GLOBAL CONNECTIONS INQUIRY
Exploring Global Connections
DAY 1 ACTIVITY
15-20 Minutes
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Collect data about where items you consume were produced
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Paper or notebook
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Pencil, pen, or other writing tool
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“Where Is That From?” handout (optional)
THIS WEEK
We’re thinking about
the question:
“How do the things we use connect us to people and places around the world?”
Your challenge this week is to create a “My Global Connections Infographic” showing how the everyday items you consume connect you to distant people and places.
Let's Get Started!
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What did you eat this morning? What are you wearing? Have you or anyone in your house used a cell phone today?
Many of the things we use every day have journeyed from around the world to get to us. We are connected to distant places through the items we consume.
It is often said that we live in a global community. One that is connected through the exchange of ideas, goods, and services.
For the moment, many of these connections are paused, as countries around the globe address the spread of COVID-19.
consume:
to eat, drink, use, or buy
Take a close look at the item below to appreciate some of the ways global connections impact our daily lives.
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Have you ever played music on an electronic keyboard like this one?
Like a lot of the electronics we use in our daily lives, this keyboard was manufactured in another country and shipped to a store in the United States.
On most products, you can find a label attached that identifies where the product was manufactured.
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This label can be found on the back of the keyboard.
It contains specific information about the product, including the manufacturer’s name (Casio), the model number (MA-150), and where it was manufactured: China.
View the map below to observe the location of the country that produced the item and note how far the item traveled.
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Make the map bigger by clicking on it.
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Do you notice the names of the continents?
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Do you notice the lines that show where different countries are?
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A few of the countries have been shaded.
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Can you identify which country is China? (Hint: It's one of the shaded countries.)
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Click here to find out if you were right.
Take a close look at more everyday items below to appreciate some of the ways global connections impact our daily lives.
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Perhaps you can kick a soccer ball pretty far…but not as far as this soccer ball has traveled! This soccer ball was made in Pakistan.
Actually, the majority of soccer balls are manufactured in Pakistan. A soccer ball is made of 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons. Some manufacturers use heat to connect the shapes, but most soccer balls are hand-stitched together!
Often our produce – the fruits and vegetables we eat – comes from distant places.
Bananas grow in warm, tropical climates. These bananas come from Ecuador, which is among the top five countries that produce bananas.
Blueberries are grown in the United States, but often the blueberries we eat in winter have made the long trip from Chile!
Have you noticed the tags inside your clothes? Well, those tags tell a great story! They tell where your clothes were made.
This shirt may say “USA” on the front, but it was actually made in Egypt!
Chances are that many of the clothes in your closet were made in China, which produces and distributes more clothes than any other country in the world.
View the map below to observe the location of the country that produced the item and the continent on which it was produced.
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Make the map bigger by clicking on it.
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A few of the countries around the world have been shaded.
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Can you identify the following countries?
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Pakistan
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Ecuador
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Chile
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Egypt
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Click here to find out if you were right.
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From which continent did the greatest number of items come?
Your challenge this week:
Create a “My Global Connections Infographic” that shows how the everyday items you consume connect you to distant people and places.
Today, you will discover where the items that you use come from.
Think about:
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Where do you think the items in your home came from?
You're going to:
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Go on an object hunt! Look around your home to find out where items came from.
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Write down the following information on a piece of paper (or use the “Where Is That From?” handout if you like):
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The name of the item, the country it was made in, and the continent that country is in
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Use the Countries of Each Continent resource to help you.
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Happy Hunting! Here are a few ideas to think about that will help you in your search:
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Look for labels that say “product of” or “made in.”
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It’s okay if an object doesn’t have a label that says where it was made – just move on to another item!
Learn more about mapping and geography terms, such as hemispheres, poles, lines of latitude and longitude, and more!