Hands Around the World: 365 Creative Ways to Encourage Cultural Awareness and Global Respect (Williamson Kids Can! Series) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6-- This lively and entertaining volume is crammed with information designed to foster cultural awareness. Milord takes students through the year, day-by-day, exploring such topics as "Fun in the Sun," "Native Tongue," and "One Nation" on double-page spreads with a different activity each day: carve a Southeast Asian chop, design a Muslim prayer rug, make a wedding crown. The book is written directly to children in an informal, engaging style. However, the intended audience will have a difficult time participating in many of the activities without a lot of adult assistance. Some of the projects are fairly complex, such as making stilts or organizing neighborhood Olympics. Others require X-acto knives, paints, and varnish. Some of the directions are difficult to follow. And several of the projects, such as defining heroism, are really lessons and would not be much fun to do alone. The best use for this book is as a teacher resource, for it offers a wealth of group activities and topics for discussion. It will also be valuable in high schools that have a future-teachers program. The lists of additional books, periodicals, and organizations provide a gold mine of additional resources. --Marilyn Makowski, Greenwood High School, SC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

This bestselling author invites children to experience, taste, and embrace the daily lives of children from the far corners of the earth--as they plant and grow, write and tell stories, draw and craft, cook and eat, sing and dance, and learn to live in an atmosphere of global respect and cultural awareness.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Williamson Publishing Company (August 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913589659
• ISBN-13: 978-0913589656
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #370,407 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for youth groups :), September 27, 2000

By A Customer

As a long time guide leader (like girl scouts in the USA :) ) I use this book all the time with my unit of girls aged 9-14. It is full of wonderful ideas - some practical ones ready to do instantly, some which make the girls stop and think about things, and some which require a bit more planning to make happen.

The book is in a format where there is an entry for each day of the year but I have not used it that way - we just delve into it when we need inspiration, or when we are looking for ideas for a particular theme. The entries include games, crafts, food, information, myths & legends and ideas - all of which can lead you off in other directions if you let them. The book has a good index which is a huge help in finding things when I need them.

I highly recommend this book to other youth group leaders as well as teachers and parents (I can't wait until my children are a little older so I can share it with them :) ). The book does exactly what the title says and I think it would fit in wonderfully well with the objectives of most well known international youth groups.

It would also make a wonderful present for the right kid (aged about 8-14) - especially for those who are self-motivated to explore the world around them, are being home-schooled, or have parents / caregivers who have enough time to do some of the projects with them :)

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands Around the World: 365 Creative Ways to Build Cultural, March 27, 2000

By	Jude Mathews (Evanston, IL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hands Around the World: 365 Creative Ways to Build Cultural Awareness & Global Respect (Kids Can) (Library Binding)

For teachers, parents, and other caregivers of children of a broad age range, I highly recommend this book. The ideas are well displayed and organized and, when acted upon, should prove to fulfill their promise of helping to build cultural awareness. The overall upbeat tone of the writing should encourage both adults and children to enjoy it. There are additional appended lists of relevant organizations, suppliers, and book titles. As a children's librarian, I can attest to the potential usefulness of this very handy volume!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good ideas, bad arrangement, July 30, 2007

By	Tom "Culture Teacher" (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) - See all my reviews

Although this book has a lot of great ideas for activities, it could be arranged better. The activities are not organized according to topic or genre; instead the book is set up like a chart. There are a week's worth of activities on each two-page spread, with an introduction for each week's theme. However, if you're looking for a specific theme, you'll potentially have to check the index and jump from section to section to find it.