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Passport to the World

People from all different cultures around the world celebrate, communicate, create, and imagine in their own special ways.

Passport to the World, located on Level 2 of the museum, exposes visitors to world cultures and helps them to develop an appreciation and respect for the rich cultural diversity that exist among the world's population. This exhibit showcases close to 500 artifacts from the Kaplan Toy Collection.

Mystery Challenge

The gallery features 6 major learning areas:

World Plaza:
This area is a "people center" that is used to highlight international performers.

People Celebrate:
An area that features types of celebrations from different countries and the elements that bind all of these celebrations together.

People Communicate or "What's the Message":
An area demonstrating how people decorate their bodies and gesture to send messages about themselves and their culture.

People Imagine
An area highlighting how people all over the world imagine fanciful beings and fantastic things.

People Create
An area showing that all people create, most of them utilizing the objects around them.

Balcony:
Venture up the grand staircase to view the Passport to the World gallery from above and meet some interesting characters.

Recommended Ages:
Passport to the World is appropriate for visitors of all ages. In particular, visitors ages 6-12 or in grades 1-5 will not want to miss Passport to the World.

Additional Resources for Kids:
To learn more about other cultures, kids can check out the following books:
Ages 4-8 -
It's Disgusting and We Ate It: True Food Facts from around the World-and Throughout History, James Solheim
Step into Reading series (variety of topics)
Wake Up World: A Day in the Life of Children Around the World, Beatrice Hollyer
Ages 9-12 -
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, Editors of Kingfisher
The Usborne Book of World History, Jenny Tyler
Enchantment of the World, Second Series (variety of topics)
World History series (variety of topics)
Countries of the World series (variety of topics)
Children Just Like Me (multiple authors)
Cultures of the World series (variety of topics)
World Beliefs and Cultures series (variety of topics)

Or the following websites:

Additional Resources for Adults:
To learn more about other cultures, adults can check out the following books:
Material World: A Global Family Portrait, Peter Menzel and Charles C. Mann
A Beginner's Guide to Crossing Cultures: Making Friends in a Multicultural World, Patty Lane
World Cultures: A Global Mosaic, Prentice Hall
Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphysical Journeys Through 17 Countries, Martin J. Gannon

Or the following websites:

Family Learning Connection:
Don't let your Museum experience end when you leave the museum! Take time as a family to discuss what you saw and further discover the world around you!
Younger Children and Families
Does your child enjoy stories? Check a book out from your local library with folk tales from around the world. Use simple props from around the house and your own body movements to act them out.

Older Children and Families
Take time out to visit one of the many different cultural celebrations in your community.
Research your own family's history to see where your ancestors came from.
Come up with new ways to use old objects that you have lying around the house. See if you can create something new and useful out of something old.

Academic Standards Addressed:
Within the gallery, the following Indiana academic standards may be addressed by teachers or facilitators:
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