Global Explorers Kids' Blog

December Holidays Around the World

2010-12-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

During this holiday season, we seek respite from the cold days and short nights of winter time as we direct our minds to celebration, goodwill, and the promise of light to come. While most people are familiar with the various traditions of Christmas, there are many other holidays celebrated in December around the world. As you celebrate your own traditions, embrace the whole of humanity by learning more about how others celebrate in this season of wonder. Below is a sampling of December holiday traditions from around the world:

Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, a small Jewish group, over the Greco-Syrian King more than 2,000 years ago. Jewish tradition dictates that the temple menorah should be kept constantly burning. However, when they were rededicating the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, the Maccabees only found one small jar of oil, enough to keep the menorah burning for one day. The oil burned for eight days, however, until more oil could be prepared. Today, Chanukah is celebrated by lighting a special menorah. One candle is lit for each night of Chanukah. Families exchange presents and gelt (coins) and play dreidel. Latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (doughnuts), and other foods made in oil are served, to remember the miracle of the oil. The dates of Chanukah change from year to year. In 2010, Chanukah was celebrated December 1-9.

Bodhi Day is celebrated by Buddhists on December 8, to honor the day of the Buddha's enlightenment. Buddhists will spend the day meditating. Multicolored lights will decorate the home, to symbolize the many paths to enlightenment, and a candle will be lit. Some families will decorate a ficus tree with multicolored lights, beads (to symbolize the unity of all things) and three shiny bulb ornaments (to symbolize the Three Jewels of Buddhism).

St Lucia is the Swedish festival of light, celebrated on December 13. In Sweden, where the winter nights are very long, St. Lucia is a symbol of light. St. Lucia is seen as the one who brings light into the darkness. On St. Lucia Day, early in the day, the oldest girl in the family dresses in a white robe with a red ribbon around the waist. On her head she wears an evergreen wreathe crown with a circle of 5 candles. She sings a song and brings breakfast to her family – serving special St. Lucia buns, ginger snaps, and coffee or hot chocolate. Outside the home, communities celebrate St. Lucia with processions of children. Girls dress as St. Lucia and boys dress as Star Boys. The children carry candles and sing songs, to help bring in the light.

Dong Zhi, winter solstice, is the second most important festival in China and other East Asian countries. This is a time for family reunion and for stocking up food for the coming winter. The Chinese believe that as the days get longer after Dong Zhi, the Yang (positive things) will also get stronger. Families get together and make and eat Tangyuan, balls of glutinous rice, a symbol of reunion. In North China, dumplings are eaten, and in Taiwan, a special nine-layer cake is made in the shape of an animal. New clothes are worn and gifts are exchanged. People burn ceremonial paper as offerings to the ancestors.

Yalda is the Persian winter solstice celebration, on December 21. Originating in the Zoroastrian tradition, Yalda celebrated the birth of Mithra, the Persian god of light and truth. Under Islam, Yalda lost its religious significance, but it is still celebrated in Iran and other Persian countries as a social holiday. Families gather together and stay up all night, reading poetry, telling stories, playing traditional games, and socializing. Fruit and nuts, particularly watermelon and pomegranates, are set out on a special low table with a wool cover.

Pancha Ganapati is a 5-day Hindu festival, held Dec 21-25, honoring Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed lord of beginnings and obstacles, patron of the arts, sciences, intellect, and wisdom. A shrine to Ganesh is set up in the main room of the house, and decorated with pine boughs or banana leafs, tinsel, lights, ornaments, and flowers. Each morning, children dress or decorate Ganesh in a new color: first yellow, then blue, red, green, and finally orange. The children will also prepare a tray of sweets, fruit, and incense and present it to Ganesh, while singing. Gifts are given to the children, who place them before the shrine and open them on the fifth day.

Kwanzaa is a week-long African American holiday, celebrated December 26-31, honoring African heritage and culture. Kwanzaa means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to a different principle: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. A special candle holder, called a kinara, holds seven candles, one of which is lit each night. The kinara is placed on a straw mat, along with an ear of corn for each child in the family, a basket of fruit, and a unity cup. Gifts are exchanged on the last day of Kwanzaa. The gifts are usually homemade or educational in nature.

Jonkkunu is celebrated in the Caribbean between Christmas and New Years. Traditionally, this was the only time of year that slaves were allowed time to celebrate, so they used the opportunity to celebrate the masquerade traditions brought with them from Africa. Through the years, the celebration took on local characteristics and showed some European influences. Jonkkunu is celebrated with costumed dancers, music, and parades. The biggest celebration is held in the Bahamas, where large Jonkkunu (spelled Junkanoo there) parades, similar to Brazilian Carnivale, are held on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and New Years.

