbolism, history, and usage of flags. Countries assign meanings to the colors on their flags. Surrounded as they are by water, islands often choose blue. White is used to symbolize Buddhism and peace. Haiti and some African countries include black to represent their citizens. Yellow can mean mineral wealth, a royal color, or the sun. Green, the color of Mohammed, also has been used to represent jungle vegetation. Red may stand for bravery, courage, or a bloody struggle for independence.

     The three-colored flags, known as tricolors, that represent independence throughout the world have their origin in the 16th century orange, white, and blue Dutch flag that is considered the first republican tricolor. In turn, the Dutch flag inspired the blue, white, and red tricolor associated with France's 1789 revolution and, ultimately, flags flown throughout the world from Armenia to Yemen. When mass production began in the 18th century, flag manufacturers welcomed this type of         three-color design simplification.

     Just as many flags are associated with the struggle for independence, others express dedication to a religion the way Christian crosses do on the flags of Greece, Malta, Switzerland, and Tonga. Throughout the Muslim world, the crescent and star symbols of Islam and/or the green color of the Prophet Mohammed appear on numerous flags in the Middle East and Africa. South Korea and Mongolia fly flags with the yin and yang symbols of opposites associated with Buddhism, while symbols of the Jewish faith, the prayer shawl and Star of David, appear on Israel's flag. Of special interest are flags of countries that recognize that their citizens practice more than one religion. The white stripe on Pakistan's flag represents Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and other religious minorities in this mostly Muslim country, while Sri Lanka's flag includes an orange stripe for Hindus and a green one for Muslims.

     Stars representing mankind's heavenly goal have been a popular flag motif for centuries. In fact, stars also communicate a number of modern day messages. As in the case of flags representing the U.S. and Brazil, stars denote the states in each country. The Philippines, the Comoros, Cape Verde, and Tuvalu use stars to number their principal islands. Malaysia's flag, on the other hand, represents its 13 member states and its capital's territory with 14 points on one star.

     Countries also use their flags to recognize features that make them unique. Cambodia's flag pictures its famed 12th century temple, Ankor Wat. The coat of arms on Slovenia's flag includes the country's Triglav Mountain, and Lebanon places a cedar tree that grows in its mountains in the center of its flag. Granada touts its nutmeg production and Belize its lumber industry; while Kenya, Lesotho, and Swaziland display traditional tribal war shields and spears on their flags. Iran's flag repeats the inscription, "God is Great," 22 times to mark the date of its victorious 1979 revolution. Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa note their position in the Southern Hemisphere by including the Southern Cross constellation on their flags. To symbolize the Equator, Nauru draws a yellow stripe on its flag and then uses a star to indicate its position south of the Equator.

     Various activities can involve children with flags. At the pbskids.org website, they can play a "Bingo" game with countries and flags by going to the Arthur icon, then clicking on the picture of the bunny, Buster, and "Connect the World." Staging a parade of nations is a fun party or rainy day activity, especially when children wear hats or other pieces of clothing from foreign lands. United Nations Day on October 24 is a great time to organize such a parade. In addition to marching behind the Stars and Stripes, children can use construction paper to make less complicated parade flags for: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Indonesia, Japan, Chad, Gabon, or Mali. Tape these flags to straws, play a John Philip Sousa march, and a parade begins.

Flags change

Like children, flags change. From 10,000 public suggestions for a new flag, New Zealand has selected 40 designs that will be reduced to four for a public vote later in 2015. In 2016, there will be a referendum to decide between the current flag and the new design.

    After Columbus's voyages, Spain changed the motto on its flag from "There is nothing more beyond (Gibraltar)" to "There is more beyond." Once the U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia broke apart, their flags disappeared and countries that were part of these nations, such as Azerbaijan, Slovakia, and Croatia, created new flags. Likewise, when countries become independent from former colonizers, they create new flags. South Africa no longer flies the orange, white, and blue tricolor based on the Dutch flag that was raised when colonists arrived in 1652.

