Different places,
similar lives?
Similarities and Differences
A unit for children
aged 7-9 years
www.greatlearning.com/ipc
Fieldwork Education Limited
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Contents
Introduction
3
Basic Information
6
Learning Targets
7
The Entry Point
10
Knowledge Harvest
12
Explaining the Theme
13
The Big Picture
15
Society Learning Targets
20
Society Tasks
21
Geography Learning Targets
31
Geography Tasks
32
History Learning Targets
52
History Tasks
53
Technology Learning Targets
57
Technology Tasks
58
International Learning Targets
63
International Tasks
64
The Exit Point
69
Assessment
70
Resources
71
Draft Letter to Parents
76
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2
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Introduction
This is a unit of the International Primary Curriculum
The IPC has been developed to provide support to teachers so that four main aims can be
achieved. They are:
• To help children learn the subject knowledge, skills and understandings they need to
become aware of the world around them
• To help children develop the personal skills they need to take an active part in the
world throughout their lives
• To help children develop an international mindset alongside their awareness of their
own nationality
• To do each of these in ways which take into account up-to-date research into how
children learn and how they can be encouraged to be life-long learners
The IPC has a simple but comprehensive structure
Everything is based on clearly defined learning goals which lay out the subject, personal
and international knowledge, skills and understandings children need at different stages
of their primary school life:
33 Learning Goal
A specific statement of what children should ‘know’, ‘be able to do’ or develop
an ‘understanding’ of at different mileposts. The IPC contains learning goals for
each subject of the curriculum, for personal development and for ‘international
mindedness’.
A full description of the different subject learning goals can be found in the ‘The IPC
Learning Goals’ section of the Teachers’ Manual.
33 Learning Target
An IPC learning target is a refined learning goal specifically related, where
appropriate, to the content of each unit of work.
33 Personal Goal
The IPC has eight personal goals: adaptability, communication, cooperation, enquiry,
morality, resilience, respect and thoughtfulness. Efforts towards developing these
personal qualities and learning dispositions should be reflected in the whole
curriculum and in all other aspects of school life. Personal goals are referenced at
the end of each task where there is an opportunity to develop them as part of the
learning experience. A full description of each personal goal can be found in the ‘The
IPC Learning Goals’ section of the Teachers’ Manual.
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3
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
33 International Goal
The IPC has written a set of international goals which are specifically developed
through the ‘International’ tasks, which appear as the last subject in every unit of
work. Efforts towards developing ‘international mindedness’ should be reflected
in the whole curriculum and in all other aspects of school life. The content of each
unit should also seek to explore global issues whilst inspiring positive action and
engagement with these. A full description of the international goals can be found in
the ‘The IPC Learning Goals’ section of the Teachers’ Manual.
33 A Process of Learning
The units of work provide practical activities which teachers can use in the classroom
plus a wealth of other supportive information. Each unit is structured to make sure
that children’s learning experiences are as stimulating as possible.
All the units follow the same process of learning as described below (see page 1
of ‘Teaching the IPC’ for a full description of IPC units of work, available via the
Members’ Lounge).
33 Entry Point
The entry point is an activity for children that begins each unit of work and provides
an exciting introduction to the work that is to follow. Entry points can last from one
hour to a week, depending on the age of the children and the appropriateness of the
activity.
33 Knowledge Harvest
The knowledge harvest takes place in the early stages of each unit and provides an
opportunity for children to reveal what they already know about the themes they
are studying. This bank of knowledge can then be added to, developed and even
challenged by the teacher, throughout the course of the unit.
33 Explain The Theme
This activity involves the teacher helping the children to see the ‘big idea’ of the unit
of work before embarking on the subject learning.
33 Big Picture
The big picture provides teachers with subject-based background information to the
issues contained within the unit.
33 Research Activity
Each IPC unit has a research activity and a recording activity. Research activities
always precede the recording activities. During research activities, children use a
variety of methods and work in different group sizes to find out a range of information.
33 Recording Activity
During the recording activities, children interpret the learning they have researched
and have the opportunity to demonstrate, share and explain their learning in different
ways.
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4
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
33 Exit Point
The exit point has two main purposes. First, to help children pull together their
learning from the unit and second, to celebrate the learning that has taken place.
Disclaimer
The IPC is not responsible for the content of websites or videos listed in this unit. We cannot guarantee
nor accept any liability for the content or links of any websites or videos featured in this unit. We
strongly recommend that the websites and videos are checked before being used in the classroom.
The websites and videos listed in this unit are not under the control of the IPC. We have no control
over the nature, content and availability of those websites and videos. The inclusion of links to any
websites or videos does not imply a recommendation of, or endorse the views expressed within,
those websites and videos.
The IPC takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, any website or video becoming unavailable.
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5
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Basic Information
This section details the time allocation for this unit of work, links to other subjects and
Assessment for Learning opportunities.
Timings
This unit of work is intended to last about 7-8 weeks.
The following suggested timings are approximate guides and are dependent on each
school’s individual context.
Approx no. of hours
Approx no. of weeks
Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest, Explain the Theme
6
¾
Society
16
2
History 8
1
Technology
8
1
Geography
10
1¼
International 6
¾
Exit Point
6
¾
Links to other IPC subjects
ICT learning goals are included in the above subject learning. Links to ICT, art, history,
music and science are provided at the end of tasks where appropriate.
Language Arts and Mathematics links
Suggestions of how to include links to Language Arts and Mathematics are provided where
appropriate at the end of tasks.
Assessment for Learning opportunities
Opportunities to assess your children’s skills progress exist throughout the unit. Wherever
you see the symbol, you can use the teachers’ and children’s rubrics in the IPC
Assessment for Learning Programme.
Each task also highlights possible Assessment for Learning opportunities.
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6
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Learning Targets
Society Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know that they belong to different groups, have different home countries and
different nationalities
2.2 Know that different groups have different purposes
2.3 Know that people within groups have different outlooks, characteristics and purposes
2.5 Know that people in different countries have different traditions, celebrations and
ways of living
2.9 Understand that celebrations are influenced by a variety of factors, including
beliefs and history
Geography Learning Targets
Children will:
2.3 Know how the nature of particular localities affects the lives of people
2.4 Know about the weather and climatic conditions in the host country and other
selected countries and how they affect the crops grown and the lives of the people
living there
2.5 Be able to use geographical terms
2.6 Be able to describe the main geographical features of the area immediately
surrounding the school
2.7 Be able to make simple maps and plans of familiar locations
2.8 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and geographical
features of particular localities
2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information
2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and understanding to ask
and answer questions about geographical and environmental features
2.12 Understand how places fit into a wider geographical context
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7
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
History Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know about the main events, dates and characteristics of the host country and the
other countries being studied
2.2 Know about how the lives of people in the host country and the other countries
have changed in the last 100 years
2.4 Be able to give some reasons for particular events and changes
2.5 Be able to gather information from simple sources
2.6 Be able to use their knowledge and understanding to answer simple questions
about the past and about changes
Technology Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know that the way in which products are designed and made affects their
usefulness
2.2 Be able to design and make products to meet specific needs
2.3 Be able to make usable plans
2.4 Be able to make and use labelled sketches as designs
2.5 Be able to use simple tools and equipment with some accuracy
2.6 Be able to identify and implement improvements to their designs and products
2.7 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific
needs
2.8 Be able to suggest improvements to products in everyday use
International Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know about some of the similarities and differences between developed and
developing countries and between them and the host country
2.2 Know about ways in which similarities and differences between different countries
affect the lives of people
2.3 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from, but equal to,
their own
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8
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
ICT: Opportunities for ICT Learning Goals
Children will:
2.1
Know about some applications of ICT in work situations
2.2
Know about some applications of ICT in daily life
2.3
Know about some of the ways in which the use of ICT in work situations affects
people’s lives
2.4 Be able to find and use stored information from a variety of sources
2.5 Be able to use ICT to support and present their work in other subjects
2.6 Be able to use sequences of instruction to control devices and achieve specific
outcomes
2.8
Understand that ICT can be used responsibly and creatively to people’s benefit
The above ICT Learning Goals can be covered in the following tasks:
Task
ICT Learning Goals
Society Task 1
2.2, 2.5, 2.8
Society Task 2
2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5
Society Task 3
2.2, 2.8
Society Extension Task
2.4, 2.5
Geography Task 1
2.2, 2.5, 2.8
Geography Task 2
2.2, 2.5
Geography Task 3
2.4, 2.5
Geography Task 4
2.4
Geography Task 5
2.4
Geography Task 7
2.4, 2.5
Geography Extension Task
2.4, 2.5
History Task 1
2.4
History Task 2
2.4
History Extension Task
2.5
Technology Task 1
2.6
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9
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
The Entry Point
Create a video that introduces your class to other school children in other classes around
the world.
The following video will provide inspiration and a useful reference point:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c2UXqhF9fA
YouTube hosts this short film featuring children from Grazebrook Primary School
in Hackney, England, talking about how they learn with the International Primary
Curriculum..
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘safety’ tab which brings
up the ‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’ option, then click ‘save’)
Note: first ask permission from the parents for their children to appear in the video
and consult your school’s IT policy. You must protect the children’s privacy in the video
recording, e.g. do not identify individual children using their full names, use first names
only and do not state their ages.
Talk with the children about Grazebrook Primary School’s video and how you might create
your own. What would you like to show and say about your learning to the rest of the
world? What are you most proud of about your school and what would you like others to
know? After introducing the theme of the video ask children to work in pairs or groups to
plan a script around a theme such as: ‘Things which I am proud of in my school’ or ‘How I
learn at school’.
You may need to build in extra time to fully unpick the process of script writing in
another lesson such as extended writing depending on children’s age and ability. Time to
familiarise themselves with cameras and tripods filming equipment will also be essential.
Your video could include:
• The school setting – a glimpse of the outside of the building and its grounds
• Inside the classroom – show what your classroom looks like
• The class as a group – the children could introduce themselves by saying ‘Hello’ in
their own language and in any other languages they are learning
Filming in class works best if you dedicate some time to some careful planning before
hand. Put the children into groups (groups of five or six work best) and ask them to
organise themselves into a production team. Brainstorm the different roles that each child
will have. For example, two children could be the presenters, some of the children could
be interviewers and others could volunteer to answer questions. You will need a camera
person and possibly also a director to make sure that everyone knows what to do and the
filming runs smoothly. Ask the children to map out the structure of their films and agree
on a script and a location for filming; finally make sure that cameras are charged and that
the children are familiar with the equipment before embarking on your films.