Congo Nkisi Nail Figures

2009-12-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

As part of our unit on the Artist as Peacemaker, children looked at the role that nkisi nail figures play in keeping the peace in the Congo. Nkisi nail figures are made by the Bakongo people of the Congo. The nail figures are made by carvers and shamans. They are used for a variety of purposes. One purpose is to come to and seal agreements between people who are in a disagreement. The people will come to the shaman to settle an argument. The shaman consults the nkisi figure to come to a decision. The people agree and seal their agreement by pounding nails into the nkisi figure, as a promise to follow its wishes. The nkisi figure is thought to be connected to the spirit world and will bring bad luck to those who break the agreement.

After learning about the Congo Nkisi Figures, students made their own figural sculptures, and used them to seal agreements within the class. We also learned a little about Congo.

Try at Home Activities

Recipe

Food is a wonderful part of a culture. Each class we will give you a culture-specific recipe that you and your children can make at home. It’s fun trying food from all over the world.

Muamba Nsusu (Congo Chicken Soup)
One chicken, cut up large onion, chopped small can of tomato paste

½ cup natural peanut butter cayenne pepper, to taste palm oil rice

Boil chicken in a large pot of water. Remove the chicken from the pot and take the meat off of the bones. Save the broth. Saute onion in palm oil. Combine one cup of chicken broth, peanut butter, and tomato paste. Stir until smooth. Add the chicken meat to the broth mixture. Stir and simmer until thickened. Season to taste. Serve with cooked rice.

Craft

Fly Whisk from Congo. Fly whisks are used all over Africa, to help people keep cool and to swat irritating flies. They have grown to become symbols of authority and prestige. Chiefs often own whisks with highly decorated handles that denote their status. Fly whisks are made of various materials. The whisk itself can be made from horse hair, cow hair, feathers, or other natural materials. Handles are often carved from wood, made from leather or wire, beaded, or decorated in some other way.

Lingala Vocabulary
Hello mbote goodbye kende peace kimia

Resources
Online activities and resources

Congo Trek: National Geographic Online Adventure http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0109/adventures/

Congo flag and map coloring pages http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/democratic-republic-of-congo-coloring-page/Congo Art http://www.congo-pages.org/congoartnet/

Pictures of nail figures http://www.randafricanart.com/Bakongo_Nkondi_figure.html

Books

The Magic Tree: A Tale From the Congo, by Gerald McDermott

Song Of The Mermaid: and Other Folk Tales from the Congo by Angele Kadima-Nzuji Kabwasa

The Magic Flyswatter: A Superhero Tale of Africa, Retold from the Mwindo Epic by Aaron Shepard

Mother Leopard and Her Cubs: A Folk Story from the Democratic Republic of Congo, by Jill Rutter and Fiona Macintosh

Music

Bombenga and Vox Africa, Naluki yo Trop Elodie

Around Town

The Field Museum of Natural History has a nkisi in their Africa exhibit, along with an informative video about the use of the nkisi figure.

Harvest Fest Trivia

2009-11-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

As we enter the harvest season, we recognize the universal need to celebrate, give thanks, and acknowledge our dependence on the fruits of the earth. People all over the world commemorate harvest time with festivals. How much do you know about harvest festivals from around the world? Test your knowledge with these harvest festival questions pulled together by art teacher and Global Explorers Kids board member Amy Vecchioni.

1. Homowo is a harvest festival rooted in the Ga peoples' travel westward. After harvesting their crops they celebrate Homowo - literally, "hooting at hunger" - because the years of famine are over. This festival is celebrated in:
A. Jordan
B. Lao
C. Ghana

2. Holi is a harvest festival that celebrates the love story of Krishna and Radha. Often during processionals, figures of Krishna and Radha are sitting on a swing of flowers. People celebrate Holi by throwing red and blue powder at each other. Sometimes they even throw water. This festival is celebrated in:
A. Cambodia
B. Nepal
C. India

3. The Green Corn Festival is a festival of thanksgiving and forgiveness. The first few days are known as Busk - a period of fasting. After the Busk, people celebrate by eating corn, corn tortillas, corn soup, and corn bread. This festival is celebrated by the:
A. Maya
B. Creek
C. Inuit

4. Argungu is a fishing harvest festival. A one-mile stretch of the Argungu River is protected all year long so that everyone can fish for 45 minutes and have an amazing harvest. Canoe races and diving competitions culminate the event. This festival is celebrated in:
A. Nigeria
B. Vietnam
C. Peru

