Globes

Image Source: Flickr Commons. Rural school children, San Augustine County, Texas. April, 1943. (Vachon, John, 1914-1975, photographer)

This photograph from 1943 reminded me of a globe-related moment I shared with the K-1 kiddos today. We were having a quiet spell after a lesson full of flying around the room as papillons and avions, drawing pictures to add to our French dictionary. M was drawing le monde, the world. He commented that the edge of the Earth was probably far away, and other children agreed, prompting me to grab the globe I had noticed by the teacher's chair earlier. "Check this out. See any edges?" Illustrating that the Earth was round, I had intended to do. Causing a swarm of children to hover around me and this simple round object, I had not. But soon, sticky fingers were pointing out colorful continents, wanting to know what they were all called and what language was spoken there. "What's this one called? Nambia? I want to go there." They found the USA and they found France. They returned to their drawings of stylos and la Guerre des Etoiles just a little more thoughtful.

I loved this moment, and was continuing to think about it this afternoon when I found this old photograph of school children in Texas, engaged in a similar globe exploration, in a distant time and place. I like to picture these little imaginations whirring with a spin of this globe, traveling to worlds far beyond their rural lives through this magical rotating ball. Amazing how such a simple device has the power to blow open minds and travel through time, all the way to my classroom in 2013.