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10
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
To make your video available online you could create a class Google account and upload
your video to YouTube.
For more on how to create a YouTube account visit:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/161805?hl=en
Google offers advice on how to create a YouTube account.
Once your video is online you will be able to post the link on your school website or blog,
or send it to a partner IPC school in a different country. For more information about other
IPC schools please visit the Members’ Lounge on the IPC website. Before posting video
content of your class online, please remember to check your school’s ICT Policy.
Hopefully, you won’t need to wait too long before you get a response from another school!
ICT link: the video from Grazebrook school was unrehearsed but edited later using
iMovie. Video editing is the process by which raw film footage is turned into a
professional looking film. Mistakes can be deleted, footage can be rearranged and
put in a different order and sound effects, image effects, voiceovers, credits and
transitions (for example a blur transition that fades one scene into another) can be
added into your film.
If video editing software is available in your school you could spend a follow-up session
showing the children how to edit their finished movies.
For Mac users, you could use iMovie:
http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0.6/
Apple offers online help on getting started with iMovie.
For Microsoft users, you could use Movie Maker:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/getting-started-withwindows-movie-maker
Microsoft offers tutorials for beginners on how to get started with Movie Maker.
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11
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Knowledge Harvest
Display a large map of the world on the board or on the wall. Ask the children to tell those
sitting next to them what they know about other countries around the world.
You could start by asking them which countries they have visited on holiday or which
countries they have heard about on television. What have they learned about these
countries? For example, what do they know about the country’s geography (climate,
mountains, rivers, cities), people, products (what it makes and sells), language, diet,
customs, beliefs, tourism, etc. They could write this information on sticky notes.
Invite groups of children to add their sticky notes to the countries on the world map. When
they have done this, stand back and look at the spread of the results. Which countries do
the children know the most about?
Using globes, atlases and computer maps (such as Google Earth - www.google.com/earth/)
take a closer look at these countries and see if the children can name some of the major
cities. Also note some of the human and physical features of each country (mountains,
lakes, rivers, forests, settlements, etc.) If you wish, you can also use this opportunity to
recap the seven continents and the five oceans.
Are there any countries the children know nothing about? What do they think those
countries might be like? Take two or three examples and note their location in relation
to other countries the children may be already familiar with. Are there any assumptions
we can make based on our knowledge of nearby areas – weather, geography, culture,
language? Explore the children’s ideas. Consider any stereotypes that might have been
mentioned or prompt the children to think about any stereotypical views that could hinder
their learning of new places and people.
You could extend the knowledge harvest by inviting the children to bring in postcards,
photographs or objects from a country that they or their family have been to. This should
not include the host country but may include their home countries. Hold a circle time and
encourage the children to show the items they have brought in and tell the rest of the
class what they know about what life is like in the country they have chosen. Ask them to
talk about what they think it is like to live there and any similarities or differences to the
host country.
This activity will provide the teacher with an idea of the extent of the knowledge of different
places and what research needs to be done to develop the children’s awareness of how
and why people have different lives.
Display the knowledge harvest (including the world map, postcards and objects from the
show and tell) prominently in the classroom where you can refer to and add to it as the
unit progresses.
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12
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Explaining The Theme
The big idea
People lead different lives. Even people in the same country, the same town or the same
street can have different lifestyles. But they can have things in common, too – they can
both like the same food or football team! We are going to find out about things that make
us different and things that make us the same.
In Society, we’ll be finding out:
• About ways of life in different countries
• About festivals and celebrations in other countries
In Geography, we’ll be finding out:
• What different countries are like
• How the climate affects the way people live
• Where our food comes from
• What people grow and eat in different countries
• What products we make in our host country
In History, we’ll be finding out:
• About important people in the countries we are studying
• About the way important people have changed lives
• How to make a timeline for the host country
In Technology, we’ll be finding out:
• How people, food and water are transported
• How wheels, levers, pulleys, slides and floats work
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13
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
In International, we’ll be finding out:
• About the difference between rich and poor countries
• Why people around the world have different lives
• What is being done to help the least developed countries
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14
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
The Big Picture
Connect and collaborate
You and the children will benefit enormously when working on this unit, if you connect and
collaborate with partner schools in other countries to share ideas, research and learning.
Ideally, you need to find at least two partner schools. One school should be in a
‘developed’ country and one in a ‘developing’ country. Look back at the knowledge harvest
to see where the children’s knowledge is wanting. You need to find schools that are
enthusiastic about communicating with your class on a regular basis (at least weekly) as
you work through this unit. This is best done through email, conference calls, VoIP (e.g.
Skype) and cloud software. You could agree on a timetable for your communication in
advance so that you can plan your research activities around this. Some schools don’t have
a class computer but this is not a problem because you can still communicate by post.
The IPC website has details of over one thousand schools in over 60 countries across the
world – this would be a good place to search for suitable schools.
You could use the IPC website’s clickable map tool to locate schools and find contact
details, or use the teachers’ discussion room to invite willing partners to work with you on
this unit. Follow the link below to check out the schools on the IPC schools map:
www.internationalprimarycurriculum.com/organisation_map.php
International Primary Curriculum website has a clickable map with contact details for
all IPC schools.
ePals Global Community website also encourages schools to share and communicate
their learning:
www.epals.com
ePals website connects teachers and schools across the world.
The Schools Online website of the British Council also supports and accredits
collaboration between schools:
www.britishcouncil.org/learning-partner-finding.htm
The British Council website can help you find a learning partner school.
Skype offers a free educational service, allowing you to connect to classrooms across the
world:
https://education.skype.com
Skype can help your children connect with other classes in different countries.
Note: if you can’t find suitable schools to partner with, don’t worry, you can still use books
and internet resources to cover the research activities within this unit.
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15
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Similarities and differences
The aim of this unit is to encourage the children to learn about similarities and differences
in lifestyles around the world and to begin to think about and give reasons for why these
similarities and differences exist. This unit links into the MP3 Development unit What Price
Progress?, which looks in more detail at conventional ideas of development as a process.
The ideas of ‘standard of living’ and ‘quality of life’ which are implicit throughout this
unit provide challenges. Many interpretations are based on resource availability but it
is important to maintain a broader view. Technology and resources are obvious aspects
of daily life but community, local environment, art, music and culture are also essential
components and these are not necessarily based on high levels of technology.
It is important to realise that development is not always a simple linear progression
through time as experienced in some countries. Many countries in the world are worse off
now in materialistic terms than they were twenty years ago, particularly in some African
countries. There are many complex reasons for this, ranging from slavery and exploitation,
to wars and drought.
Different rates of development
Countries have grown at different rates and at different times. Britain had its Industrial
Revolution in the second half of the 19th century, the USA and many European countries
soon followed. 1980-1990 saw a huge growth in manufacturing led by computers and
electronics in Southeast and East Asian countries such as South Korea and Taiwan. The
Chinese and Indian economies are currently growing at fantastic rates while the western
world experiences slow growth.
Resources
A resource is something that has value. It is an asset or a possession. Resources are
unevenly distributed around the world. Rich countries tend to have a lot of naturallyoccurring resources such as oil, gas, coal, wood, iron, aluminium and other minerals.
Some resources have a high-perceived value, e.g. gold and diamonds, but the value of
resources can change as our perceptions change. As natural resources such as gas and
coal run out, renewable resources such as solar energy become more important.
Water
Water is a precious resource. Two-thirds of the Earth is covered in water but only 2.5% of
this is fresh water and it is unevenly distributed in rivers, lakes and underground caves.
70% of the world’s fresh water is contained in the polar ice caps.
The natural water cycle produces enough water to support life in many countries.
However, in large areas of Africa and Asia there can be severe water shortages. People
don’t have access to safe drinking water or sanitation and crops fail due to lack of water.
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16
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
People in developed countries use up to 400 litres of water per day. Farming uses up to
70% of all water consumed. But 884 million people do not have access to safe drinking
water. 2.6 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation.
World population
There are over 7 billion people in the world, unevenly spread across 196 independent
countries. Countries with the same land area can have widely differing population totals.
Namibia is one of the world’s least populated countries while Singapore is one of the most
densely populated places in the world.
Most of the world’s population live in urban environments in towns and cities. The
Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama have spread out to create a huge metropolitan
area with a population of 37.5 million – it is the biggest urban area in the world.
Population and pollution
World population has grown from 800 million in 1800 to 6.8 billion in 2011. This increase
has resulted in highly intensive farming on a large scale, sprawling towns and cities, and
pollution in the form of acid rain, greenhouse gasses, smog and toxic waste.
Food distribution
A discussion of food distribution is an important development issue. According to the
United Nations World Food Programme there is enough food for every man, woman
and child to lead a healthy and productive life, yet hunger affects one out of every seven
people. The problem is not quantity of food (there is too much in some places), but the
distribution of the food and the ability to buy the food.
Rich and poor
In a rich country people have high incomes, high life expectancy, and high levels of
nutrition, health and education. In poor countries the opposite is the case. The United
Nations has defined the poorest countries in the world as being the ‘least developed’
countries.
Over 900 million people live in the least developed countries (LDCs). This is 12% of the
world’s population. LDCs represent only 1% of global trade and only 2% of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP).
In 2014 the UN recognised 48 countries as the least developed. 33 of these are in Africa, 14
in Asia and 1 in the Caribbean.
www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/cdp/ldc_info.shtm
United Nations’ website has a list of the least developed countries and details of the
UN programmes designed to support them.
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17
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
The Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for 2011-2020
includes:
• Doubling exports from LDCs by 2020
• Removing duties and quotas on exports from LDCs
• Assisting LDCs through AID for Trade
• Adopting investment programmes in LDCs
• Transferring technological innovation to LDCs
• Ensuring gender equality and good governance in LDCs
Human Rights
The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 25:
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of
himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary
social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability,
widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”
Stereotypes
It is crucial that you don’t promote negative stereotypes of any country. All countries have
positive and negative aspects and this should be emphasised. Pictures of children in an
African famine, or Indian children making fashion clothing must not be the message.
These types of images are common and must be put into context when they are discussed.
The focus should be on respecting different ways of living and valuing diversity. This is not
to say that these problems should be ignored and later in the unit (see International tasks)
you will have an opportunity to discuss these with your class.
Climate and weather
Climate is the average weather conditions for a place taken over a period of time, usually
30 years. It refers to the expected, rather than the actual, conditions of a place. It is longterm and covers a wide area, e.g. the Mediterranean or polar climate.