5. The Harvest Moon Festival's origins are a mystery. The tale that accompanies this festival is that Chang Er swallowed a pill to turn into a fairy to escape the pursuit of her husband. It is said that we can see Chang Er in the full moon. The mmon is the symbol of abundance, harmony, and luck. Families celebrate with picnics and moon cakes. The Harvest Moon Festival is celebrated in:
A. Korea
B. China
C. The Philippines

6. Nubaigai is a festival that celebrates a good harvest with a processional. A harvest wreath is carried on a plate with a white linen cloth. The procession sings an old song about how they rescued the crop from a huge bison that tried to devour it. This festival is celebrated in:
A. Lithuania
B. Canada
C. Pakistan

7. Crop Over is a harvest festival featuring an effigy known as Mr. Harding. He is made from trash and wears a top hat, coat, and mask. He symbolizes the cruel gang drivers and the hard times until next crop. Crop Over is celebrated in:
A. Dominican Republic
B. Jamaica
C. Barbados

8. The symbols of Kwanzaa, rooted in Pan-African harvest festivals, are a straw mat, fruits and vegetables, a kinara (seven-branched candle holder), an ear of corn, gifts, the unity cup, and seven candles. What color are the candles?
A. red, black, and yellow
B. red, green, and black
C. red, black, and green

9. This Harvest Festival is celebrated to honor the Tree of Life, the root of all things. The story that accompanies the celebration is that the spirit of the trees could be captured by making use of its branches. Amate, bark paper, is used to paint harvest scenes. Adam and Eve are often painted on amate paper. This harvest festival is celebrated in:
A. Guatemala
B. Mexico
C. Colombia

10. Trung Tru is a harvest festival that focuses on children. In folklore, parents believed that the children had to play by themselves during the growing season. This mid-autumn festival is an opportunity for parents to show their love and appreciation for their children. It is celebrated in:
A. Vietnam
B. China
C. Japan

11.The first American Thanksgiving was a harvest festival celebrated by the Native Americans and the Pilgrims. In addition to foods from the recent harvest, the Native Americans gave the Pilgrims:
A. clothes for winter
B. wood for their fires
C. seeds for spring

12. Yagan Orimi is a harvest festival where people offer prayers not only for a good harvest but for the safe delivery of infants. Yagan Orimi is celebrated in:
A. Japan
B. Malaysia
C. Macedonia

13. The Lavender Festival is a harvest festival that celebrates the lavender crops of the region. This is an educational festival that is filled with perfume demonstrations, distillation workshops, and harvesting showcases. It is celebrated in:
A. Australia
B. France
C. Scotland

14. The Feast of St. Martin of Tours was first held in honor of the Hungarian Saint that, as legend goes, hid in a barn when he heard that he had been appointed bishop. He didn't think he deserved such an honor. The legend says that his hiding place was given away by a honking goose, so each year this harvest festival is celebrated by cooking a roasted goose. The feast is held in:
A. Poland
B. The Netherlands
C. Belgium

15. The festival of Sukkot lasts for seven days. It has three special tree branches - a palm, a willow, and a myrtle - that symbolize uprightness, humility, and faithfulness. Sukkot is celebrated in:
A. Wales
B. Ukraine
C. Israel

16. Lammas is the celebration of bread. It is a festival that thanks nature for its wheat harvest and asks for a safe winter. Lammas is celebrated in:
A. Ireland
B. France
C. Finland

17. In Germany there is a famous harvest festival that celebrates the cowherds returning from the mountains. The animals are adorned with flowers and the first straws of hay are hung over the doors of barns with the saying "This is food for the dead." Another famous German harvest festival is:
A. KristKindl
B. Oktoberfest
C. Fasching

answers: 1. C, 2. C, 3. B, 4. A, 5. B, 6. A, 7. C, 8. B, 9. B, 10. A, 11. C, 12. A, 13. A, 14. B, 15. C, 16. A, 17. B

For more information on harvest festivals around the world, visit harvestfestivals.net and Family Culture.

Tibetan Prayer Flags

2009-10-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Internal peace is a central theme in Tibetan art, where a main focus of the Tibetan Buddhist religion is to strive for peace with the universe (nirvana), free of anger and other afflictive states. Prayer flags are one form of Tibetan art that focus issues of peace. Prayer flags -- special flags that are block printed by Buddhist Masters with matras, prayers, and good luck symbols and words -- have been made in Tibet for thousands of years. They are planted to bring happiness and peace to those around. The flags are hung outside where they can blow in the wind. It is said that the wind carries the prayers out over the countryside and brings goodwill to everyone around. Prayer flags always come in groups of five, in colors symbolizing the five elements: yellow = earth; green = water; red = fire; white = air; and blue = space.

