6th culture map

Kids Can Investigate

These are the six groups that participate in the KCI programe. Let's learn more about their countries.

BACK

Facts

Australia means “southern”. It is called the land “down under”.The centre of the country is called the Outback.

There are more than 20 million people (2 kangaroos and 10 sheep per person).

The currency is the Australian Dollar (AD). Canberra is the capital city.

Most people speak English, but there are over 150 aboriginal languages. It was first used as a prison colony by the English.

The first people to live in Australia were the aborigines (it means “native/first”). Aborigines use “boomerangs” and “didgeridoos”.

Two animals are symbols of Australia: kangaroo and emu (they can’t walk backwards).

They celebrate Christmas on the beach with a BBQ ("barbie").At school the kids learn about the first aid for snake bites.

+ info

+ info

Aborigines have dot painting and a different flag. You can swim in the Great Barrier Reef (in the north coast).

BACK

Facts

. The name comes from “silver”. . It is the second largest country in South America after Brazil. . The capital city is Buenos Aires. . The football players Messi and Maradona were born here. . Aconcagua mountain in The Andes is almost 7,000 metres high. . Tango is the most famous dance. . It is home of the southermost city in the world: Ushuaia . Yerba mate is the national drink. . The Perito Moreno glacier grows 2 metres a day. . The official national sport is “El Pato” (a mix of basketball, riding a horse and polo). . Beef is very good here. . Cowboys are called “Gauchos”.

+ info

+ info

BACK

Facts

. The capital is Tokyo (the largest city in the world, with 37 million people). . There are more than 6,000 islands. . The “kimono” is a traditional dress. . They have beautiful gardens. . The number “4” is very unlucky. . The currency is “yen”. . There are more than 100 active volcanos and lots of earthquakes every year. . Mount Fuji is the highest mountain. . They invented “Pokemon”. .The life expectancy is very high (84 years old).

+ info

+ info

BACK

Facts

. It’s an island in Asia, ” the teardrop of India”. . It is called “the pearl of the Indian ocean” and “land of serendipity” . It was called “Ceylan” until 1972. . The capital cities are Colombo and Kotte. . Tea is the biggest business. . It is home of the cinnnamon. . People shake their head to agree. . First country in the world to have a female prime minister in 1960. . Volleyball is the national sport. . The flag is one of the oldest in the world.

+ info

+ info

BACK

Facts

- Canada is the second-largest country in the world. - It has a population of 40 million people and its capital is Ottawa. - Canada has two official languages, English and French. - Canada’s national animal is actually a beaver. - Thanksgiving Day is the 2nd Monday of October. - Canadians have two national sports. In the winter, hockey is the official sport. In the summer, lacrosse is the official sport. - Canada holds the record for most lakes in the world. - Canada’s money provides braille for the visually impaired. - Nobody locks their doors or cars in the north of Canada. Why? - Canada has an UFO landing pad and 1,467 airports.

+ info

+ info

Kimono

Kimono (着物) are traditional Japanese style clothes. "Kimono" meant "something you wear" originally. About a century ago, most people in Japan wore kimono every day. Now, people wear other clothing in Japan most of the time. However, they still wear kimono for special occasions such as formal ceremonies, but also for fun and fashion. A kimono is a robe shaped like a "T". Normal kimono reach to the ankles, and have long sleeves. The sleeves of some kimono for women also reach to the ankles, but most kimono sleeves reach to the hips.

Boomerangs

A boomerang is a curved throwing stick. People use boomerangs as toys or as weapons. The Aboriginal peoples of Australia, have long used boomerangs for animal hunting and warfare.

Didgeridoos

The didgeridoo (sometimes didjeridu) is an Australian Aboriginal wind musical instrument. They were used by the Yolgnu people of Arnhem Land. They can be quite long, anywhere from 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) long. Most are around 1.2 m (4 ft) long

Cassowary Red back spider Sydney funnel web spider Stingray Box jellyfish Cone snail Stone fish Brown snake Blue ringed octopus Great white shark Salt water crocodile

DANGEROUS ANIMALS

Lacrosse

It was invented by the Native Americans. It is a popular team sport in North America and a national summer sport for Canada. It involves the use of nets, or "heads" as they are called, which consist of a wooden or metal shaft with a net on the end. Hockey is a game based on this sport. Lacrosse is the most growing sport in the world. It is also the fastest sport on 2 feet.

Serendepity

The term "serendipity" is often applied to inventions made by chance rather than intent. The Post-It Note, which emerged after 3M scientist Spencer Silver produced a weak adhesive, and a colleague used it to keep bookmarks in place on a church hymnal.

The biggest dinosaur ever seen is from Patagonia

Dino fans will love this fun fact about Patagonia: the fossils of the largest ever dinosaur that walked our planet was found smack bang in the middle of Patagonia on the Argentinian side. This dinosaur is still unnamed but is known to have been a herbivore, measuring 42m in length and weighing 76 tons. To get an idea of its size, a statue of what it would have looked like has been recreated just outside of Trelew so you can visit and pretend you're in Jurassic Park.