Weather is the hour-by-hour, day-to-day state of the atmosphere. It is short-term and
often localised in area. The weather is determined by air temperature, air movement and
the amount of water in the air.
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18
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Climate zones
Climates vary around the world. Factors influencing the climate of a location include
altitude, distance from the Equator and distance from the ocean.
The main climate zones are:
• Polar
• Mountainous
• Continental
• Temperate
• Tropical
• Steppe
• Savannah
• Desert
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19
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Society Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know that they belong to different groups, have different home countries and
different nationalities
2.2 Know that different groups have different purposes
2.3 Know that people within groups have different outlooks, characteristics and
purposes
2.5 Know that people in different countries have different traditions, celebrations and
ways of living
2.9 Understand that celebrations are influenced by a variety of factors, including
beliefs and history
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20
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Society Task 1
Learning Targets 1, 5, 9
Research activity
With the class, put together a calendar called ‘Our Year’. On the calendar
mark the important events that take place in the appropriate months.
Include national holidays, festivals and religious celebrations. Ask the
children to write a description of each one detailing traditional customs,
music, dance, dress, food, etc. Share the calendar with a partner school.
Ask them to send you their calendar in return.
Display the calendars in the classroom with the knowledge harvest.
The following website provides details on how you can collaborate on a
Celebrations project:
www.epals.com/projects/info.aspx?DivID=holidays_overview
ePals website has a Celebrations project that you can collaborate on.
The following books provide useful reference:
Peoples of the World (Internet-linked), by Gilllian Doherty and Anna
Claybourne, Usborne Publishing, 2011
Destination Detectives series; titles include: France, Spain, India, Italy,
Japan and Mexico, by Paul Mason et al, Raintree Publishers, 2006
Our Lives, Our World series, titles include: Bangladesh, Denmark, Ireland,
Japan, Mexico and Spain, edited by Susie Brooks, Chrysalis Children’s
Books, 2005
Recording activity
Create a display called ‘Our Year’, featuring photographs that the children
have brought in from home, occasion cards, traditional recipes, costumes,
poems, videos, and so on. Label the items with the name of the celebration,
the month and date. Include any special memories the children have that
are associated with these items. Encourage them to write their memories
as captions within the display.
Find out about celebrations in other countries you are studying. How do
these compare? What are the similarities and differences? If you could
visit another country for one of its celebrations, which country would you
visit and why? Invite the children to organise themselves in groups to find
out about one celebration that interests them but they don’t know much
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21
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
about. Encourage the children to gather information then together write a
description and draw pictures of this celebration.
You could suggest that the children use the following headings to organise
their findings:
• Food and Drink
• Special Clothing
• Music
• Dances
• Lights and Decorations
Display this as part of the knowledge harvest.
Music link: the children could learn a traditional dance or learn how
to sing a traditional song from another country, e.g. a happy-birthday
song. They could make a video recording of their performance.
ICT link: if the children are going to use the internet for their research
explain to them that there are some key facts they need to know about
the internet in order to keep them safe. Allow them to explore the
following site to help them find out more:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/
CEOP (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) offers a
‘cyber cafe’ which gives 8-10 year old children a fun introduction to
staying safe online.
Once the children have explored the cafe, ask them to create a poster, video
or presentation of their top tips for staying safe online. Their work could be
shared with other children in the school, through display or on the school
website.
Some key messages include:
• People you don’t know are strangers - they are not always who they say
they are
• Be nice to people on the computer like you would be to children in the
playground
• Always keep your personal information private
• If you ever feel uncomfortable about anything you see or hear always
tell an adult you trust
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22
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
For further e-safety resources including lesson plans, videos and posters,
you can create free accounts at:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/
CEOP’s Thinkuknow programme provides a range of free educational
resources - films, lesson plans, presentations, practitioner guidance,
games and posters - to professionals working with children and young
people.
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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23
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Society Task 2
Learning Targets 2, 3, 5
Research activity
Now ask the class to think about a typical day when they are at school. Do
you think school is the same for children all over the world? Will you learn
the same things? Ask for suggestions from the class. Some of the children
might be able to share their experiences from schools in other countries.
(You could also link to the entry point.)
Ask the children to draw a timetable detailing their subject lessons,
lunchtime, playtimes, after-school activities, homework, etc.
From reference books or partner schools, ask the children to find out about
the school day in other countries. They should think about the following:
• What subjects are other children learning at school?
• What technology do they use?
• What does their classroom look like?
• What languages are they learning?
• What sports do they play?
• At what times does their school day start and end?
• Do they have homework?
• How do they travel school?
• How far away is school from home?
A useful website for research includes:
www.theguardian.com/education/gallery/2012/sep/14/schoolsaround-the-world-children
The Guardian Education website offers fascinating photos of
classrooms around the world.
Look at the photos and discuss the similarities and differences that strike
them in comparison to their own learning environment.
Discuss in more detail how the children could find out about the school day
in different countries. What ways can the children think of for conducting
their research?
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24
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Some suggestions could include:
• writing a letter to another school
• making a phone call
• sending an email
• going to the library
• making a Skype call
• using the internet
Carefully evaluate the different options in light of the resources that they
have available? Which will be the most practical, reliable or fast?
If using the internet, explain that whilst it is certainly one of the most
convenient options it is not always the most reliable. Can we always trust
the results of a web search? What strategies do we have for evaluating
whether the content is true or not?
When evaluating web materials, pupils might ask themselves:
• Do the headings look relevant for what they need to find?
• Does the content seem up to date?
• Where does the content originate?
• Is the content easy to read and understand?
• Does it provide everything they need?
• Are the links useful?
• Does it present a one-sided point of view?
Model how to use a search engine such as Google and carefully chosen key
words to obtain the most relevant search results. For example try typing the
words: “The school day in Brazil”. As a class take a look at the results that
the search brings up. For example:
www.timeforkids.com/destination/brazil/day-in-life
(In this case the content looks reliable but they could compare the
information across a few different sites to check for accuracy.)
Allow the children to continue their search in pairs making notes or
‘bookmarking’ relevant websites. Were there any surprises in their
findings?
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25
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Recording activity
What is school-life like in other countries?
The children should compare school timetables from the different countries
they are studying. Are any subjects taught in all schools? (reading, writing,
mathematics) Which subjects are missing from some school timetables? Do
all schools use technology, e.g. computers?
Were there any surprises in the findings? For example, the children will
have discovered that the length of the school day varies a great deal from
one country to another. Why is this? (In some countries in northern Europe
children have to be home earlier because winter afternoons are dark.)
Ask the children to share their information and ideas to create a ‘School
Magazine’ (or prospectus) on school life in different countries for families
new to the area. This could be created using a program such as Microsoft
Publisher. Alternatively you might prefer to set up a class blog using an
online resource such as Blogger:
www.blogger.com/
Blogger is a free weblog publishing tool from Google.
Note: you will need to set up a class Google account prior to using Blogger.
With older and more able children, you can go deeper into the economic
factors affecting education and why it varies so much across the world. For
example, in some parts of the world children miss school because they
have to work to support their families.
History link: what was school-life like for our grandparents? Has
school changed? Help the children to identify the factors that might
have caused this change.
ICT link: although economic factors can affect many aspects of
education in schools, access to a computer and the internet can open
up amazing learning and communication opportunities. Using the
internet we can email, video conference, blog, collaborate and learn
using open-source software. But what is the internet? Watch the video
below to find out more:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_LPdttKXPc
A short video entitled ‘How the internet works in five minutes’.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘safety’
tab which brings up the ‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’ option, then
click ‘save’)
(Adaptability, Communication, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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26
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Society Task 3
Learning Targets 2, 3, 5
Research activity
Help the children to try to find their ‘twin’ – a child of a similar age – in
another country. Aim to fill in a fact file about them, to include the following:
• Home and family – who lives in the family home?
• School – what is your school like?
• Language – what language do you speak?
• Diet – what is your favourite meal?
• Religion – what special occasions do you celebrate?
• Music and dance – do you have a traditional song or dance?
• Sports – what sports do you play?
• Ambitions – what would you like your future to be like?
• Hobbies – what do you do in your spare time?
Invite the children to write out the questions they would like to ask in each
category. If you have contacted partner schools, you could pair up the
children with a pen pal in another country. This direct communication would
provide an excellent learning experience for the children. Alternatively,
there are books available and internet resources that could help them find
this information for themselves.
The following websites and videos provide a useful starting point:
http://worldculturemedia.com/
Families of the World is a series of videos that take you through a typical
day in the lives of families in a number of countries around the world.
Preview clips are available on the website.
www.epals.com
ePals website provides an opportunity to develop links between
students by email and a moderated discussion board.
http://en.community.epals.com/teacher_forums/f/default.aspx
ePals teacher forum is a good place to find contacts with other classes.
www.epals.com/projects/info.aspx?DivID=TheWayWeAre_overview
ePals website has a projects relevant to this unit, see ‘Classroom
exchange - The Way We Are’.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Recording activity
Ask the children to write to their pen pal (or ePal) at regular intervals
during the course of this unit (and beyond if they wish to) in order to
promote a learning relationship between them.
The children will discover many differences between themselves and other
children around the world. But they will also find many similarities. Are
there some things all children feel the same about? For example, do they
share similar ambitions? The same love of sport? A common language?
Similar cultural or religious beliefs? The children might be surprised to find
that there are more similarities than they expected.
Can they think of reasons why we have things in common with people on
the other side of the world? For example, satellite communication can
spread international news, sport, music, dance and ideas around the world
instantaneously.
Through this activity, you are looking to develop the children’s skills of
empathy, compassion and communication. Encourage these skills as you
lead class discussions and facilitate this activity.
ICT link: a computer and access to the internet can open up a wealth
of communication and learning opportunities no matter where you are
in the world. Shared opportunities and experiences also offer a great
starting point to encourage your children to communicate with pen
pals. Introduce your class to the following website:
http://code.org
Launched in 2013, code.org is a non-profit organisation dedicated to
expanding participation in computer science by making it available in
more schools, and increasing participation for all.
Create a free teacher account and visit the teacher home page for lesson
plans, resources and videos.