Global Explorers Kids has adapted the idea of Tibetan prayer flags, helping children to create "Flags of Peace." The children design images of peace for the world, then block print them on cloth flags. The children at Waters Elementary School printed their flags, then hung them in the school garden during a simple ceremony where they shared their thoughts on peace, then sampled some Asian snacks. The photo above shows some of their flags hanging in the garden.

Sand mandalas are another form of Tibetan art that focuses on internal peace. Mandala means circle, polygon, community, or connection in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. Mandalas are special symmetric circles with geometric designs that represent the universe. They are used by Tibetan Buddhists as an aid to meditation. Mandalas made from sand are unique to Tibetan Buddhism. They are said to have positive healing energies, which extend to the whole world. After a sand mandala is completed, it is swept up and dispersed into flowing water – to symbolize the impermanence of life and further spread its healing energies. Students can explorer the idea of the mandala by creating geometric patterns within a circle, or try their hand at creating patterns with sand.

Tibetan Resources

Tibetan Vocabulary
Hello tashi delek goodbye kaley shu peace zhi bde

Online activities and resources
Video slideshow of Tibetan Prayer Flags http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aswb7RjBOTg&feature=relate
Online interactive Mandala http://www.permadi.com/java/spaint/spaint.html
Video – Global Grover in Tibet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMEvFdF-988
Greatest Places: Tibet http://www.greatestplaces.org/book_pages/tibet2.htm
Video slide show of Tibet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVavlr9MW0s&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUv8wDx7CaQ&feature=related
Video of creation of a sand mandala http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6b7iro-qZ4
Video of Tibetan monks chanting over sand mandala http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKE6GthLpX8
Tibetan folktales http://www.sacred-texts.com/asia/tft/index.htm

Books
The Mountains of Tibet, by Mordicai Gerstein
Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet, by Lotta Carswell Hume and Koon-Chiu Lo
Where is Tibet? by Gina Halpern
All The Way to Lhasa: A Tale from Tibet, by Barbara Helen Berger
Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas, by Naomi C. Rose
The Boy Who Had a Dream: A Nomadic Folk Tale from Tibet, by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche and Pankaj Thapa
The Three Silver Coins: A Story from Tibet, by Veronica Leo, Tashi Daknewa
Tibet: The Land; Tibet: The People; Tibet: The Culture, three books by Bobbie Kalman

Music
Eternal Journey: Authentic Music from Tibet, Various Artists
Tibet Tibet, Yungchen Lhamo
Voice of Tibet, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
Tibetan Sacred Temple Music, Eight Lamas from Drepung

Around Town
Tibet Center Chicago, 6073 N. Paulina, Chicago, IL 60660, sometimes hosts special events.

Welcome to our new (old) blog!

2009-10-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new (old) blog! In order to make our blog the most useful, without being redundant, Global Explorers Kids will use the blog to share information on bringing cultural education through the arts to children. For information about Global Explorers Kids events visit our website and/or facebook page.

In the upcoming weeks, we'll share examples about how artists around the world act as peacemakers through their art, offering resources and activities. Please let us know what types of information you'd like us to include in the future, or share your ideas with us.

Happy explorations!

A Culinary Expedition: a fundraiser to benefit Global Explorers Kids

2009-05-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Please join us as we take you on a mouthwatering culinary expedition through various countries! Chef Hugh Amano, chef and author of Food on the Dole (http://foodonthedole.blogspot.com/) and his assistant Ariel Diamond of Green Zebra, will be preparing hors d'oeuvres and dishes native to Thailand, Hungary, Mexico and Japan. Christopher Becerra will construct cocktails and pair wines to accompany this family style dinner.

This is not only a chance to eat well and learn about culture through food and spirits, but also to share an intimate food experience with friends and neighbors. Come, see, and taste for yourself the bounty that other cultures have to offer.

Surprise musical guest!

Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009
Time: 6:30 pm- 9:30.
Location: 4442 N Maplewood Ave. Chicago, IL, 60625
Price: $40 per person includes family style meal with wine pairings.
Please RSVP by May 20, 2009 to globalexplorerskids@yahoo.com
Seating is limited; please reserve as soon as possible!

Sponsors: Metropolis Coffee, Harvest Time Foods, Whole Foods, Uncommon Ground and Andy’s Fruit Ranch.

