December 2004
An enewsletter for CultureGrams™ subscribers
This month's Culture Matters enewsletter will help teachers, librarians, administrators, and students stay informed about the world's cultures, while providing classroom resources and giving tips for using CultureGrams. Check out our online archive for access to past issues.
Regional Focus
This month: Scandinavia
Next month: South America
You probably already know that the CultureGrams Online Database includes reports for the Kids and States Editions (intended for upper elementary students) as well as the World Edition (written at a high school level). Now the CultureGrams Kids Edition offers a new data tables section that's definitely worth exploring.
Not only can users compare basic statistical data (capitals, population, area, literacy, and life expectancy) on all 66 countries in the Kids Edition, but they can also create customized tables. And perhaps best of all, young students will love looking at some of the world's statistical extremes, presented in an interesting and informative top-ten-list format. These tables cover a variety of topics, such as the countries with the largest population, the most televisions, and the most garbage.
Per capita, Iceland publishes more books than any country in the world.
The Danish workweek, one of the shortest in the European Union, averages 32 hours. Each worker receives five weeks' paid vacation each year.
Sauna is a Finnish word that has been adopted by English and other languages. The sauna is a traditional way for Finns of all ages to relax. During retreats to summer cottages, people like to run from their hot saunas for a swim in the cold, clear lakes nearby. Business meetings will sometimes end in a sauna.
In 1980, Icelanders selected Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as president—the world's first freely elected female head of state.
In Sweden, the holiday Lucia coincides with the longest night of the year. On the morning of 13 December, a girl in the family (or school or town) assumes the role of St. Lucia (the "light queen") by dressing in white and wearing a crown of candles in her hair. She sings a special song and serves coffee and lussekatter (Lucia cats), a type of roll. This event often marks the beginning of Jul (Christmas) season. The climax is Christmas Eve, when a family smörgåsbord (buffet) is accompanied by gift giving.
Santa Claus is called Jultomte—the "Christmas gnome." The name Jultomte once referred to a fabled gnome who lived under the house and protected it during the year. In the modern tradition, he brings children's gifts to the door on Christmas Eve. After Santa delivers the gifts, the family dances around the tree and sings carols. Christmas Day is spent relaxing, while 26 December is for visiting family and friends.
Some December World Holidays
Portugal - Independence Day – 1 Dec.
Tonga - King George Tupou I Day – 4 Dec.
Finland - Independence Day – 6 Dec.
Multiple nations - Day of the Immaculate Conception – 8 Dec.
Thailand - Constitution Day – 10 Dec.
Bangladesh - Victory Day – 16 Dec.
Kazakstan - Independence Day – 16 Dec.
South Africa - Reconciliation Day – 16 Dec.
Bhutan - National Day – 17 Dec.
Japan - Emperor Akihito's Birthday – 23 Dec.
Multiple nations - Boxing Day – 26 Dec.
Note: this activity can be adapted for use with any world region.
Summary: Students will use CultureGrams to compare regional characteristics of Scandinavia.
Curriculum standards: Conforms to the National Council for the Social Studies' curriculum standards.
Culture (I. a.): Analyze and explain the ways groups, societies, and cultures address human needs and concerns;
People, Places, and Environments (III. a.): Construct and use mental maps of locales, regions, and the world that demonstrate understanding of the relative locations, direction, size, and shape; and
Power, Authority, and Governance (VI. f.): Explain conditions, actions, and motivations that contribute to conflict and cooperation within and among nations.
Conforms to the National Council for Geographic Education's curriculum standards. The geographically informed person knows and understands (4.) the physical and human characteristics of places, (5.) that people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity, and (6.) how culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.
Materials: CultureGrams World Edition
Instructions:
1. Organize the students into groups of five. Assign each group member to read the CultureGram of a different Scandinavian country (one each for Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland).
2. Have group members discuss the similarities among the countries in their region and attempt to draw conclusions about why the countries have been grouped together. Students can discuss both human characteristics as well as physical characteristics. For example, do the people in these countries speak a common language, share a common history, follow the same religion, practice similar customs, share the same level of economic development, etc.? Are there physical boundaries that group these countries together or divide them?
3. Ask the students to summarize their findings in a bullet-pointed list.
4. Have one member of each group present the group's findings to the class.
5. Lead a discussion on how grouping countries into regions helps us understand the world's peoples.
1. What Nordic country sponsors the Nobel Peace Prize?
2. What Swedish city north of the Arctic Circle hosts the annual Snow Festival, featuring snow sculpting, dogsledding, reindeer races, and the Ice Hotel, a giant igloo with 60 rooms?
3. In 2005, Denmark is celebrating the two hundredth birthday of what well-known author of children's tales such as The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid?
4. What small indigenous minority, known for its traditional practice of reindeer herding, lives in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland?
5. What is the only Scandinavian country to adopt the euro as its national currency?
Answers: 1) Norway (Sweden sponsors all other Nobel prizes); 2) Kiruna; 3) Hans Christian Andersen; 4) the Sami (pronounced "SAW-me"), also known as Laplanders; 5) Finland—in 2002 the euro replaced the markka, or Finmark.
Note: You could write one of these on the blackboard every week, discuss how proverbs reflect cultural values, or ask students to find an English proverbial equivalent.
"A rich child often sits in a poor mother's lap." (Denmark)
"Better coarse bread than none to eat." (Sweden)
"A sip at a time empties the cask." (Norway)
"In spring no one thinks of the snow that fell last year." (Sweden)
"A wooer should open his ears more than his eyes." (Norway)
On November 1, Iceland's Grímsvötn volcano erupted for the first time since 1998, reaching 3.7 on the Richter scale and sending ash as far as Finland. The volcano is located on the Vatnajökull glacier in eastern Iceland. One of the most volcanic countries in the world, Iceland is often called the "land of fire and ice." About 30 percent of its surface consists of lava fields and more than 10 percent is covered with glaciers. Iceland's major volcanoes—Grímsvötn, Hekla, and Katla—lie on the rift where the European and American continental plates meet. Although Iceland averages one volcanic eruption every five years, the eruptions are rarely dangerous to people because they occur in largely uninhabited areas.
To read more about Iceland's fascinating geography and people, access the Iceland CultureGram.
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