By clicking on the ‘Learn’ tab children can access exciting interactive
resources. For example using the interactive ‘Anna and Elsa’ resources
children will:
• recognise situations where they can create programs to complete tasks
• predict moves necessary to draw a shape
• convert movements into written instructions
• use logical reasoning to explain how their programs work and correct
or debug errors
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
As the children progress at their own pace through the ‘Hour of Code’
leveled resources they will learn how to:
• design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals
including controlling or simulating physical systems
• solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
• use sequence, selection and repetition in programs, and work with
variables and various forms of inputs and outputs
• use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and
to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
The website also contains suggestions for ‘unplugged’ activities for schools
where access to computers is limited.
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Respect,
Thoughtfulness)
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29
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Society Extension Task
Learning Targets 2, 3, 5
Ask the question: What is the best thing about living in the host country?
Invite the children to create a one-minute video to ‘welcome the world’ to the host country.
They should begin by mind-mapping the things that they like about their host country
and those which make it unique. They could start by considering the main geographical
regions and cities, and the physical features that might interest an audience (mountains,
beaches, coastlines, etc.). Children can then expand their mind maps to explore other
aspects of their host country – language, music, food, fashion and so on.
The mind maps can then be used as a helpful prompt to support their film-making.
Swap the completed videos with those of children in other countries.
Now you can compare videos and make comparison between the home/other countries.
What are the similarities and differences?
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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30
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Learning Targets
Children will:
2.3 Know how the nature of particular localities affects the lives of people
2.4 Know about the weather and climatic conditions in the host country and other
selected countries and how they affect the crops grown and the lives of the people
living there
2.5 Be able to use geographical terms
2.6 Be able to describe the main geographical features of the area immediately
surrounding the school
2.7 Be able to make simple maps and plans of familiar locations
2.8 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and geographical
features of particular localities
2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information
2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and understanding to ask
and answer questions about geographical and environmental features
2.12 Understand how places fit into a wider geographical context
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31
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Task 1
Learning Targets 3, 5, 6, 7, 11
Assessment for Learning Opportunities
(NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.5 Be able to use geographical terms
2.6 Be able to describe the main geographical features of the area
immediately surrounding the school
2.7 Be able to make simple maps and plans of familiar locations
2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and
understanding to ask and answer questions about geographical and
environmental features
Research activity
Pose the question: What does our local area look like? Clarify what you
mean by ‘local area’. Concentrate first on the area immediately surrounding
the school.
Do we have mountains? Are we near the sea? Can we see farms or
factories? Are there any animals? Encourage the children to describe the
main physical features (forests, hills, mountains, rivers, etc.) and human
features (homes, shops, roads, farms, piers, railways, etc.) of their local
environment. Make a mind map or word cloud (www.wordle.net/create) of
all the words that could be used to describe your locality.
Now take the children out into the local area, supplied with video and digital
cameras, sketch books, note books and pencils. Encourage them to record
what they see in the form of videos, photographs, maps, sketches and
descriptions to provide a ‘geographical snapshot’ of their neighbourhood.
Back in the classroom, review what the children have recorded. Does this
evidence match the mind maps or word clouds they created when they
started this activity?
Display a whole-class map of the local area. If you have an interactive
whiteboard, you can use Google Earth (http://earth.google.com) and its
tools to explore aerial maps of the local area with your class. Children could
also have access to their own maps and atlases to compare.
Start by finding your school and local area. Ask the children to help you
to trace the route of your walk. Prompt them to use directional language
and compass points to help describe the route and the features that they
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32
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
identified along the way. Explore the map further and talk about any other
geographical features that the map highlights. Compare the observational
walk with the aerial map, and consider the value of information each source
can provide.
It may be possible to get hold of older maps of your school and local area
via your library or the internet. The following website might be helpful:
www.oldmapsonline.org
Old Maps Online provides a fully searchable database of historical maps
from libraries around the world
This will provide opportunity to compare changes in your local area over
time. You can also study the types of symbols used on different maps and
compare/contrast with modern day maps.
Google Earth also has a history view function, which allows you to view
maps at different time periods. (To access historical imagery in Google
Earth, open up the ‘View’ menu and click on ‘Historical Imagery’. A slide
bar will appear in the top left-hand corner of your screen. You can then
move the slider to view older satellite imagery of your local area. The small
vertical lines on the slider will indicate the dates that imagery is available.)
If you wish, you could also use this opportunity to explore grid references
with the children. Display a simplified map of the local area on your
whiteboard with a grid overlaid (displaying eastings and northings). Teach
the children how to use four and six figure grid references to describe the
locations of key features on the map.
36
Four number grid reference
35
Northings
= grid reference (20 34)
34
= grid reference (18 33)
33
32
18
19
20
21
22
Eastings
33
9
8
Six number grid reference
= grid reference (212 326)
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
32
21
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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22
33
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Provide the (approximate) grid references for some extra features that were
identified on your trip. Volunteers can use the grid references to add the
features to the map. Consider why grid references can be useful in helping
us to describe and/or find locations.
Recording activity
The children should decide how they are going to present this ‘snapshot’
of their locality. If you have set up a partnership with schools in other
countries, you will need to find out if they have computers in the classroom.
If they do, you can email, use VoIP (e.g. Skype) or collaborative software
(e.g. Huddle) to share your local snapshots. If a partner school doesn’t have
a computer, the children could send printed photographs, descriptions and
maps through the post.
Working with other schools allows you to invite partner classes to send
similar information back to you so that you can look for similarities and
differences in your localities.
Note: If you are not working with other schools, select appropriate localities
to study and use reference books and the internet for your research.
Ask the children to create a Venn diagram to show the similarities and
differences between the localities studied. For example, draw a large circle
to represent your locality and smaller overlapping circles to represent
localities in the other countries you are studying. Things that are the same
should be included in the overlapping sections and things that are different
in the sections of the circles that don’t overlap.
Discuss the similarities and differences between localities. Share your
ideas as a class to explain why there might be differences.
ICT link: create a digital presentation which includes maps, video,
photographs and diagrams using a range of software such as
PowerPoint, or Keynote. Alternatively you could try using an online
presentation tool such as Prezi (http://prezi.com).
(Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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34
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Task 2
Learning Targets 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.5 Be able to use geographical terms
2.8 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and
geographical features of particular localities
2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information
2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and
understanding to ask and answer questions about geographical and
environmental features
Research activity
Refer back to Geography Task 1 and ask the class if they think the
‘snapshot’ they took of their locality is true for the whole of the country they
live in?.
For example, does what we see (the landscape) change as we go farther
away from school? How does it change? Why does it change? (mountains,
rivers, sea)
Provide three maps (at the same size and scale) of your home/host country
and of the countries you are studying. For each country studied, groups of
children will need:
• A physical map – showing shape, mountains, rivers, lakes, forests
• A climate map – showing annual temperatures and rainfall
• A political map – showing the main cities and towns
Compare the physical maps of your home/host country and the other
countries. Point out significant geographical features on each map. How
are the countries similar and how are they different? Compare the climate
maps, discussing the annual figures and what they tell us about the climate
and weather in these countries. Are they similar or different? Now compare
the political maps and discuss the spread of cities and towns. Where are the
main cities and towns located? Are there any similarities?
Also note the way symbols and keys have been used on each map. Consider
why they have been included. How do they help the reader to interpret the
data on each map?
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35
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Recording activity
Ask the children to find and mark their locality on the political map. If you
are working with partner schools ask them to mark their localities on their
maps or, if you are not working with other schools, use reference books and
the internet to mark these.
Ask the children to trace the main features from the physical and political
maps of the host country onto one map. What do the children notice? Where
do most people live and why? Where do you live?
Working together in groups, the children should annotate their maps with
aerial photographs or satellite images and, most importantly, a map key.
They should be able to source useful images from the internet but check
copyright first before reproducing them. Make copies of the finished maps.
If you are working alongside partner schools, you could exchange these
maps and the information gathered. This direct communication of your
research will make it much more meaningful to the children.
What conclusions can the children draw from their map studies? For
example, have they discovered a link between physical geography, climate
and where most people live? What similarities and differences did you
discover between the country maps? (E.g. cities located near major rivers
and coasts.)
ICT link: prior to starting this task you will need to create a class
Google account in order to access the full range of mapping resources.
For information on how to use Google maps visit:
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/144349?hl=en
Google offers information on how to use its maps.
Using computers or other digital devices, open Google maps and show the
children how to use the software to ‘show my location’. Ask the class why
they think the software asks for permission to locate us prior to doing this?
(Because we might want to keep our information private.) How do they think
that Google knows where we are on the map?
Explain to the children that the global positioning system (GPS) is a network
of satellites orbiting the earth at an altitude of about 20,000km. Wherever
you are on the earth at least 4 GPS satellites are visible at any time. These
satellites are able to communicate with a GPS receiver (for example a
mobile phone, iPad or other digital device) to calculate where you are.
Navigation devices such as the SAT NAV in a car use GPS to help people find
their way around.
Now explain to the children that they are going to create their own custom
maps of their local area using Google Maps. They will be able to add places,
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36
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
shapes, lines and information to their maps and then share them with
others online. For step by step instructions on how to do this visit:
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3045850?hl=en
Google offers information on how to create and edit custom maps.
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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37
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Task 3
Learning Targets 3, 4, 5, 8, 9
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.5 Be able to use geographical terms
2.8 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and
geographical features of particular localities
2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information
Research activity
Refer back to the climate map for the host country (from Geography Task
2). Find your locality – the children will have marked this already. Now look
through the classroom window. Ask the class:
• What is the weather like today?
• How hot or cold is it?
• Is it windy?
• Are there any rain clouds in the sky? (Some children could be
challenged further and consider cloud types such as: cumulus, stratus,
cirrus, etc.)
• How would you describe the weather today?
Next, the class should consider how the weather has affected them today.
For example, you could ask:
• Did you need to wear a coat to school this morning?
• Has the rain stopped us going outside at playtime?
• Is it too hot/ too cold to have running races or swim in the sea?
• How might today’s weather affect other people, e.g. farmers, tourists?
Invite the children to read the weather report in the newspaper or online,
or listen to it on the radio/television. Does it match what you see from the
classroom window? Discuss the difference between the national weather
forecast and the local forecast.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Ask the children to find out how to set up a weather station with their
own recording equipment to record the weather (do check with Milepost
3 classes who may have studied the Weather and Climate unit). They
could measure: rainfall, hours of sunshine, temperature, wind speed and
direction.
They will need a thermometer, rain gauge, wind sock or vane, anemometer,
compass, etc. The children could make their own equipment in science
lessons (see science link below).
