July 23rd, 2010
After a fun week of traveling, we ended our journey in Brazil. Even though it’s been a long trip, we didn’t let our jet lag stop us; we were full of energy and ready to explore! We learned about the different animals in Brazil and played a balloon game that Brazilian children play when they are young. It was great to get a first-hand experience of the Brazilian culture!
July 21st, 2010
Today, we took a trip to Moscow, Russia. It was a long flight, with a lot of turbulance, but we got there safe and sound. We first visited a museum where we learned about the Matryoshka dolls. Then, we got to make our very own! After we left the museum, we toured Russia. We got to talk with some Russian children, and they told us about their Christmas traditions. When decorating their Christmas tree, they decorate a star, themselves, to put at the top of the tree. Guess what? We made my very own star for our next Christmas tree. We don’t know where Miss Rebecca is taking us tomorrow; she says, “it’s a surprise”.
July 21st, 2010
Today in Spanish camp we learned so many new things! First, we learned about the Spanish culture from our teacher assistant Pablo, who lives in Madrid. We also practiced our rhyme and vocabulary that we learned yesterday. We even played musical chairs! We are so good, that everyone ended up winning a prize (if the teachers didn’t call the game, it would have went on all three hours!). We learned how to ask someone where something is located, as well as tell someone where something is located.
July 20th, 2010
We have spent the two days traveling around the country to Arizona, and the World to France. We got the chance to visit the Navajo Nation and learn about the Native Americans. When we went to France, we had the chance to visit the Eiffel Tower, see the Statue of Liberty and paint like Van Gogh. Come take a look at our journey so far!
July 20th, 2010
Camp seems to be flying by! We have been learning vocabulary about the community, different cultural topics, and we even started reading in Spanish!
Don’t worry, I’m not crying! You’ll just have to wait until the presentation to see these acting skills.
July 17th, 2010
On Monday, July 19th at 6:30pm, Jörg Gestchke, a German musician, will be performing as well as talking about German folk music. Some of the folk music focus on love, freedom, forests, etc. He will also be discussing the importance of the Molln Festival, which works towards building friendships among various cultures in the Molls area. Come out to Ephrata Park and enjoy the sounds of the talented Jörg Gestchke.
July 14th, 2010
How many people were there on the earth in 1900?
There were only 1.2 billion people. In just 100 years the world grew to 6.1 billion in 2000. This was due largely to a drop in the mortality rate in the development world. Modern medicine such as immunizations and surgery helped prevent and treat previously fatal illnesses.
What is the “Day of 6 Billion”?
Day of 6 Billion is the official name the United Nations gave to October 12, 1999. This is the day that the world’s population tipped from 5,999,999 to 6,000,000.
What region of the world has 60% of the human population?
Asia. With over 1.3 billion people in China, Asia accounts for more of the world’s people than any other region. While families in some cities are shrinking, rural populations are still having large families and many of those children are growing up healthier than in the past. People across the world are also living longer, further adding to the population increase.
What two countries each have over 1 billion people?
China and India. While China has 1.3 billion, India comes a close second with over 1.1 billion people.
What is the third most populated country?
The United States. The USA has approximately 307 million people. After the United States, the next three most populous countries are Indonesia, Brazil and Pakistan.
July 9th, 2010
On Saturday, July 10th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Eastern Mennonite Missions will be holding a Global Fair at the Lancaster Mennonite School. This fair features:
- international foods
- interactive exhibits
- activities for children
- stories from missionaries
- free admission and parking
DON’T MISS THIS CULTURAL EVENT! For more information you can visit their website at
July 7th, 2010
I’m sure that you have seen the tango and watched the infamous sport of fútbol, but have you seen the two together?
Check out this link, in light of the Fifa World Cup, to see tango being performed while playing fútbol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imc7yMY9amc
Now give it a try!
July 3rd, 2010
No one can say for certain just how many languages are spoken at the World Cup. The teams hail from 32 countries and speak at least 27 languages among them. The host country of South Africa has as many as 80 lesser known dialects. Even if you calculate all of those languages, that still doesn’t take into account the thousands of fans who come from around the world to witness the epic sporting event.
Yet, when it comes to the field, there is a need for a common language (not always a spoken one) – a system for players, coaches, refs, and officials to communicate about the game.
Did you know that the official FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) rules dictate that the referees know at least a few key phrases in English? World Cup referees must pass a test of both written and spoken English before being hired. Knowing this, many of the coaches and players from non-English speaking countries also try to learn some English in order to communicate the basics with the refs.
The World Cup officials also created a common dictionary of hand signals to streamline non-verbal communication. This dictionary is available not only to the referees, but also to the teams, their coaches and the fans.
Arguing with a referee in any language won’t get you very far, as World Cup referees are not compelled to explain calls made during the games. Players, coaches and refs rely on the “international language” of body movement to demonstrate their message. When you watch a game, even if you don’t speak the announcer’s language, you can often interpret the ref’s call and how the players feel about it!
To further bridge the language divide, World Cup officials wrote a basic handbook of soccer-related themes in six languages – English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish – to help players, coaches, and spectators.
The common language that unifies the games is found in the players’ emotions, facial expressions, and body language. No matter what language you speak, there is no confusion over the unmistakable disappointment on the faces of the defeated, or the elation of the victorious.