Andy’s Fruit Ranch http://www.andysfruitranch.com/
Harvest Time Foodshttp://www.harvestimefoods.com/
Metropolis Coffee http://www.metropoliscoffee.com/
Uncommon Ground http://www.uncommonground.com/

Upcoming Events

2009-04-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Bring your kids to Kids in the Square on 4/25!!!

Global Explorers Kids invites you to join us in Giddings Plaza (Lincoln Ave. and Giddings St. in Lincoln Square, just south of Lawrence Ave.) on Saturday, April 25 from 11am to 1pm. We'll have great art activities for your kids to enjoy! And on the same day...

Waters School Market Day!!!
Global Explorers Kids invites you to join us at Waters School on Saturday, April 25 from 10am to 4pm. The fun will be at 4540 N. Campbell just south of Wilson Ave. We'll be showcasing our upcoming Uthando Project.

Global Explorers: A Culinary Expedition!!!
This very special event will be a fundraiser to benefit Global Explorers Kids on Thursday, June 4 from 6:30 to 9:30. $40 includes hors d'oeuvres, dinner, dessert, plus wine and cocktail pairings. More information is forthcoming.

Chicago-Jamaica Culture Quilt at the Chicago Children's Museum

2008-12-05T11:40:00.003-08:00

The Chicago-Jamaica Culture Quilt is on display at the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier through the end of 2008. The quilt made it's public debut at the Museum on Thursday, December 4, 5:00-8:00 pm during the Museum's Free Family Night Winter Celebrations event. The Museum provided a bus so that the children in Chicago who participated in the project could attend the event, along with their family members.

During the evening, Global Explorers Kids had an activity table, inviting children to create fabric collage quilt squares depicting winter celebrations. Many other Museum partners were also part of the Winter Celebrations event so the children were treated to Persian and Swedish activities and performances of Native American, Russian and Puerto Rican music, as well as Swedish, Chinese, Korean, and Irish dance.

Everyone had an enjoyable evening and the children were especially excited to see their artwork and videos displayed in a museum.

Chicago-Jamaica Culture Quilt at the Chicago Children

2008-12-05T11:40:00.001-08:00

Jamaica Report From our Student Ambassador

2008-09-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Angelina, age 7, went to Jamaica with her mom, Global Explorers Kids Director Holly Hutto. Angelina served as our student ambassador while we worked on a collaborative project between the children of Chicago and the children of Treasure Beach, Jamaica. Below is her report of the trip:

_________________

My experience in Jamaica

Through the time I was in Jamaica and the camp I had the experience of learning how to get over the hotness, making new friends, being sort of an assistant teacher, and getting used to the salty water. By getting used to the feeling of being in a totally different place than my home, I finally realized, when I got back home, that I was more used to Jamaica now, than my home.

Things I did in Jamaica

Well, let’s see, in Jamaica I went snorkling a lot, had dinner outside on an outdoor table, ate WONDERFUL food such as fish, veggies, rice, chicken, cornmeal and coconut porridge, cooked plantains, ackee, bammy, sour cherries, cactus fruit, pod cakes, johnny cakes, quesadillas, jerk chicken, pumpkin soup, curry chicken, and more. I actually did a dance with some older girls. It was easy to learn because I watched them dance for a while, then I joined in.

What we did during camp

At the camp, we did art projects. We did papel picado. We did, let’s see, we worked on paintings for the quilt, we read stories, we did face painting, we jumped rope, we played games on the beach, and more.

What some of the kids did for me

Some of the kids were very cool. Once I found three sand dollars on the side of the road, and one boy cleaned off the sand dollars for me and another boy cracked one open to show me the little creature living inside. In Jamaica, they don’t call them sand dollars, they call them sea biscuits. They don’t know what we mean by sand dollars.

What’s exciting and what’s not

Ummmmmmmmmm, well, at night, in Jamaica, at the hotel room, there’s not much to do except play cards, read books, and do nothing. Once it gets dark and everybody stops playing and gets ready for bed, not much to do when we’re already ready for bed and not really doing anything. But then, when we go to sleep and wake up in the morning…it’s a brand new day and it’s not like last night where we hung around not doing anything. We can do anything we want now, like snorkeling or walk to Jack Sprat’s (a restaurant over a mile walk from the hotel). We usually have to bring water because it’s a long way to walk.

