iStockphoto © Rob Friedman at RBFried
I was teaching a 5th grade class one day, when I had the unusual experience of finishing a lesson early and having to improvise to fill in a few minutes. It just so happened that we had the world map out, because students were coming up to point out the countries which were mentioned in a certain piece of historical fiction we had been reading.
I decided to start asking them about places many of them had never heard of. They loved coming up to the front of the room to look for the country, city, or body of water I mentioned, and then pointing out to everyone where it was. If they were having trouble, I would give them clues as to which continent it was on, or what direction you'd have to go in order to get to it from another country. It was a fun, interactive activity that the students got excited about.
After a while, some of the students asked to show everyone places they had visited, and even challenged each other to find those places! Later in the week, some of them even brought in photos of their vacation destinations.
It just goes to show that children are curious about faraway places. It's up to us to nurture that curiosity. I feel it's so important to provide children with regular access to all kinds of maps and globes, whether they're in the home or the classroom. It not only calls attention to the fact that there is a world, and many other cultures of people, all around us, but that it's fun to imagine what those other places and people are like.
Picture books have a special way of bringing together the real and the imaginary. That's one of the reasons I love them so much! The ones I love the most have a unique blend of breathtaking artwork, history, carefully chosen words, and implied messages which leave you thinking about the person you are and how you fit into the world.
I recently found one such unforgettable picture book, which will be appreciated by people of all ages. It's a 2009 Caldecott Honor Book called How I Learned Geography, by Uri Shulevitz. Based upon the author's own recollections of life as a 4 or 5 year old World War II refugee, it's the story of a family who flees from Poland to the Soviet Union.
This fascinating children's book starts out with a blank page and the words,
"When war devastated the land, buildings crumbled to dust."
You never actually see crumbling buildings, though, and the stunning artwork which follows shows hope through increasingly vivid color and intricacy.
With no belongings other than the clothes on their backs, and little money for food, the family is able to find shelter. When the father goes to the bazaar to buy bread, though, and finds that he only has enough money for a tiny piece, he decides to bring back something entirely different instead.
His wife and son are angry at first, but then the object (which is a world map that is large enough to cover an entire wall) takes on a life of its own. I'll leave the rest to your imagination!
I would consider this book to be a must-read for all ages of children and adults. I do not think the subtle reference to the devastation of war will scare a small child, but if your preschool child does not yet understand what it means to be at war, or is particularly sensitive, you might want to hold off on reading it to him or her. While How I Learned Geography is probably most appropriate for children between the ages of 6 and 8, older students would get a lot out of it as well. It would even go along well with a middle school unit on World War II.
So, reality and fantasy complement each other nicely when it comes to geography! Picture books and maps can take you to places you've never been, whether they exist or not. So, when you or your child are feeling a little bit of boredom or even despair, it's time to use your imagination! A little bit of it can create a better reality for us all.