The following websites will provide a useful starting point:
www.ehow.com/how_4779859_build-weather-instruments-kids.html
eHow website explains how to build simple weather instruments for
children. (Note: this site does feature advertising.)
http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/other-arts-crafts/scienceprojects-for-kids-weather-and-seasons.htm
TLC How Stuff Works website has some basic ideas for making weather
equipment. (Note: this site does feature advertising.)
www.dynamicearth.co.uk/kids/scienceexplored/Weather/
Makeyourownweatherstation
Dynamic Earth website has information about making your own
weather station.
Recording activity
The children should create their own weather report for the day or week.
They could create their own symbols or use conventional ones. They could
present this in the form of a chart or a spoken ‘TV presentation’ that they
could video.
If you are working with partner schools, swap weather reports. Coordinate
this so that you keep records for the same day or week, enabling you to
make direct comparisons of the results. Alternatively, the children can find
comparative weather reports online for the countries they are studying.
The following website provides a useful starting point:
http://worldweather.wmo.int/index.htm
World Meteorological Association has maps, monthly average
temperatures and total rainfall figures for locations around the world.
Based on their findings, ask the children to consider:
• The accuracy of the official weather forecast compared to their actual
findings
• Is it possible to explain any differences in the results?
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
• Are there any local factors that might affect the weather in their area?
(For example, an ocean or a mountain range?) If necessary, recap
the water cycle, and the role that climate and physical geography
play in the production of rainfall and other weather conditions (snow,
blizzards, etc.)
• How might the physical and human features of the area be affected by
weather? (For example, vegetation, the flooding of rivers and lakes,
crop yield from farms, erosion of coastlines and so on.)
• Are they surprised by the weather reports from the other countries?
Are these reports what the children expected? (Link to Geography Task
2.) If not, can they offer reasons why?
Science link: make your own rain gauge and anemometer to record
rainfall and wind speed.
ICT link: record the weather for a week using data loggers. You could
do this either by logging continuously or by taking a snapshot with your
data logger at the same time every day. By logging continuously you
will generate line graphs showing readings for light and temperature,
whereas the snapshot function will create bar charts showing the
results at a given moment. When you have finished logging the
weather you can download your finished graphs, ready to use in your
mathematics lesson!
For ideas and information about getting started with data logging visit:
www.pstt.org.uk/ext/cpd/datalogging/getting_started.php
The Primary Science Teaching Trust has a wealth of useful resources
and articles for teachers.
Mathematics link: draw bar charts using the weather statistics you
have gathered. Calculate the differences in the results for temperature,
sunshine, wind speed and rainfall.
(Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Resilience, Thoughtfulness)
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40
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Task 4
Learning Targets 4, 5, 9
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.5 Be able to use geographical terms
2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information
Research activity
In the previous task, we found out about the weather in the local area and
in other localities around the world. But what do the children think the
weather will be like in one month’s time, two months’ time, six months’
time? Will it be the same? The resulting class discussion should bring you
back to the word ‘climate’ again and this time you can help the children
reach a definition, along the following lines:
‘Weather’ is the hour-by-hour, day-to-day state of the atmosphere (air).
It includes temperature, sunshine, rainfall and wind. It is short-term and
often localised in area.
‘Climate’ is the average weather conditions for a place taken over a period
of time, usually 30 years. It refers to the expected, rather than the actual,
conditions of a place. It is long-term and covers a wide area, e.g. the
Mediterranean or polar climate.
Ask the children to find out what the weather is like in the home/host
country at different times (seasons) of the year. Provide books and internet
access to help them obtain this information.
Divide an A4 sheet of paper into segments for the children to draw
diagrams or pictures to show the weather at different times of the year in
the home/host country, e.g. four seasons require four segments. Some
countries have only two seasons – they will require only two segments.
Swap this information with partner schools in other countries.
Ask the children to consider the effect of the climate on the people living
in each country they are studying. Are there times of the year when life can
be hard or difficult due to the climate, e.g. high levels of rainfall or snow, or
times of the year when there is very little rain?
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
From their partner schools, or from their own research, they should find
out the following:
• Does the climate affect house design?
For example, house roofs have ‘snow boards’ in areas of high snowfall;
houses are constructed on stilts in areas of flooding. Houses in hot
countries have air conditioning and in cold countries central heating.
• Does the climate affect products such as clothing and foodstuffs?
For example, in some countries different clothing is worn for summer
and winter, while in other countries similar clothing is worn all year
round. Basic food crops need to be available all year. (Links to the next
task.)
• Does the climate affect work and leisure?
For example, farmers herd their cattle to lower pastures in winter. In
the dry summer months, they have to irrigate their fields. Tourists
from colder countries often visit hot countries in the summer months;
winter sports are popular in cold countries.
Recording activity
Do any of the countries studied have similar climates? How do the climates
in other countries compare to that of the host country?
Look together at a whole-class map of the world. If possible, display Google
Earth on your interactive whiteboard. Begin by locating your host country.
Press (Ctrl) and (L) on a PC keyboard, or (cmd) and (L) on a Mac, to bring
up the map grid. This will show lines of latitude and longitude, the Equator,
the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the Arctic and Antarctic circles and the
prime meridian. Talk through these as a whole class, helping the children
to understand their significance. The positioning of the Equator and the
Tropics relates to where the sun is directly overhead at certain times of
the year. The area between the tropics has a higher degree of humidity/
precipitation than other areas (hence the term, the tropics), and the Equator
marks the centre of the tropics. The prime meridian and the equator divide
the world into hemispheres.
Locate the countries that the children found climate information for, using
directional language and compass points to help you locate each country
in relation to your host country. Encourage them to make reference to the
Equator, the Tropics, and lines of longitude and latitude when directing
you to their locations. Recap the climate data for each country. Look for
any basic patterns that might emerge. For example, countries with high
temperatures and heavy rainfall are most likely to be found in the tropics.
As we move closer to the Arctic and Antarctic circles, temperatures drop
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
and the seasons become polarised between hot summers and very long
and cold winters. Compare countries (if possible) along the same lines of
latitude, looking for any similarities in their seasons and weather. Ask the
children to make climate/weather predictions for other countries based on
the patterns they have identified.
If time allows, you could use the Google Earth zoom tools to take a closer
look at the physical and human features of each location. Draw attention to:
• Environmental regions (desert, rainforest, etc.)
• Types of settlement (villages, towns, cities, ports, etc.)
• Land use (agriculture, industry, nature reserve, parkland, etc.)
• Natural resources (water, wood, coal, oil, etc.)
Consider how these might link to the country’s climate and geography.
Based on their learning, the children could produce drawings or role plays
to show how climate affects the host country and the countries they are
studying, e.g. the clothes people wear, house design, transport, farming,
work, industry, leisure, tourism, settlements, land use and natural
resources, etc.
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Task 5
Learning Targets 3, 4, 8, 9
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.8 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and
geographical features of particular localities
2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information
Research activity
Use Google Earth (http://earth.google.com) satellite imagery to locate the
nearest working farm in your local area. Arrange a class visit to the farm or
ask the children to write to the farmer to find out what crops are grown and
how they are grown.
Tell the children that there are a number of major crops grown in the world;
these include wheat, rice, potatoes, maize (corn), sorghum, cassava and
millet.
Find out what the local farmer’s crops look like and what part of the plant is
used as food. Perhaps the farmer might give you a plant or seedling to take
back to the classroom for your research. Ask the children to find out what
other main crops are grown in the host country and other countries being
studied.
Using the information on crops and climate (from Geography Tasks 2, 3 and
4) ask the children to explain why crops are grown in some countries and
not in others.
Recording activity
Working individually, the children should draw a series of diagrams to
show the growth cycle of one plant crop studied. They should annotate
the diagrams with information and descriptions detailing the season and
weather conditions needed for the plant to thrive.
As a home-learning task, ask them to find out which food products found in
their kitchen cupboards contain food from this plant as a main ingredient.
For example, cornflakes are made from maize, rice pops are made from
rice, bread is made from wheat, etc.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Science link: dig over a mini farm-garden in the school grounds (you
could use pots or large tubs instead) to plant one or two main crops
found in your local area. The children should learn to tend the plants
carefully during the course of the unit (and beyond, if successful!).
Discuss what protection the crops might need from seasonal weather
changes.
(Communication, Enquiry, Respect, Thoughtfulness)
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45
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Task 6
Learning Targets 3, 4, 12
Research activity
In advance of this next task, set up a market stall on a desk in the
classroom. Display samples of similar foodstuffs (fruit, vegetables, cereals,
tinned meat and fish, coffee, tea) produced in different countries, e.g. some
apples grown locally, some grown in France and some grown in South
Africa. Chocolate from Nigeria and chocolate from the Dominican Republic,
and so on. Invite each of the children to ‘shop’ for two or three items from
the stall. Which would they choose? Let the children make their individual
choices. At this stage, don’t pass comment on the decisions they make. Ask
them to think about why they chose those particular items – because they
were the cheapest / most expensive / most liked / most familiar?
Divide the class into groups and invite them to consider the following questions:
• Why do we need to bring foods in from other countries?
• Could everyone in the home/host country be happy with just the food
grown here?
• If one type of food is produced in this country why do we need to bring
in the same type of food from other countries as well?
• Are some foods seasonal to our host country and only available at
certain times of the year?
• Where and how are the foods grown, reared, caught and processed?
• If we stopped buying food from other countries what would happen to
the people who produced the food in those countries?
• Should we buy food from developing countries, even if it’s more
expensive, to help support poorer economies?
• Is it a good idea to transport food from country to country? What are
the problems with this (road congestion, pollution, the food is less
fresh, etc.)?
Write the questions on separate cards, shaped like ‘thought bubbles’, and
give one question to each group of children to discuss. You can adapt the
questions to suit the age and ability of your class.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation has a series of
useful videos that will provide background information on agriculture in
different developing countries of the world:
http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/en/
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation website features
an A-Z database of countries around the world, providing at a glance
data on their land use, imports/exports and other geographical features
Recording activity
After their discussions, ask the groups to share their thoughts and ideas
with the rest of the class.
With older children in the age group, try to arrange a debate of these same
questions with a partner school in another country. A Skype conference call
would be ideal for this. The direct communication between the children will
encourage empathy and sharing of knowledge.
Alternatively, ask each of the children to be a food ambassador for one of
the foods on the market stall. They should think about positive reasons why
consumers in other countries should buy their food product. You will need
to give the children access to books and the internet to gather information.
Encourage the children to display their ideas as mind maps.