The big storm

We had a little bit of a hurricane in Jamaica. It was really in the other parts of Jamaica, not in Treasure Beach (where we were), but we had the winds and the rain parts of it. Both our and our friend’s (Manassah) rooms were flooded. Our room was flooded because the rain came through the windows since we had slatted windows. But Manassah’s room was flooded because the rain came through the crack under her door. Out the window, from a little bit of a distance, I saw a tree that was knocked down from the storm. And, before the storm happened, we saw that it was raining in other parts of Jamaica. And I actually saw a lightning bolt from where the storm was. Oooooo, it must have been raining really hard down there. I’m just glad I wasn’t in that storm. But the hurricane also caused us to have no electricity or water. Stephanie (the person that told my mommy about going down to Jamaica and helping with the camp) filled up buckets with rain water since we didn’t have any water and our toilet wouldn’t flush. So we put that water in the toilet. And Viking (Stephanie’s husband) gave us a water container to drink from and to use as teeth water. And Manassah used our cereal bowl to catch rain water to fill up the bowl to use as teeth water.

The best parts of Jamaica

The best part of Jamaica was feeding the goats, playing with the kids, snorkeling, Jack Sprat’s icecream, seeing an actual mongoose running, doing the dance with the older girls, seeing a giant croc while I was in a fishing boat, seeing crabs in a crab net, the pond (with lots of lily pads and water lilies), and climbing the tree next to the pond.

What I learned in Jamaica

I learned that it’s very, very hot there, even in the winter. It doesn’t get cold like it does in Chicago because it is more to the equator so it doesn’t get cold. I learned that it’s easier to get sunburned there, and that in Jamaica you can go to the beach anytime you want, especially at our hotel because the beach is just right across the little tiny dirt road with lots of thorns and you have to walk single file. And I learned not to be afraid of sand crabs because all they’ll do when you come close to them is run away, although sometimes when you’re just sitting there not doing anything thinking they’ll not mind anything they’ll come a little closer to you and you get a little frightening. I learned that it can be hard to understand some of the real Jamaicans because they have an accent and way of talking that’s hard to understand and when they speak to each other they speak patois so you have no idea what they’re talking about. Some words you understand and other words you do not.

The friends I made in Jamaica

The friends I made were: Eleni, Anath, Naomi, Safir, Sabrina, the volunteers from New Zealand, Manassah, Stephanie, Viking, Nia, Sommer, Dominic, Portia, and the other kids at the camp.

Jamaica Project update

2008-09-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

August 19-30, 2008, Global Explorers Kids Director Holly Hutto, and her daughter/student ambassador Angelina were in Treasure Beach, Jamaica volunteering at the VIJON (Volunteer in Jamaica Opportunity Network) summer art camp. Scheduled for 5 days, 5 hours a day, the last day of camp had to be canceled due to Tropical Storm Gustav which brought a day and a half of rain and wind to Treasure Beach - typically the driest area of Jamaica. About 20-25 children from Treasure Beach participated in the camp, which provided children with arts and crafts activities, sports and games, and one meal and snack a day. Coordinated by Stephanie Genus of VIJON, the camp is offered free to the children, many of whom come from low-income families. VIJON also provides the campers with school supplies, to help them offset the personal expense of school.

During the camp, Global Explorers Kids helped the children work on a collaborative project with children in Chicago. The children in Chicago and the children in Treasure Beach are each working on squares for a culture quilt - providing them an opportunity to share their cultures with each other via painting, fabric collage, photography, words, video, and more. Children and families participating in Global Explorers Kids summer camp donated pencils, paper, folders, and markers for the children in Treasure Beach, which were distributed to the children along with additional supplies that were donated to VIJON.

Work continues on the project as Global Explorers Kids edits the children's videos, prints their photographs, and works on sewing their quilt squares together. The project will be documented online and the finished quilt will be publicly displayed at a later date. Stay tuned for a personal account of the Jamaica trip from our 7-year-old student ambassador Angelina Kujaca-Hutto!

Storytelling Traditions Around the World

2008-06-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

The children at the Global Explorers Kids after school program at Waters Elementary School just finished a session on Storytelling Traditions Around the World. Through the class, students learned about the importance of storytelling around the world and found out about some nontraditional ways of sharing a story. During the eight-week program, 17 children, ages 4-10, created Japanese Kamishibai, Pueblo Indian storyteller figures, storycloths, and sculptural stories. The next few posts share some of the information they learned.

Sculptural Stories

2008-06-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sculptural Stories. Many cultures use sculpture, in particular carvings, to record history and legends. Usually, those within the cultures are familiar with the stories being preserved, and are able to "read" the carvings. After learning about how other cultures preserve stories in sculpture, Global Explorers Kids created their own story sculptures out of painted wood (photo 4).

Totem poles. (photo 1) Totem poles are made by the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. Carved from giant trees, the totem poles tell stories. Usually the stories are about the family who had the pole made. Sometimes, the stories are about Native American legends. The stories are passed down orally, from parents to children. Those who are familiar with the stories are able to read the stories presented in the totem poles.

