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<< Who might Marco Polo have met if he took his journey today? Perhaps these Indian children performing a Rasa Lila dance. Photograph by Lindsay Hebbard/Corbis

Retrace the steps of Marco Polo and discover what you can learn from the cultures you encounter along the way and what you might take home to share with your friends and family.

Are you ready for a big family vacation? Imagine that one of your parents has asked you to accompany him or her on a long trip from Europe to eastern China, retracing the steps of Marco Polo. Now all you can think about is what it will look like there, what the people will be like, what you should pack, and what your friends and relatives will want you to bring back to share with them. (You can let your mom or dad worry about everything else.)

Perhaps explorer Marco Polo wondered about these things. In 1271, 17-year-old Marco left his hometown of Venice, Italy, with his father and uncle, embarking on an adventure that lasted 24 years, and took him to places that Europeans had never even heard of. You can see Marco's route online.

When Marco finally returned to Venice, he composed stories about his travels in a book called Description of the World. On his journey, Marco learned a lot about Asian cultures and customs, and his book included descriptions of some of these. For example, he wrote about burning coal for fuel and using paper money rather than coins. The Europeans borrowed these ideas, which were new to them, and made them part of their own culture.

Retrace Marco's footsteps to see these unfamiliar landscapes and cultures for yourself and to learn some interesting new things to share with your friends and family back home. Before departing, don't forget to pack some items to trade with the people you meet—perhaps a baseball cap, T-shirt, or pictures of your hometown.

First, print out a basic outline map of Asia from the Xpeditions Atlas, and mark Marco Polo's route.

Use the Internet links to see what it's like in some of the places Marco Polo visited. Visit at least three places, and label them on the map. Choose at least one thing to bring back home from each place you go—it can be an object (maybe a type of clothing or tool) or an idea (perhaps an interesting custom or game). Then draw pictures of the things you'd like to take home. Write a description of each of these things, and explain why you'd like to take them home.

Younger Xpeditioners: Draw pictures of yourself meeting some of the people along Marco Polo's route, and write a story to go along with your pictures. What do you think you'd say to each other, and what things would you show each other? What would you tell them about your home, and what would they tell you about theirs?

Older Xpeditioners: Times have certainly changed since Marco Polo was alive. Not only have most of the places he visited become "modernized," but many of these places have adopted parts of European and American culture, such as rock music, blue jeans, and McDonald's. One of the places that's really changed is China, especially its cities. Imagine that Marco Polo has traveled ahead in time from the 13th century to the present day. Write a paragraph or two from the new book he might write, describing his observations of modern-day China.

Parents: Discuss with your children what it's like to meet someone from another country or a culture that's very different from your own, particularly if that person does not speak English very well. What can they learn from meeting people from other cultures? What can they share with others? How might they communicate with someone who doesn't speak English?

Share your own positive experiences with making friends from other countries or cultures, and ask your children to think of things they could do to make it easier to communicate and get along with new people.