1. Children Map Their World

2. To Play is to be Happy (Mexico)

3. This student represents a world where people are similar. Play and nature seem to be the dominant diversions available to the people. While the people are similar, I am intrigued by the child’s acknowledgement of diversity by including the Star of David.

4. Our Troubles and Triumphs are a Corner of the Universe (Chile)

5. I assume this Chilean child’s worldview is shaped by living under the clearest skies on our planet. The world’s largest observatories dot the arid northern half of the country, and I wonder if the nightly curtain of thousands of stars has made this child a bit more aware of our place in the grand scheme of the universe.

6. A World of Nations at Peace (Indonesia)

7. This child has produced an Indonesia-centric map of the world with particular detail to the world’s islands. One would have to assume this awareness would result from living on one of Indonesia’s 17,000 islands.

8. Death and Hope (Iran)

9. It is obvious this student lives in a world of destruction with the ever-present talk of world aid. It looks as if this child exists in a worldview in which everything needs fixing.

10. Learning Through Understanding The Iranian child’s grasp of social studies and global politics is obviously a result of understanding a situation, as opposed to merely memorizing facts or studying content in the classroom. The student understands the destruction caused by numerous conflicts in Iran’s past. The intended role of the United Nations is also understood, but the fact that one of the flag’s olive branches is no longer on the flag suggests that the child also understands the limited efficacy of the UN’s actions in Iran.

11. Sing Together, Live Together (Philippines)

12. It appears as if this child lives in a world in which harmony is truly a possibility. It also appears to be a worldview in which different cultures are recognized and respected.

13. Personal Greeting, Global Scale (United Kingdom)

14. Race appears to be a major theme in the worldview of this child, but one that can be mutually beneficial as opposed to confrontational. It appears to be a worldview in which kindness trumps all differences.

15. Burst Forth With Freedom! (France)

16. The fact that all the nationalities of people are present together inside the earth leads me to believe this child thinks of humans as inhabitants of one world, not separate continents and countries. Obviously there is strength and happiness in unity to this child.

17. Be the Epicenter and Shine Forth (Algeria)

18. I think this child views Algeria as an important place, but one that gets overlooked. The magnified view of the country makes me think he or she wishes the rest of the world acknowledged Algeria.

19. Our Restless History (Poland)

20. It is interesting that this child created a map of blank continents, but rather focused on historical discoveries. Maybe this student lives in a world that is defined by the circumstances and events that preceded us as opposed to a world defined by culture and race.

21. A World of Dominance and Absence (South Africa)

22. This student appears to live in a world dominated by haves and have-nots on a global scale. The representation of very few countries with flags is indicative that this child thinks these are the major players in the world, while everyone else gets lumped into a nameless, faceless existence.

23. Maps as Reflections of Learning I feel that the maps can be placed into two categories that might give us an indication as to how these particular children arrived at their worldview. We have read about the difference between learning from memorizing and understanding, and I feel like these are the two distinctions that can be made between these maps. The maps from Indonesia, the Philippines, France, and Poland all suggest that these students learned facts and traits from around the world. The maps are thorough, but very shallow in the profundity of the idea expressed, which is akin to “We are One”.

24. Maps as Reflections of Learning (cont.) The remaining maps from Mexico, Chile, Iran, the United Kingdom, Algeria, and South Africa seem to represent learning that has resulted from truly understanding one aspect of life in that country in contrast to the rest of the world. These maps seem to be the product of learning through experience (as opposed to textbook or classroom learning) about strife, racial issues, and underrepresentation – and thus seem to represent a more in-depth knowledge of the reality of our complex global culture.

25. Instructional Activity To engage students and encourage them to explore their world from the classroom, I would have the students work in small groups (preferably three students) to create two maps of the world. The first would represent their initial understanding of the world and its people. The second map would be constructed after a unit exploring current events throughout the world.

26. Instructional Activity (cont.) I would assume the first map would be full of cultural stereotypes, and would express the sentiment that different cultures exist peacefully around the globe. The second map would probably be a more realistic portrait of globalization, and would most likely include elements of food and water shortages and war. I would hope this map would indicate the longing to live prosperously and peacefully as opposed to the original map that would probably proclaim this ideal as a current reality.