jackattack

I have been asked by my kids school to come and do a 20-30 minute presentation on England/Britain as part of their World Culture project.
I thought that the peeps here could provide some ideas as to what they think a bunch of five and six year olds could find interesting and exciting from back home.

I could present about the fact that Brits invented everything useful like steam engine, electric motor, internet, photography, chocolate bar, telephone, light bulb, tv and apparently toilet paper too. Not sure how interesting that would be though.
I'll definitely do some language things too - pants, biscuits, trainers, jumpers, trash etc and Cockney Rhyming slang might go down well.

I'd love to take something in for them to hold/pass around but can't think of anything that would be easy/cheap as well as interesting.

Suggestions?

Sally Redux

Map of where it is.

Pictures of where you used to live.

The Royal Family.

Music - teach them a British song?

Noorah101

Are you allowed to bring food? Maybe you could put the food and language category together and demonstrate the difference between chips/crisps/potato chips, bisquit/cracker, for example...using British and American brand names.

Rene

HartleyHare

My suggestions would be:

We have a royal family - see if they have heard of any of the favourites, Henry Vlll etc...

As Halloween is big in the US you could compare it with Bonfire Night and give them the story behind it (leaving out the grisly end that Guy Fawkes met>

Differences in food - get them to try Marmite ! (obviously you would have to make sure that none of the children have allergies).

Different types of popular sport e.g football, cricket

Not sure what to give them to pass around. Anything that makes a noise is usually popular!

N1cky

Or Robinsons Squash would be good, my daughters friends are obsessed with 'being British' and drinking Apple & Blackcurrent every time they come to the house.

I think the language thing will go down well.

Lots of kids in California have never seen a sheep, maybe something about the English countryside and how accessible it is, would be interesting.

jackattack

My parents are over at the moment, and brought two giant tubs of Marmite for me. I'd hate to waste it on a bunch of kids but I probably could get them to try it and am pretty sure of what they'll think of it (although my daughter will most likely give them a prior warning and tell them not to taste it since she thinks it is like poison).

Parents have already come in and presented on Taiwan, India, Singapore, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Bahamas, France. That's what school in the Bay Area is like; not bad for a class of 20 kids.

jackattack

Oooh, great idea. How about Ribena too?
Maybe I'll go to Cost Plus World Market and see what I can find.

Uncle_Bob

Be careful on the internet. Tim Berners-Lee did invent the world wide web. But the underlying internet, thats the Americans.
Not that a 5 or 6 year old is going to pick up on it but there may be some adults present or the kids may go and tell their parents etc etc

jackattack

Ha yes. And given that it's a Silicon Valley school with a bunch of exec's kids, I wouldn't be surprised if I get cornered in the car park and lectured on that one. Thanks for the tip.

Uncle_Bob

A toothbrush

N1cky

You could take a knife and fork and explain how to use them

Uncle_Bob

Can you get your hands on a projector so you can show them what you are talking about?
I'm thinking a small clips of stuff like a Harrier jump jet taking off etc

If you could get someone from the UK to send you the reflective sphere part of a roads cats eye you could turn off the lights and have them shine torches (flashlights) at them.

Schools where we are do not allow home baked food but are find with packaged store purchased items.

Rubber bands were invented in England but i strongly suggest using the term elastic bands, you may have some savy 6 year olds

HartleyHare

This link might give some ideas:
http://www.projectbritain.com/

HartleyHare

Of course you could also tell them about the wonderful children's tv productions of days gone by, staring myself, Hartley Hare for example! Clangers, Bagpuss, Hector's House anyone?

Sally Redux

From 'customs': you may be called dear, dearie, flower, love, chick, chuck, me duck, me duckie, mate, guv, son, ma'am, madam, miss, sir, or treacle, according to your sex, age and location.

Treacle?