Royal altar tusks. (photo 2) Carved altar tusks are made by the Edo people of the Kingdom of Benin, in southern Nigeria, for a new oba (king), to honor his father. The carvings on the tusks tell stories of the Kingdom of Benin. The stories can be historical or mythical, or a combination of both. Many stories talk about the greatness of the oba’s father.

Whakairo. (photo 3) Whakairo is the term for Maori carving. Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. The main media for carving is wood, jade, bone, stone, and human flesh (ta moko – tattooing). The carvings served as a way to record history and mythology.

Resources
Books
Totem Pole, by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Totem Tale: A Tall Story from Alaska, by Deb Vanasse

Online activities and resources
How to read Maori carving http://www.maori.org.nz/whakairo/
Animated Maori creation myth http://mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth/myths/english/2_maori_full.htm
Diagram of the Royal Altar Tusk at the Art Institute of Chicago http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Africa/pages/tusk_diagram.pdf
Stories told on the Royal Altar Tusk at the Art Institute of Chicago http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Africa/pages/oba.pdf
Haida totem poles http://www.k12.nf.ca/stbernards/totem/
Make your own totem pole printable
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/0876287887_63_64.pdf
Color a totem pole http://www.mrnussbaum.com/totemcoloring.htm
Build an online totem pole http://www.mrnussbaum.com/inttotem.htm
Totem pole story http://library.thinkquest.org/5160/salmonbearravenframes.html
Video look at totem poles on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpIUKGXKoVs&feature=related
Video look at Maori woodcarving on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rFBdMlzGVo

Around Town
The Field Museum of Chicago has examples of totem poles from the Indians of the Pacific Northwest, Maori Whakairo, and royal tusk carving. Visit these to see how other cultures tell stories through carving. Another example of a Royal Altar Tusk can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago, in the African galleries.

Illustrating Oral Stories

2008-06-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Illustrating oral stories. Stories were first shared orally, but it wasn't long before oral storytellers started illustrating the stories they told. Sometimes the pictures were created on the spot, as in Aboriginal sand talk and Yup'ik storyknifing. In other cases, storytellers created pictures ahead of time, to be referred to as the story was being told. In the Global Explorers Kids class, children learned about different ways of illustrating oral stories. They had the opportunity to tell a story while illustrating it in the sand, as many Aboriginal people do in Australia, then they created their own Kamishibai stories.

Aboriginal sand talk. In Central Australia, the aboriginals often tell stories while drawing pictures in the sand to illustrate the story. As the story moves along, the images are wiped clean and the storyteller starts with a fresh ground.

Storyknifing. Storyknifing is a style of storytelling, similar to Aboriginal sand talk, used by the Yup’ik of Alaska. As a story is being told, pictures are drawn in the mud with a special knife made out of antler, ivory, or wood. The knives are carved by the fathers and grandfathers, and given as special gifts to the girls. Storyknifing was traditionally used to pass stories down through the generations, usually from mothers to daughters. Today, groups of girls will tell stories to each other using the storyknife.

Kamishibai. Kamishibai , a form of Japanese storytelling, means “paper drama.” Thought to have begun in Buddhist temples in the 12th century, kamishibai is best known as a form of street entertainment that was popular in the 1920’s-1950’s. The kamishibai storyteller rode between villages on a bicycle that had a small stage. He announced his arrival by clapping together two sticks. As children came to hear the stories, they bought candy from the kamishibai storyteller. The storyteller would tell several stories, using illustrated cards that were inserted in the stage and pulled as the story was told. Today, kamishibai is being used in Japanese schools to teach literacy.

Resources
Books
Kamishibai Man, by Allen Say
Terrific Tales to Tell: From the Storyknifing Tradition, by Valerie Marsh and Patrick K. Luzadder
Tundra Mouse: A Storyknife Tale, by Megan McDonald

Cd
Jaliyaa Storytelling: Stories & Music of West Africa, Storyteller Asha's Baba

Online activities and resources
Video of a traditional Kamishibai storyteller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUcEJcsh2h4
Video of an African storyteller - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP_LTtFYt3A&feature=related
Audio of Aboriginal storytellers telling stories of the Dreamtime http://www.dreamtime.net.au/dreaming/storylist.htm
Flash animated Gullah tales, told in English and Gullah http://www.knowitall.org/gullahtales/

Pueblo Storytellers

2008-06-03T11:24:00.001-07:00

Pueblo Indian Storytellers. Pueblo Indian potters have been making figures out of clay for centuries, but the storyteller figures that they are famous for did not appear until the 1960’s. The storyteller figures, which show an elder with children gathered around to hear a story, reflect the importance of storytelling in the Pueblo culture. For centuries, Pueblo Indian elders have passed down their culture, traditions, and history to the children through oral stories and songs. The picture on the left is a traditional storyteller figure from Taos Pueblo. The figure on the right was created by a student in the Global Explorers Kids after school program.

