Colourful celebration of culture in Thompson

CHILDREN from Thompson Primary School have been learning about four different countries as part of a World Voices project.

CHILDREN from Thompson Primary School have been learning about four different countries as part of a World Voices project.

They spent a week discovering about the food, dance, culture, geography and maths of China, Portugal, Brazil and Thailand. The pupils finished off the week with an open assembly where they presented their discoveries from the Passport week.

The project was organised by NEAD (Norfolk Education and Action for Development), which works towards global justice and equality.

World Voices are local people from different countries and cultures who have been trained to bring their stories dramatically alive in the classroom in their own skill areas, such as cooking, dance, storytelling or music. The World Voices used artefact boxes, containing everyday items as well as folk costumes from their countries of origin to highlight the similarities and differences in the lives of young people across the world.

During the week, one of the parents provided an impressive home-made Chinese dragon for the school, and the children practiced writing Chinese characters. A professional dance group, Capoeira communities, gave a tutorial and the history of the South American, non-contact, martial arts based dance.

Many of the parents also got involved in the week, particularly the cookery sessions, producing Chinese chicken chow mein, Portugese bolo da bomacha (biscuit cake), Brazillian brigadairos (chocolate sweets) and Thai mixed vegetable dishes.

Pupil Emily said: 'You should be nice to everyone, even if they are a little bit different. We have things that are the same too. We are now going to Portugal on holiday.'