Exploring Global Citizenship in Kindergarten
“Namaste.” That’s how Principia kindergarteners learned to greet their hosts at the nearby Hindu temple they visited. Far from being a stand-alone excursion, the trip was part of a series of lessons and activities about being a global citizen. Parents even played a role, helping their children learn about a country of the child’s choosing.
To kick off the unit, kindergarten teachers Lori Lines (US’73, C’77) and Kiersten Marston (C’13) invited Dr. Sally Steindorf (US’93, C’97), chair of the College’s Global Studies Department, to introduce fundamental concepts of global citizenship. With a map of the world before them, the five- and six-year-olds started a “Know, Wonder, Learned” chart, contributing what they knew. “My dad went to Israel,” a girl shared, and a teacher placed a paper tab on Israel. “My grandma went to France,” one student offered, and another tab was added to the map. “My dad was born in India,” said another, and so on.
Next, students added their questions to the “Wonder” column: “I wonder how many countries there are. I wonder if they wear different clothes. I wonder if they go to school.” The list quickly grew quite long!
During another lesson, Steindorf read the book What Does It Mean to be Global?, allowing ample time for discussion. Many questions arose, which, of course, were added to the “Wonder” list.
“Over time,” Lines explains, “we came up with a three-part definition of what it means to be global.” Based on the definition of global citizenship that Steindorf teaches at the College, the kindergartners’ version is worded more simply:
- Being curious about the world
- Being respectful of other people
- Doing good for the world
With these principles in mind, the children visited the Hindu Temple to learn a little bit about a different way of worshiping—and to practice the Hindi greeting they had learned! The day they visited happened to be a special day of worship called Mahashivratri. So, in addition to walking around the temple and observing, students got to see the ceremonies and hear the chants Hindus use to worship on this special day.
A few days later, Steindorf visited again to share information about India, where she has conducted extensive research. She introduced the concept of different languages with colorful nametags with each child’s name written in Hindi. Instead of just being handed their tags, however, the children had to be detectives. By noting similarities and differences across the tags and comparing their findings to their own names, they figured out which tag was theirs. Steindorf also read part of the Hindi version of The Hungry Caterpillar, a children’s classic. Hearing a familiar story in an unfamiliar language helped students see that, despite differences in language and culture, children around the world share a lot in common.
The group’s study of global citizenship culminated with students’ poster presentations about the countries they had researched with their parents. Many studied countries familiar to their families. Others chose countries (and, in one case, a continent) they were curious about. Japan, Nigeria, China, Ghana, Madagascar, and Antarctica were among the places students researched. Did you know the penguin is Antarctica’s national animal? That’s one of the many facts the kindergartners learned from their peers’ presentations.
Much more important were the larger lessons they gleaned about how to be a global citizen—lessons they continue to practice. “In character education terms,” Lines notes, “they are learning to be less self-centered and more kind.” Should they need a reminder, all they have to do is check the bulletin board outside their classroom. It’s titled, “We put the KIND in Kindergarten.”
See a few students presenting their posters in the slideshow below.