To conclude the task, ask the children if they had their choice again would
they make the same food choices that they made at the start of the task?
In the light of what they have now learned, would anyone make a different
choice? Why?
Technology link: explore the different food groups represented by the
items you have explored (see Research activity), and the role of these
groups in a healthy and balanced diet. Using some of the food items
(such as the fruit and vegetables), children can be challenged to create
their own healthy drink/shake, nutritious salad or savoury dishes.
Children could explore the taste of different ingredients and consider
how they might combine these ingredients in their recipe. Explore
different techniques for preparing, cooking and presenting these
ingredients. When displaying their finished dishes, prompt the children
to talk about the different ingredients that they used and where in the
world they came from. They should also be explain the reasons for their
choices. Then you can have a fun tasting session – or even invite other
members of the school community to taste the drinks/dishes and judge
the results. (Note: always be aware of any allergies when handling or
tasting different foods.)
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Morality, Respect,
Thoughtfulness)
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47
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Task 7
Learning Targets 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.6
Be able to describe the main geographical features of the area
immediately surrounding the school
2.8 Be able to use maps at a variety of scales to locate the position and
geographical features of particular localities
2.9 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain geographical information
2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and
understanding to ask and answer questions about geographical and
environmental features
Research activity
Recap the learning from Geography Task 5. Consider if farming is important
to the local area. Does it employ a lot of people? Explore the children’s
ideas, using aerial maps (such as Google Earth) to view land use in your
local area.
Consider what other industries might be important to the local area. You
may want to begin by asking the children to mind map as many different
jobs as they can think of – including those of their parents and other family
members. Write each of the children’s ideas on a card and consider how
they can be grouped into industries. Provide assistance as necessary to
help the children to put the cards into different groupings based on industry.
Categories might include:
• Retail
• Healthcare
• Emergency services
• Finance
• Energy
• Agriculture
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48
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Tourism
• Hospitality (hotels, B&Bs)
• Education
• Travel
• Arts/Media
If possible, revisit your map of the local area using Google Earth. Zoom in
to locate some of the services/industries that the children have identified
(such as hotels, hospitals, shops, offices, restaurants, travel agents, banks,
etc.). Consider how the geographical features of an area may determine
what jobs someone might do. For example, a town or village by the sea
is more likely to have a fishing industry; a location near to oil, coal or gas
reserves will have more job opportunities in the energy industry; areas
with lots of open space and arable land will likely have more of a thriving
agricultural industry. If possible, look at some different areas of the host
country and talk about the industries that are important to them. Compare
and contrast with your local area.
In groups, ask the children to research one of the local industries you have
identified. Each group should find out the following:
• Where the industry is located
• What the industry produces or provides
• What materials and resources it uses
• Where its products are sold (if relevant)
• How many people it employs
• How long it has been operating
• The types of jobs available in that industry
With assistance, children could identify and write to companies to find out
more information. Your local job centre or citizens’ advice bureau may also
be able to provide information. If you know someone who works in a local
industry, why not invite them in to the classroom to talk to the children
about this industry and its services? Parents may also be willing to provide
support with this task.
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49
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Recording activity
Share your findings as a whole class. Talk about some of the industries and
jobs that the children have explored:
• Are any specific to your local area or country?
• Are the materials and resources they use produced at home or from
abroad?
• Which do they think is the most important/least important industry?
• Are there any industries that the children might want to work in when
they get older?
If you are partnering with other schools, swap information with them
about their local industries. Draw comparisons, look for similarities and
differences, and explore the possible reasons for these.
ICT link: the children could use presentation software such as Photo
Story or PowerPoint to create a multimedia report of their findings.
Tools such as hotspots and hyperlinks will make their presentations
more interactive, and the addition of maps, photographs and drawings
will provide visual evidence.
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Resilience,
Thoughtfulness)
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50
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Geography Extension Task
Learning Targets 11, 12
Pose the question: What things affect the way you live in the host country?
Recall what the children have learned so far about location, mountains, rivers, sea,
climate, wildlife, farming, industry, natural resources and population in your area.
Invite the children to draw or talk about specific examples.
Next they should think about the other countries they are studying. What things affect the
lives of people in these other countries?
Teacher’s note: this can also include culture, beliefs and traditions (see Society tasks).
Language Arts link: ask the class, if you were to invite the children from a partner
school to visit your country where would you take them and why? What would you like
them to see? What would you tell them about your country?
Encourage the children to draw maps and plans for the proposed visit. They should
annotate these with captions, photographs and drawings. How would the visitors travel
from one place to another? (Link to transport in Technology Task 1.)
Provide guidebooks and internet access for research. The children could write up a tour
timetable and play the roles of guides and tourists, acting out different tours of the host
country.
ICT link: create a ‘virtual tour’ of your host country using Photo Story or PowerPoint
with the addition of video footage, satellite imagery and photographs. Swap videos
with a partnering school and your children will be able to visit their country!
(Adaptability, Communication, Thoughtfulness)
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51
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
History Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know about the main events, dates and characteristics of the host country and the
other countries being studied
2.2 Know about how the lives of people in the host country and the other countries
have changed in the last 100 years
2.4 Be able to give some reasons for particular events and changes
2.5 Be able to gather information from simple sources
2.6 Be able to use their knowledge and understanding to answer simple questions
about the past and about changes
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52
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
History Task 1
Learning Targets 2, 4, 5, 6
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.4 Be able to give some reasons for particular events and changes
2.5 Be able to gather information from simple sources
Research activity
The teacher should start this task by performing a role-play or simple
action to represent someone who has made a positive impact on the
development or progress of the home/host country. This might be an artist
painting a picture, an inventor making something or a president delivering a
speech. Invite the children to ask questions to find out who this personality
was and what he/she did.
The children aren’t allowed to ask who the person is – they need to find this
out for themselves through their questioning.
Recording activity
As a home-learning task ask the children to carry out their own research,
by asking parents or using information in books and on the internet, to find
out about one other person who changed the lives of people in the home or
host country in a positive way. They need to make notes in preparation for
the next lesson when they will play the role of this historic figure.
The activity should follow the same format and rules as previously but this
time it’s the turn of the children to lead the action. The rest of the class
need to ask the sort of probing questions that will guide them to the right
answer.
The teacher could supplement the children’s questions with the following:
• What was the change that happened?
• Why did this change happen?
• How did this change affect the people?
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53
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
• How long ago did this happen?
• Does this change affect people now?
• What would life be like in the host country if this had not happened?
Art link: ask the children to design an appropriate monument,
sculpture, coin or postage stamp that will serve as a reminder to
the people of the positive role this person played in their country’s
development.
Language Arts link: the children could write an acrostic poem about
the person’s life and achievements, with the letters in their name
starting each line of the verse.
(Adaptability, Communication, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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54
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
History Task 2
Learning Targets 2, 4, 5, 6
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.4 Be able to give some reasons for particular events and changes
2.5 Be able to gather information from simple sources
Research activity
Now look beyond the host country and ask the class if they know of any
people in other countries who have changed these countries for the better.
They could look to the countries they studied in the geography tasks
previously. If they are working with partner schools, they could consult
them at this stage of the research to swap ideas and information.
In groups, the children could make a list of people and arrange a prizegiving or awards ceremony with medals or trophies in different categories
of achievement, e.g. the person who did most to help the poor, to fight
disease, to develop industry and trade, to discover valuable resources, to
develop architecture, etc.
The following websites will provide useful reference for the task (Note:
some of these sites do feature advertising):
www.pitara.com/magazine/people.asp
Pitara.com website has an index and biographies of famous people.
http://great-leaders.incredible-people.com
Incredible People website has information about great leaders from
around the world.
www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures
BBC History website has an alphabetical index of historic figures.
Recording activity
The children should decide on the medals and trophies they will award.
Nominate people in each category for each country. The children could
write nominations and acceptance speeches for those in receipt of prizes.
Choose children to play different roles in the ceremony and video the
activity for the parents to view at the exit point.
(Adaptability, Communication, Enquiry, Respect, Thoughtfulness)
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55
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
History Extension Task
Learning Targets 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
What major changes have occurred in the host country over the last 50 or 100 years? Were
these changes a result of key historical events?
In pairs or in small groups, the children should find out about the dates and details of any
of the following affecting the host country:
• Major natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes, floods, tsunamis)
• A significant invention (e.g. computers, satellite communication)
• Wars in the host country or in other countries where they were involved
How have people reacted to the changes? How have people’s lives been changed as a
result?
After their research, the children should share their ideas with the rest of the class.
The children could create a timeline to show the major historical events in the host
country. They could add annotations, captions, pictures and maps to illustrate each event.
As an alternative, children could use web-based timeline software. The following site
provides some useful recommendations:
www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/08/8-excellent-free-timeline-creation.html
Education Technology and Mobile Learning offers reviews of free timeline creation
software.
This should lead on to a discussion of the effect of these changes on the country as it is
now.
(Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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56
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Technology Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know that the way in which products are designed and made affects their
usefulness
2.2 Be able to design and make products to meet specific needs
2.3 Be able to make usable plans
2.4 Be able to make and use labelled sketches as designs
2.5 Be able to use simple tools and equipment with some accuracy
2.6 Be able to identify and implement improvements to their designs and products
2.7 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific
needs
2.8 Be able to suggest improvements to products in everyday use
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57
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Technology Task 1
Learning Targets 1, 4, 7
Assessment for Learning Opportunity
2.7 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet
specific needs
Research activity
Pose the question: How are people, food, resources (such as water, gas,
timber) moved around the world?
In pairs or small groups, ask the children to make a list and collect
photographs of all the possible means of transport, using books and the
internet for their research. The range is enormous from donkeys to freight
trains, from high speed passenger trains to scooters, from refrigerated
trucks to floating markets, from water pipelines to buckets, etc.
What means of transport are used in the host country? The children could
discuss this in their groups or, as a home-learning task, they could take
photographs of the transport they see over one weekend when they are out
and about with their parents. What transport is used in other countries they
have researched in the previous geography tasks? Why are there so many
different ways of transporting people, food and resources? What determines
the method of transport in different places, e.g. physical geography,
climate, road network, type of load, etc.
Recording activity
Give each pair or group of children, one method of transport to investigate
in more detail. They should draw an annotated diagram of it, showing its
moving parts and what it can transport.
