Albert Schweitzer: The Alsatian Civilization Game (French Region) Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget
Background:
This
French Alsatian Civilization game is devoted to Albert Schweitzer, a major
contributor to the field of public health who worked in Africa.
French
club members will learn about the culture and history of Alsace in this game as
well as an introduction to the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a method to
analyze Alsatian civilization and other civilizations around the world.
Alsace
is located in central Eastern France and is separated from Germany by the Rhine
River. Germany and France have fought
many wars to dominate this region that is rich in food, industrious and
well-educated people, and rich in both wine and beer and the dishes that go
along with these two items.
Why are Alsace and its
Capital at Strasbourg so Important?
1-Strasbourg,
France is the headquarters of the elected European Parliament
(Brussels
is the home of the civil servants for the European Union.)
2-Strasbourg
is the home of ENA – Ecole Nationale d’Administration
All
of France’s presidents have attended ENA after attending the Institut de
Science Politique (Popularly called Sciences Po.)
3-Strasbourg
is the home of the Mérovingian kings of France and Germany.
Charlemagne
was Karl de Grosse.
4-Reliable
and nutritious cuisine that can be stored over winter, if preserved correctly
5-Being
able to serve 5 winter menus that can be made from the pantry
6-Urban
planning that incorporates the best features of France and Germany for town
planning
Method Used to Describe
Alsatian Culture: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The
usual image used to describe Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is useful for showing
that humans have the same needs to survive, but achieve them in different ways
in different cultures.
I
used to describe this to Florence as: “There are many roads that lead to the
same mountaintop. The roads are
different civilizations.”
I
wrote my book Eating Soup with
Chopsticks as a way to explain to her what I meant by that statement for Japan.
Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs is usually displayed as a triangle with 5 levels. I think 4 levels is fine. I would describe the 3 levels as follows:
Level
1 – Economically providing for food, clothing, and shelter for yourself
Level
2 – Economically providing for food, clothing, and shelter for yourself and
your family
Level
3 – Work or Volunteer work in the community to help other families and
individuals become economically independent to prevent crime and help community
members with lifelong learning.
Level
4 – The top of the pyramid is call “Self-Actualization” where a person
economically provides for herself, her family, and next generations. Providing for next generations usually takes
the form of sharing knowledge through creative work such as books, films,
dance, and/or blogs that can be passed down through history.
If
you have worked most of your life in public service and can provide decades’
worth of evidence, I think you should do knowledge management to help new
professionals as you continue to develop professional skills that will promote
your profession through developing ways to acquire skills quickly.
In
this Schweitzer game, I would ask French Club members to compare Alsace with
their communities. All librarians with
master’s degrees have to study reference;
they can help you find this information that will also build your
reference skills with online and paper reference books.
The Environment in
Alsace: Compare and Contrast with your
Community
Clean
and unpolluted water is the foundation of the strong civilization in Alsace.
The
stork is the symbol of Alsace. It is
famous for brining babies to families in myth.
Storks have fragile legs. They
would die quickly, if water they stand in and drink is poisoned in any way.
Your
tasks:
What bird would you name as a symbol of your community?
What bird would you name as a symbol of your community?
What
was the population of that bird 5 years ago as opposed to today?
If
there are changes in number, what could account for those changes?
Storks
in Alsace make nests in unused chimneys in row houses that sit along canals.
Where
does your community bird live and lay eggs?
Alsace
has a Cigone Land or Stork Land for children that educates about the needs of
the stork.
How
are young birds similar to young children?
End
of Part 1 for today
By
Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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