     When other countries achieved independence, they, like Kenya, Mozambique, and East Timor, often adopted flags similar, if not identical, to those of the nationalist groups that led the struggle for sovereignty. Antigua and Barbuda, although they elected to remain in the British Commonwealth after achieving independence, use their flag to proudly announce victory over colonialism by showing the sun of a new era rising out of a "V."

     At the beginning of the American Revolution, George Washington's troops fought under what is known as the Grand Union flag which displayed England's St. George and Scotland's St. Andrew crosses in the upper left hand corner where the stars are today. On June 14, 1777, however, to represent the original states, a circle of 13 stars, suggesting a new constellation, joined the 13 alternating red and white stripes already on the Grand Union flag. As new states joined the Union, both stars and stripes were added to the U.S. flag until 1818, when Congress decided too many stripes would make the flag's design unwieldy. Since then, stars have represented the current number of states and stripes represent the original thirteen. Between 1776 and 1801, England's flag changed as well. Today the flag of the United Kingdom combines the 13th century red cross of St. George, patron saint of England, with the Scottish cross of patron, St. Andrew, which was added in 1606 and the modified Irish cross of St. Patrick added in 1801.

     One way to demonstrate the notion that a flag represents a country's changing history is to create new flags for children as they get older. At first, a little white bunny might be pasted on light blue or pink felt that is looped over a dowel and hung on a string. By helping children design their own flags as their personalities develop, they will get a feel for the decisions a country made when creating its flag. What colors will they choose and why? Will they use a symbol to represent their favorite subject, hobby, or pet? Finally, they might include a motivational saying or slogan, such as "Throw strikes" for a baseball player or "Break a leg" for a budding actor.

Introduction

Globalization came as a shock to the U.S. generation that won World War II and even to the Baby Boomers who followed. The current generation is different. International elements surround today's children from birth. Their first toys have tags showing that they were made in China, Thailand, or Malaysia. As youngsters, they may have attended Montessori schools that use methods developed by an Italian doctor or, under the influence of Japanese musician, Shinichi Suzuki, been gently nurtured to play an instrument. Long before leaving for junior years abroad, students expect to share classrooms and playgrounds with children whose heritages are Mexican, Nigerian, and Korean. Young people are growing up without a competitive edge in a world where democracy is not a shared goal. Their families work for multinational firms, complain about jobs outsourced to foreign companies, vacation where exchange rates provide the best value, or travel only as far as the price of Middle Eastern oil permits.

     National boundaries fail to shield today's children from the rest of the world's languages, religions, and drug traffickiing. Back in 1939, when isolationists were determined to keep the United States out of World War II, Senator Arthur Vandenberg thanked God for the protection of "two insulating oceans." Nowadays, neither the Atlantic nor the Pacific prevents global communication and terrorism from bringing the wide world home. When one billion people are international travelers every year, oceans no longer insulate anyone from tuberculosis or mosquito-borne diseases like the Zika virus. Neither can lines on a map limit where today's young people will work, the cultures they will share, nor the problems they will solve.

     Globalization requires an international, interconnected perspective. Children who have lived outside the country where they were born already may possess the cosmopolitan savvy to feel comfortable wherever they are plopped down in the world. But stay-at-home kids need not cede to their well traveled cohorts the feeling of being comfortable with foreign cultures, knowledge of world geography, the will to deal with environmental challenges, or decisions about war and peace. Teachers and parents now have access to resources at home and on the Internet that enable them to help young people acquire both a taste for what the world has to offer and confidence that they can contribute something to the world.

     My granddaughter's interest in Italy began with mythology. She knows everything about chimeras. These three-part lion, goat, and serpent creatures terrorized Asia Minor until a hero riding on Pegasus killed one. When my granddaughter learned there was a bronze chimera statue in Florence, that city became her dream destination. Although she has yet to travel outside the United States, she took me directly to a book store's language section and showed me the Italian workbook and interactive CD-ROM she wanted for her birthday. Mythology, art, and language combined to widen my granddaughter's view of the world. In a similar way, young athletes might develop their international perspective after watching the Olympics in London this summer. For other children, a foreign coin, a "Made in Bangladesh" clothing label, or a musical rainstick could stimulate interest in their world. This global awareness is what my blog is designed to foster.