Include types of transport that use the following moving parts:
• Wheels (e.g. trains, motor vehicles)
• Pulleys and levers (e.g. cranes)
• Floats and slides (e.g. boats, rafts, dog-sleds)
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Provide the children with working models, e.g. you could use toy trucks, toy
cranes and toy boats to explain how the parts move:
• Put a ‘load’ (e.g. wooden bricks or stones) onto the toy truck or boat
and pull it along with a length of string – this can be tied to the front of
the truck/boat.
• Use a toy crane to lift a load or make your own pulley from a length of
string threaded through a hook. Tie one end of the string to a bucket of
wooden bricks and lift it by pulling on the other end of the string.
ICT link: children can make their own modes of transport using one of
LEGO’s excellent WeDo kits. WeDo is a simple-to-use cross-curricular
kit that enables children to build models which include pulleys, cogs
and other moving parts. The students can then bring the models to life
by connecting them to their computers and programming them using
the intuitive drag-and-drop software. LEGO WeDo is also compatible
with the programming-language Scratch. For more information visit:
https://education.lego.com/en-gb/preschool-and-school/lowerprimary/7plus-education-wedo
LEGO Education WeDo is a simple-to-use cross-curricular tool that
allows children to bring their models to life using drag-and-drop
software.
(Communication, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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59
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Technology Task 2
Learning Targets 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Assessment for Learning Opportunities (NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
2.2 Be able to design and make products to meet specific needs
2.3 Be able to make usable plans
2.5 Be able to use simple tools and equipment with some accuracy
2.6 Be able to identify and implement improvements to their designs and
products
Research activity
In advance of the lesson you will need to source the following items:
• Box of books
• Basket of fresh eggs
• Bag of potatoes
• Bucket of water
Measure out a short distance (approximately 4 metres/13 feet) across the
playground or school playing field. Mark the starting point as A and the
finishing point as B. You are going to ask the children to transport the items
above from A to B according to a set of rules.
Adapt the rules to suit the age and ability of your class. For example, it
might be a rule that no eggs must be broken and no water spilt!
Provide lots of basic equipment including, but not limited to, the following:
• Length of rope
• Wooden planks and round poles
• Lengths of hollow plastic pipe
• Tin cans (or other items that will roll)
• Set of wheels and axle (e.g. a wooden trolley)
• Buckets, baskets, containers
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60
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Ask the children to imagine they live in a remote part of the world where
there are no roads and no means of transport. Ask groups of children to
find ways of getting the items from A to B by pushing, pulling, sliding, etc.
Each item should be separately transported. You could give one item to
each group.
Challenge the children to come up with different solutions to the problem.
Encourage them to be inventive, e.g. the water could be tipped down a pipe
into another bucket. The box of books could be slid down a plank. The eggs
pulled along on a trolley, and so on.
The children should make plans and sketches, and discuss their ideas as
a group. Guide their thinking and provide further equipment as necessary.
Tell them their solutions should not be complicated but simple and
practical.
Note: follow your school’s safety rules at all times. You must ensure the
safety of the children when using equipment.
Recording activity
You should first check the children’s ideas before carrying out tests with the
equipment.
After testing, the groups could be given time to make improvements to
their ideas. Finally, each group could demonstrate to the rest of the class
how they have chosen to move the different items from A to B. Which
item proved the most difficult to transport? Which was the easiest item to
handle?
Compare the various ways of transporting the items. Which method is the
quickest/most efficient?
Can the children identify any countries where transport is a major obstacle
to the movement of people and goods?
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Resilience, Thoughtfulness)
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61
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Technology Extension Task
Learning Targets 2, 4, 6, 7, 8
Ask the children how they got to school today. Did they come by car, bus, train or did they
walk? Ask those children who used transport to get to school if it was possible to walk
instead. How long do they think it would take them to walk to school? At this point you are
trying to establish if transport to school is a luxury or a necessity.
If you are working with partner schools, ask them how they get to school each day. Ask
them how far they live from school. Compare the results from different countries. The
children could present their results as bar graphs or pie charts. Can the children explain
any similarities and differences in the findings? Do the children who live nearest to school
walk there? What other factors determine whether we walk or take transport to school? If
the children had a choice which would they prefer?
Link to the geography tasks – how does the environment (mountains, weather, rivers, sea)
affect transport?
Now ask the children, working individually or in pairs, to design a new method of
transport for the host country that will be able to take them to and from school. It must
use renewable, pollution-free resources. Ask the children to draw up annotated plans and
sketches of their ideas.
Invite the children to share their ideas with the rest of the class. Are the children’s designs
an improvement on current methods of transport in the host country? Can the children
identify any improvements to their own designs?
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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62
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
International Learning Targets
Children will:
2.1 Know about some of the similarities and differences between developed and
developing countries and between them and the host country
2.2 Know about ways in which similarities and differences between different countries
affect the lives of people
2.3 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from, but equal to,
their own
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63
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
International Task 1
Learning Targets 1, 2, 3
Assessment for Learning Opportunity
2.3 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from, but
equal to, their own
Research activity
Pose the question to the class: Is the host country rich or poor? Or is it in
the middle? Define what you mean by these terms. For example, in a rich
country people have high wages, live long lives, and have high levels of
nutrition, health and education. In poor countries the opposite is the case.
But why are some countries rich and some countries poor?
Invite suggestions from the children, which should be based on their
learning from this unit so far. This might lead you to discuss the following
ideas – but in the children’s own words.
Rich (developed) countries:
• Natural resources – they often have oil, gas, coal and other valuable
resources they can develop and sell
• Education – they have high levels of education and skills that other
people want and will pay for
• Government – they have stable government and a population who
looks after the country
Poor (least developed) countries:
• Natural resources – these are unevenly distributed around the world,
but even if they have resources they don’t have the money to access them
• Education – many poor families can’t afford to send their children to
school; they are sent to work from a young age
• Government – they have unstable governments and restless populations
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64
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Recording activity
Set up ‘think-tanks’ in the classroom – groups of children who come
together to try to think of a way of getting countries out of poverty. You could
give them some ideas to think about:
• Waste – rich countries create a lot of waste. Can this be recycled or
reused by other countries?
• Food distribution – we have enough food to feed everyone. Why do
people in some parts of the world go hungry? (Link to geography
tasks.)
• Water – 4,000 children die every day due to a lack of safe water and
sanitation. Can we provide water in areas where it is needed?
• Money – in some African countries people have to live on less than 300
US dollars per year. Can we lend poor countries money from the world
bank?
Ask the think-tanks to report back to the class with their ideas. These might
be presented as drawings on large cloud-shaped pieces of white paper.
Alternatively children could use online presentation software to share their
ideas in a digital format. These might include, Slideshare (www.slideshare.
net), Google Slides (https://docs.google.com/presentation/u/0/) or Prezi
(http://prezi.com). Children could be challenged to try out two of the
available software and evaluate which they like best, and why.
(Adaptability, Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Thoughtfulness)
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65
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
International Task 2
Learning Targets 1, 2, 3
Assessment for Learning Opportunity
2.3 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from, but
equal to, their own
Research activity
Recap the issues that you explored in the previous session and the
children’s think-tank solutions. Explain that other groups of people have
been thinking about those same issues and the solutions they could
provide.
In groups, help the children to research an organisation or charity that
provides aid and support to communities around the world.
Some examples might include:
www.fao.org
The Food and Agriculture Organisation aims to ensure that people
around the world have regular access to high-quality foods.
www.ifrc.org
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies provide disaster response and recovery, as well as
development support and aid to help communities promote social
inclusion and peace.
www.oxfam.org
Oxfam International seeks to combat poverty by providing clean water,
food and sanitation to communities around the world.
www.freethechildren.com/
Free the Children is an international charity dedicated to tackling
poverty and implementing sustainable development programs (such
as ‘Adopt a Village’) to help children become active local and global
citizens. The site features photo galleries and teacher resources.
www.unicef.org/
UNICEF is an international charity that campaigns for the rights of
every child. They work with governments and other organisations to
help tackle poverty, violence, disease and discrimination.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
www.actionaid.org/what-we-do/education
ActionAid are an international charity that work in 45 countries around
the world to tackle poverty and injustice. Their many projects include
working with communities to improve access to education for children.
www.wateraid.org
WaterAid is an international charity which aims to transform lives by
improving access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation in the
world’s poorest communities.
* The IPC is a supporting partner of WaterAid.
Recording activity
Children should find out what their organisation is doing to help
communities around the world.
Each group could write or draw their findings on a piece of A4 paper cut
into the outline shape of a person. Join these together afterwards to create
a paper chain of people. Discuss what the children have learned, and
compare and contrast the different projects and strategies. Do the children
feel it is important that these organisations exist? Are the things that they
(as a class) could do to support one or more of the charities? Explore the
children’s ideas. These could then be added to a final outline person and
added to your paper chain.
The completed paper chain can then be displayed with your knowledge
harvest.
(Communication, Cooperation, Enquiry, Morality, Respect, Thoughtfulness)
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67
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
International Extension Task
Learning Targets 1, 2, 3
Remind the children what you mean by ‘rich’ and ‘poor’. Simplify for the children the UN’s
Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 25 (see the big picture).
For example:
Everyone needs to have food, clothing, housing and medicine. When people are
unemployed, sick, disabled, widowed or old, they need to be cared for.
People living in ‘rich’ countries have these basic needs met. But from working on the tasks
in this unit the children will have seen that there are big differences between people’s lives
in different places.
What is the future going to be like? They could think about the following:
• Will poor countries become rich with help from the international community?
• Will rich countries become poor if their natural resources run out?
• Will the differences between people and places get bigger or smaller?
The children could interview teachers and parents to collect ‘soundbites’ and quotes of
their views. They could present these as sound recordings, written quotations or drawn
speech bubbles for the exit point activity.
(Adaptability, Communication, Morality, Respect, Thoughtfulness)
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68
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
The Exit Point
As you near the end of the unit, ask the children to send thank-you letters, emails or
videos to the partner schools that have helped them in their learning journey around the
world.
Now the children can share what they have learned with the wider school community and
parents.
Gather together all the information, photographs, video clips, drawings and writing, etc,
that the children have created. Divide the class into groups, each group should represent
one of the countries you have studied in this unit. The focus should be the overall broad
theme of the unit: ‘Similarities and Differences’.
