Are you planning a summer vacation? As you plan, dig into CultureGrams: Kids, Provinces, States, and World Editions to find important information about your travel sites. Discover pertinent facts and information for each state and country that will help you know what to wear, what greeting to use, what type of food you will discover, and more. Each report provides information about the Land and Climate, History, Greetings, Family, Diet, Housing, Holidays, Economy, Education, Health, and more.
The CultureGrams resources can provide the needed support to prepare for these travel destinations. Here are some spots to consider when creating your summer travel itinerary.
If you love the classic story of Anne of Green Gables, why not travel to Prince Edward Island? The detailed imagery in the book brings to life the beautiful countryside. Plan your visit today and gain the opportunity to experience Anne's world.
Start by using the map of Prince Edward Island in the CultureGrams: Provinces Edition. There are many cities and towns to explore, including some mentioned in the book.
To discover more about the place you are visiting, start with the menu on the left of the screen. This has information about the climate, population, history, cultural notes, and more.
According to the Climate section in CultureGrams, the summers in Prince Edward Island do not get particularly warm. Temperatures only reach about 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep this in mind when you pack your suitcase and make sure to pack clothing appropriate for that type of weather.
To start your journey on Prince Edward Island, first go to Cavendish. Cavendish is a small town north of the city of North Rustico. Cavendish is the town that Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, modeled her fictitious town, Avonlea, after. You can explore the Green Gables farmhouse in Cavendish.
Another fun stop will be the College of Piping in Summerside. Most of Prince Edward Island's inhabitants are of Irish and Scottish heritage and have a rich Celtic tradition. The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada, "is the only one of its kind in North America. Open year-round, the college offers instruction in traditional Celtic disciplines such as dance, drumming, and Highland bagpiping." Wouldn't it be fun to watch and maybe even learn a traditional Celtic dance while vacationing?
Additional Resources from INFOhio about Prince Edward Island include:
If you love hot, sunny weather, add southern California to your bucket list destination. Before you begin your trip, do some research using the CultureGrams: States Edition.
At the top of every state report in CultureGrams is a featured section called Did You Know? This gives interesting facts about each state. For example, one of the intriguing facts is that "Fallbrook calls itself the Avocado Capital of the World." This information is useful when you plan your trip. Be sure to add a visit to an avocado farm to your itinerary for a tasty destination.
There are a lot of sports teams in California. One team is the San Diego Padres Major League Baseball (MLB) team. They have several games scheduled in June. Enjoy a live baseball game during your vacation!
While in California, be sure to check out the famous Hollywood sign and experience the culture of Los Angeles. From San Diego, Los Angeles is a little more than a two-hour drive north.
Additional Resources from INFOhio about California include:
If a tropical climate is what you are looking for, Thailand is a beautiful country in Asia. To prepare for the trip to Thailand use CultureGrams: World Edition. The physical map of Thailand in this resource displays the elevations of the country and many of the cities and towns. Use the map to decide where to stay.
In the CultureGrams: World Edition the left-side menu has additional sections that the other editions do not have, like Greetings, Eating, Family, and Diet. Before you start looking at some of those features, you may first notice one of the Did You Know? facts. "In Thailand, it is appropriate to drink water at the end (but not during) a meal." This is a helpful tip to remember; do not order water with your meals while dining.
Learning how to appropriately greet the people that you meet while in Thailand is important and will make your stay more pleasant. The Greetings section explains that wai is a typical way to greet one another. The wai is a gesture of respect, in which one places the palms of the hands together at chest level with fingers extended upward and bows slightly. It also includes information about the different positions of your hands during the wai and that it is an insult to not return a wai.
Many of the sections on the left-side menu include additional Interviews, Slideshows, and Videos on the topic selected. For example, a huge part of a vacation may be the food. Click Diet to learn more about what to eat while vacationing in Thailand. The Thai Food Slideshow shares images of dishes like egg-yolk desserts, pad Thai, and gelatin balls in sweet coconut milk.
After exploring Thailand through CultureGrams, a must-see spot is Chiang Mai and the Doi Suthep Temple. Although Thailand guarantees freedom of religion, nearly 95 percent of the population is Buddhist. The temples are beautiful and feature ornate decorations, tiled roofs, and carvings. To see the details in the design and architecture of the temples will be a sight to see.
Additional Resources from INFOhio about Thailand include:
CultureGrams is full of information to help you learn more about our world. Whether you are trying to plan your next vacation or just want to browse and look through all of the amazing places, CultureGrams: Kids, Provinces, States, and World Editions can help with both. If you have questions or need support while using the CultureGrams resources, please reach out to us at support.infohio.org.
Enjoy your summer!
Sarah Mowery is a Professional Instructional Specialist with INFOhio. She has worked in education for 16 years as a school librarian and technology coach in elementary and middle school settings. While in these roles, she's been an integral part of the building leadership teams working as a curriculum connector and integrating web-based tools. She earned a BA in Sociology from Bowling Green State University and an MLS with a specialization in PK-12 schools from East Carolina University. Sarah was one of the original INFOhio ICoaches when the program first began in 2013 and has a passion for sharing how INFOhio resources can transform teaching and impact learning for students and educators across the state of Ohio.
Fetch is avaiable to INFOhio automated schools. If you are an INFOhio school, please log in with your school username/password using the button at the top-left corner of this page.
For more information about Fetch, please visit the Fetch information page or contact INFOhio support at https://support.infohio.org.
