The Families of the World educational DVD series has added three new titles - More Families of Mexico, Families of Guatemala, and Families of Panama - to its 23 title (and growing) catalogue. Just in time for National Hispanic Heritage Month, parents and educators can invite their children and students into the world of modern day families living in Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama through the three most recent releases.
Each of the DVDs is approximately 30 minutes in length and contains an episode following a child living in a rural area of the featured country, as well as an episode following a child from an urban area. A wide diversity of living and economic situations are depicted throughout the series for a diverse exposure to life in the country being explored.
Each child’s daily life is captured on film as an English-speaking child shares observations, and explanations revolving around the daily tasks taking place in the film. The families all speak in Spanish and no translation for their conversations is provided. However, English subtitles for the English commentary are provided and can be turned on or off as desired.
Typically covering a period of two or three days from morning wakeup to evening bedtime, vast arrays of educational concepts are presented within a rich, living context. Children are able to see first hand what the families eat, what they do for work, how their children are educated, their religious practices, climate, history, and much more are all woven into the narrative that accompanies the video footage. With this information naturally woven into a child’s daily life it is much easier to absorb and seems far more relevant than dry facts in a geography textbook or atlas. These are living, breathing children whose lives serve to teach our children about their country and culture.
Ranging in age from seven- to twelve-years-old, the lives of the children featured throughout these new releases will appeal the most to those in approximately the same age range. With children their own ages to study, comparisons are easily made between their own lives and those of the children living in these families in other countries. That being said, even our youngest at one-year-old, and the adults in our home were fascinated by the first-hand depictions of life as it is lived amongst the inhabitants of the country.
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