Resources
Books
Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale, by Gerald McDermott
The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story, by Penny Pollock and Ed Young
The Magic Hummingbird: A Hopi Folktale, by Ekkehart Malotki, Michael Lomatuway'Ma, and Michael Lacapa
Helen Cordero & the Storytellers of the Cochiti Pueblo, by Nancy Shroyer Howard
Pueblo Stories and Storytellers, by Mark Bahti
Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters (We Are Still Here), by Rina Swentzell and Bill Steen
Pueblo Storyteller, by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith

Cd/Dvd
The Keepers of the Earth, Red Feather Woman
The Little Hawk Show: Native American Stories & Songs

Online activities and resources

Native American storyteller – tales of wonder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlHtzU133NI
Mini lecture on Pueblo Storyteller figures on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ubb28IEFU&feature=related
Pictures of storyteller figures (this is a commercial site, but has some good pictures to see what the figures look like) http://www.chimayotrading.com/Pottery/Storyteller%201.htm

Stories in Textiles

2008-06-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Stories in Textiles
While often used for utilitarian purposes, such as clothing, bedding, and rugs, textile art is also used by cultures around the world as a way to preserve their histories, stories, and traditions. The children viewed examples of stories in textiles, including Hmong story cloths, Faith Ringgold’s story quilts, and Chilean and Peruvian Arpilleras, then created their own storycloths (photo 1).

Hmong story cloths. (photo 3) The Hmong are an ethnic group, originally from the mountains of South China and Laos. During the war in Laos, many Hmong fled the country and were resettled as refugees in Thailand and Western countries. Their traditional arts include complex textile designs. The story cloths they are known for are a recent development. Hmong men began making drawings of traditional stories so that they’d be remembered during the difficult days of war. They started making stories about the war, as well. In the refugee camps, the women would stitch these stories on cloth. These story cloths became an important source of income for the Hmong in the refugee camps.

Faith Ringgold’s Story quilts. (photo 2) Faith Ringgold is an African-American artist who draws inspiration from her roots. Quilting and storytelling are traditional art forms in the African-American and African communities. Quilts often tell stories, or send messages, using symbols. Ringgold drew on this history, taking it a step further, by telling personal stories through both pictures and words. Some of her story quilts are almost like books in the form of a quilt.

Arpilleras. (photo 4) Arpilleras are three-dimensional textile pictures, common in South America. They originated in Chile, where women political prisoners made them to send secret notes to outside helpers. Today, the best known arpilleras come from the shantytowns around Lima, Peru. Arpilleras tell the stories of everyday life and political injustices through pictures.

Resources
Books
Dia's Story Cloth: The Hmong People's Journey of Freedom, by Dia Cha
The Whispering Cloth: A Refugee's Story, by Pegi Deitz Shea
Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold
Stitching Stars: The Story Quilts of Harriet Powers, by Mary E. Lyons
Tonight is Carnaval, by Arthur Dorros

Online activities and resources
Faith Ringgold’s official site – view images of her story quilts www.faithringgold.com
Hmong Story cloth images http://www.hmongstudies.com/PajNtaubImageLibrary
Images of arpilleras (this is a commercial site) http://www.crossroadstrade.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CT&Category_Code=ARPILLERASPrint and color an arpillera http://www.spiritseasons.com/client20/pdf/coloring-page.pdf

Global Explorers Kids Preschool Sessions

2008-05-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Global Explorers Kids has been providing cultural workshops to preschoolers attending the Waters Elementary School state and tuition-based preschools and to preschoolers at All About Kids Learning Academy. Preschoolers are creating culturally-specific crafts, learning about a different culture each week. The sessions begin with a song, locating the country/culture on the map, and learning about the craft. Many times, children see real life examples of crafts from various cultures, before creating their own projects. Children have made Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls, Adinkra cloths from Ghana, Mexican animalitos, Tibetan prayer flags, Indian diwa lamps, Kenyan dolls, Japanese carp kites, and more. The program serves 85 preschoolers each week.

Hello Everybody! We're here!

2008-03-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Just a quick posting to greet everybody out in blog-land. We'll be posting all sorts of things related to our mission of teaching kids about the world through art.

Stay tuned!