Product Review: Familes of the World Series – Families of Italy DVD (Suitable for Ages 5-11)
Young Citizens Wish You Buon Giorno! In All-New ‘Families of Italy’. Out December 13, 2012!
I have a long list of places I want to visit before I die and Italy is a big one. Italy is located in South-Central Europe and is the 24th most-developed country in the world. It is also the birthplace of maritime republics (the city-states popular in the Middle Ages) and, of course, the Renaissance. Italy and I have always had a history centered on my first name that sounds Italian. It’s not (I mean, it is, but it’s not spelled the same way – thanks, Mom!), but I always got a kick out of people asking if my ancestry was Italian after hearing my first name. Nope. I really wish I could have said yes, just because I have the perfect middle name for an Italian, too, but alas, my love affair with Lo Stivale, a.k.a “The Boot” is not ancestral. It’s all about the love of food, family and an air of being carefree that drew me to learning more about this country and I was really excited to hear that Master Communications announced their next Family of the World Series is focused on the Italian Republic!
The Families of the World Series already has 28 amazing titles under its belt and it is a great way for families to take a journey around the world to learn about other cultures from a child’s viewpoint. In fact, the series is narrated by children and always focuses on two children’s families from an urban and rural location to get the different perspectives. There are limited cuts so it feels very real-world and it’s a nice way for children to see life as it happens in each country for children as young as five (plus a limited 30 minute viewing time – perfect).
In Families of Italy, we get to see the countryside from a sheep farmer’s family (300 sheep!) from 14 year old Veronica who lives close to Pompeii and then 10-year-old Luigi who lives on an olive plantation where his family has an olive press factory for the very popular olive oil. It is fascinating to learn the differences of their home life and school life. Veronica actually goes to school six days a week! Luigi only goes to school half days during the week. You learn about both families’ traditions and learn about how certain things work in Italy, like their free health care system. You also learn they call their mid-day meals ‘dinners’ and that grandparents are very important in Italian families! Keep your eyes open for more videos from this series and learn more about countries that are not often on the top of lists for travel destinations for those of us in the United States. It is fascinating! Oh, and a bonus is that each DVD includes a free PDF Teacher’s Guide that includes the DVD’s script, copy-ready maps, discussion and activity guides and recipes with a glossary. Great stuff.
About Master Communications: Master Communications is a Cincinnati based company that publishes and distributes educational media with a focus on multicultural and bilingual products. They also offer multicultural and multilingual marketing and licensing consulting. Click here to view their latest catalog and product listing.
Familes of the World Series – Families of Italy DVD (Suitable for Ages 5-11)
List Price: $ 29.95
Momma's Bacon 