Video of the Week: Families of Vietnam
RSSFrom SLJ December 2004
Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA -- School Library Journal, 11/29/2004
(Families of the World Series). videocassette. color. 30 min. (closed captioned). with tchr's. guide. Prod. by Arden Media. Dist. by Master Communications (www.master-comm.com). 2004. ISBN 1-888194-45-6. $29.95.
K-Gr 5-In two 15-minute segments narrated in a child's voice, youngsters are introduced to the lifestyles of children in modern Vietnam as they meet a nine-year-old girl from Ho Chi Minh City and a four-year-old girl who lives in a more rural setting. Viewers learn about family life, food, school, arts, recreation, and the parents' jobs. The urban child introduces the holiday of Tet, and shows some of the activities that accompany it. The rural child presents life in kindergarten, and her family business of farming and running a store off their boat on the river. Vietnamese music accompanies the video. The children are followed in their routine from rising to bedtime. In the case of the nine-year-old, two days are covered to show both a typical day and a holiday. A map illustrates Vietnam's location in the world. Teachers will welcome the compare and contrast possibilities available here, as well as the cultural information. Children will be interested to see the similarities and differences between their lives and those illustrated in the video. A nice addition to a useful series.