Ask the children to think about the many ways in which they could present what they have
learned to an audience of children and parents, e.g. they could start with a traditional
dance, music or song from the countries studied; or a lively video-documentary detailing
their discoveries; or a colourful collage display with maps, photographs, drawings and
writing (refer back to the geography and society tasks). One person in each group could
dress up as a famous historical person (see history tasks) and act as an ambassador
for a country. Help the children to choose a method that will work best, considering the
dynamics within each group. Try to think of a way of involving the audience, e.g. in the
singing or the dance. If the children explored different ways of creating presentations
online in the previous tasks, some children might enjoy the opportunity to ‘teach’ the
adults about some of their findings.
Invite everyone to the presentation. Serve traditional foods as refreshments. Share
these with the audience and enjoy this celebration of what the children have learned and
achieved.
The IPC community would love to see examples of your learning, in any subject, at any
stage in the learning process. If you have any pictures or stories you would like to share
please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/InternationalPrimaryCurriculum,
tweet @The_IPC or email stories@greatlearning.com.
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69
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Assessment
Assessment is possible throughout the theme. The learning targets could be made into a
class record sheet on which you can record evidence of success as and when you see it.
You may decide to record by exception, i.e. assuming that the majority of the class attains
the specified learning targets then you could just record evidence of those children who
exceed or don’t reach the target. This will allow you a more specific focus next time the
class engages in new activities related to those targets.
Knowledge – the ‘know about’ learning targets – can be assessed at the end of each
subject component.
Skills – the ‘be able to’ learning targets – can be observed and assessed whilst the
children are doing them. The Rubrics in the IPC Assessment for Learning programme are
an excellent resource for this.
Understanding – the ‘understand’ learning targets – can be evaluated by a judgement of
observations carried out through the unit.
Ask the children to carry out their own assessment at the end of the unit. They should use
the following headings to list/make notes on their newly acquired knowledge, skills and
understanding – ‘new things I know about communication’, ‘new things that I can do’ and
‘new things I am beginning to understand’.
Ask the children to evaluate their learning – what did they do well, what could they do
better, what did they find most/least interesting?
How did they prefer to learn – as an individual/in pairs/small groups/large groups/as a
whole class?
What was their preferred style of recording their findings – illustrating/writing/talking/
making, etc?
This evaluation aspect will also support the development of the personal goals.
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70
DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Resources
For this unit, you will need some, but not necessarily all, of the following:
Equipment
• Maps, globes and atlases
• Photographs showing people and places
• Equipment for making a weather station
• Dressing-up clothes for famous people
• Traditional music from the host country
• Traditional costumes from the host country
• Samples of traditional food from the host country
• Calendar from the host country
• Digital camera
• Video camera or camcorder
• Lego’s WeDo construction kit (optional)
Software:
• Google Earth software (http://earth.google.com)
• Google Maps software (http://maps.google.com)
• Wordle software: (www.wordle.net/create)
• Mind-mapping software such as Inspiration 9: (www.inspiration.com/
global)
• Presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Slideshare
(www.slideshare.net), Google Slides (https://docs.google.com/
presentation/u/0/) or Prezi (http://prezi.com).
• Graphing software such as Microsoft Excel
• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) software such as Skype
• Collaborative software such as Huddle
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Websites
www.britishcouncil.org/learning-partner-finding.htm
The British Council website can help you find a learning partner school.
www.epals.com
ePals website connects teachers and schools across the world.
www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/cdp/ldc_info.shtml
United Nations’ website has a list of the least developed countries and
details of the UN programmes designed to support them.
www.ehow.com/how_4779859_build-weather-instruments-kids.html
eHow website explains how to build simple weather instruments for children.
http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/crafts/other-arts-crafts/scienceprojects-for-kids-weather-and-seasons.htm
TLC How Stuff Works website has some basic ideas for making weather
equipment.
www.dynamicearth.co.uk/kids/scienceexplored/Weather/
Makeyourownweatherstation
Dynamic Earth website has information about making your own weather
station.
http://worldweather.wmo.int/index.htm
World Meteorological Association has maps, monthly average temperatures
and total rainfall figures for locations around the world.
www.pitara.com/magazine/people.asp
Pitara.com website has an index and biographies of famous people.
http://great-leaders.incredible-people.com
Incredible People website has information about great leaders from around
the world.
www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures
BBC History website has an alphabetical index of historic figures.
www.kidspast.com/world-history/index.php
KidsPast.com website has an online world history textbook that you can
access for free.
http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0.6/
Apple offers online help on getting started with iMovie.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/getting-startedwith-windows-movie-maker
Microsoft offers tutorials for beginners on how to get started with Movie Maker.
https://education.skype.com
Skype can help your children connect with other classes in different countries.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/
CEOP’s Thinkuknow programme provides a range of free educational
resources - films, lesson plans, presentations, practitioner guidance, games
and posters - to professionals working with children and young people.
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/
CEOP (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) offers a ‘cyber cafe’
which gives 8-10 year old children a fun introduction to staying safe online.
www.theguardian.com/education/gallery/2012/sep/14/schools-aroundthe-world-children
The Guardian Education website offers fascinating photos of classrooms
around the world.
www.blogger.com/
Blogger is a free weblog publishing tool from Google. (Note: you will need to
set up a class Google account prior to using Blogger.)
http://code.org
Launched in 2013, code.org is a non-profit organisation dedicated to expanding
participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and
increasing participation for all.
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/144349?hl=en
Google offers information on how to use its maps.
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3045850?hl=en
Google offers information on how to create and edit custom maps.
www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/08/8-excellent-free-timelinecreation.html
Education Technology and Mobile Learning offers reviews of free timeline
creation software.
www.epals.com/projects/info.aspx?DivID=holidays_overview
ePals website has a Celebrations project that you can collaborate on.
http://en.community.epals.com/teacher_forums/f/default.aspx
ePals teacher forum is a good place to find contacts with other classes.
www.epals.com/projects/info.aspx?DivID=TheWayWeAre_overview
ePals website has a projects relevant to this unit, see ‘Classroom exchange
- The Way We Are’.
www.fao.org
The Food and Agriculture Organisation aims to ensure that people around
the world have regular access to high-quality foods.
www.ifrc.org
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
provide disaster response and recovery, as well as development support
and aid to help communities promote social inclusion and peace.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
www.oxfam.org
Oxfam International seeks to combat poverty by providing clean water, food
and sanitation to communities around the world.
www.freethechildren.com/
Free the Children is an international charity dedicated to tackling poverty
and implementing sustainable development programs (such as ‘Adopt a
Village’) to help children become active local and global citizens. The site
features photo galleries and teacher resources.
www.unicef.org/
UNICEF is an international charity that campaigns for the rights of every
child. They work with governments and other organisations to help tackle
poverty, violence, disease and discrimination.
www.actionaid.org/what-we-do/education
ActionAid are an international charity that work in 45 countries around the
world to tackle poverty and injustice. Their many projects include working
with communities to improve access to education for children.
www.wateraid.org
WaterAid is an international charity which aims to transform lives by
improving access to safe water, and improved hygiene and sanitation in the
world’s poorest communities.
Videos
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘safety’
tab which brings up the ‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’ option, then
click ‘save’)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c2UXqhF9fA
YouTube hosts this short film featuring children from Grazebrook Primary
School in Hackney, England, talking about how they learn with the
International Primary Curriculum.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_LPdttKXPc
YouTube hosts this short video entitled ‘How the internet works in five
minutes’.
http://worldculturemedia.com/
Families of the World is a series of videos that take you through a typical
day in the lives of families in a number of countries around the world.
Preview clips are available on the website.
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Books
Peoples of the World (Internet-linked), Gillian Doherty and Anna
Claybourne, Usborne Publishing, 2011
Destination Detectives series; titles include: France, Spain, India, Italy,
Japan and Mexico, by Paul Mason et al, Raintree Publishers, 2006
Our Lives, Our World series, titles include: Bangladesh, Denmark, Ireland,
Japan, Mexico and Spain, edited by Susie Brooks, Chrysalis Children’s
Books, 2005
The Families of the World series, by Hélène Tremblay, Families of the
World Company
A series of books depicting family life in 116 countries. The author Hélène
Tremblay has travelled the world and lived with families to document lifestyles.
http://helenetremblay.ca/the-families/
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
Draft Letter To Parents
This letter is only for guidance. Please amend it to suit your own preferred style but, if
you do, please include the same information.
Dear Parents,
Over the next ____ weeks those of us in Class ____ will be following a unit of work on a
theme that focuses on ‘Development’.
This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This new curriculum
sets out very clearly what children will learn – the learning goals – in three different areas:
1. The subjects of the curriculum. The learning goals for each of these subjects are at
least as challenging as anything taught in the curriculum in your child’s own country.
In many cases, the learning goals are more challenging.
2. Personal development – the characteristics which will help children become more
responsible, independent learners.
3. International understanding – which will help children develop both a sense of the
independence of their own country and culture and the interdependence between
countries and cultures.
Each unit of work is based around specific targets derived from the learning goals for one
or more of the subjects.
During this unit we will be focusing on Society, Geography, History, Technology and
International.
In Society, we’ll be finding out:
• About ways of life in different countries
• About festivals and celebrations in other countries
In Geography, we’ll be finding out:
• What different countries are like
• How the climate affects the way people live
• Where our food comes from
• What people grow and eat in different countries
• What products we make in our host country
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DIFFERENT PLACES, SIMILAR LIVES?
In History, we’ll be finding out:
• About important people in the countries we are studying
• About the way important people have changed lives
• How to make a timeline for the host country
In Technology, we’ll be finding out:
• How people, food and water are transported
• How wheels, levers, pulleys, slides and floats work
In International, we’ll be finding out:
• About the difference between rich and poor countries
• Why people around the world have different lives
• What is being done to help the least developed countries
All of the work we are going to do has been specially written to help your child reach the
learning goals. Children will be reading, researching, writing, illustrating, working on their
own and working in groups. We will be checking to see how well your child has learned
through particular activities and asking children to explain their work, perhaps to you.
We already know the interest you take in your child’s work. If you can, please discuss with
your child the work they have done as the term progresses and let them teach you.
Talk with your child about the host country. What do you like most of all about living here?
How is it similar and different from your home country or other countries you have visited?
If your child has some work to research, please help them, but without actually doing the
work. If you have the chance to further their interest in the ideas of this theme please take
it, but your enthusiasm and interest is most important.
By the end of the unit, we hope your child has achieved all of the learning targets. We hope
they have had an enjoyable time in the classroom. And we hope you have enjoyed seeing
your child work with enthusiasm. If you have any comments or questions about your
child’s learning, please get in touch.
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77