© 2000, Mariana Mincheva-Rizova, Ilian Rizov,  MODELS FOR TEACHING THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (I-IV grade)

"In those states in which ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practice his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language.”

(Article 30 from “The Convention on the Rights of the Child”)

ACTIVITY

“A ball of family relations”

Aims:

• To update the children’s experience related to the knowledge of their family circle.
• To enrich (make more specific) the pupils’ notions about “family” and to get an idea visually about the relationship “family-people”

• a ball of yarn, different colour threads and scissors
• a geography map of Bulgaria

Before presenting this didactic game, ask the pupils to explain which people we call relatives and if necessary, help with additional questions to update their knowledge.

Then ask them to make a circle. Show them the ball of yarn that you have prepared in advance and describe the rules of the game in the following way:

“This ball should be passed round and each participant in the circle should touch it. While it is in our hands, it is necessary to unwind it and together with this to enumerate the names of your relatives whom you know. When you have enumerated the names you remember you will stop unwinding and pick the thread at the place where you have stopped. There I would tie a different colour thread which will remain hanging loose. Every participant who has already finished will continue holding the coloured thread and would hand the ball to his/her neighbour in order to continue the game. Thus everybody will take turn and the thread of the ball kept by you will gradually form a circle.

Now I will pass the ball to one of you and s/ he will be the first to start the game”.

It is necessary to point out the places which have been reached by the students with a thread different in colour and similar in length.

When all have taken turn help the first and last participants in the game (who sit next to each other) to join the two ends of the ball unwound by the class and to close the circle. In case the pupils have not succeeded in unwinding the whole ball, cut the thread at the place which the last participant has reached.

Explain to the students that similarly to the way in which they are connected with one common thread and make a circle, the population of Bulgaria is united/related by a multitude of families. You could also explain that “family” is a group of people with a common ancestor. Every family is somewhat different from the rest and the different colours of the threads tied together on a common thread visually represent the differences between the families. While the common thread between them shows that they live together on one and the same territory and are parts of one whole that is called a people.

At last ask the children to draw on the floor the contours of the state boundaries of Bulgaria with the help of the thread circle (they can look at the map of Bulgaria as well.)