UNIT TITLE: Exploring Other Cultures
Author: Maureen Sidler
E-Mail Address: msidler@sd151.s-cook.k12.il.us
School: Eisenhower Elementary School : South Holland, Illinois
School Home Page URL:
THEME : The World Around Us
BROAD CONCEPT: Comparing Cultures
GRADES: 3rd Grade
INTEGRATED SUBJECTS: Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Technology
UNIT GOALS AND PURPOSE: The students and teachers will learn about various
cultures and countries. They will also learn how to be more accepting of other
cultural differences. The teachers and students will create a rubric to use as
an assessment of the students’ work.
TIME FRAME: 14 –16 Days
OBJECTIVES:
In this lesson, students will:
__Desktop Publishing- (ex. Print Artist) _x_ Brainstorming (ex. Inspiration)
_x_Word Processing (ex. MS Word) _x_Spreadsheet (ex. Cruncher)
_x_CD-ROM Encyclopedia (ex. Encarta) _x_ Database (ex. MS Works)
_x_
Multimedia
__Other software pertaining to
unit
STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT:
1.B.2a Establish purposes for reading; survey materials; ask questions; make
predictions; connect, clarify and extend ideas.
1.B.2b Identify structure (e.g., description, compare/contrast, cause and
effect, sequence) of nonfiction texts to improve comprehension.
1.B.2c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., in addition
to previous skills, clarify terminology, seek additional information).
1.B.2d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.
1.C.2a Use information to form and refine questions and predictions.
1.C.2c Compare and contrast the content and organization of selections.
1.C.2f Connect information presented in tables, maps and charts to printed or
electronic text
2.B.2b Identify and explain themes that have been explored in literature from
different societies and eras.
2.B.2c Relate literary works and their characters, settings and plots to
current and historical events, people and perspectives.
3.A.2 Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate
use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization and
punctuation.
3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies
(e.g., mapping, outlining, drafting).
3.B.2b Establish central idea, organization, elaboration and unity in
relation to purpose and audience.
3.B.2c Expand ideas by using modifiers, subordination and standard paragraph
organization.
3.B.2d Edit documents for clarity, subjectivity, pronoun-antecedent
agreement, adverb and adjective agreement and verb tense; proofread for
spelling, capitalization and punctuation; and ensure that documents are
formatted in final form for submission and/or publication.
4.A.2a Demonstrate understanding of the listening process (e.g., sender,
receiver, message) by summarizing and paraphrasing spoken messages orally and
in writing in formal and informal situations.
4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and
messages in small and large group settings.
4.B.2a Present oral reports to an audience using correct language and
nonverbal expressions for the intended purpose and message within a suggested
organizational format.
4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group
discussions.
4.B.2c Identify methods to manage or overcome communication anxiety and
apprehension (e.g., topic outlines, repetitive practice).
4.B.2d Identify main verbal and nonverbal communication elements and
strategies to maintain communications and to resolve conflict.
5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan.
5.A.2b Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g.,
books, interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs).
5.C.2a Create a variety of print and nonprint documents to communicate
acquired information for specific audiences and purposes.
5.C.2b Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.
11.A.2c Construct charts and visualizations to display data.
11.A.2d Use data to produce reasonable explanations.
11.A.2e Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.
11.B.2b Develop a plan, design and procedure to address the problem
identifying constraints (e.g., time, materials, technology).
13.B.2f Analyze how specific personal and societal choices that humans make
affect local, regional and global ecosystems (e.g., lawn and garden care, mass
transit).
15.A.2b Describe how incomes reflect choices made about education and careers.
16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from
historic documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
17.A.2a Compare the physical characteristics of places including soils, land
forms, vegetation, wildlife, climate, natural hazards.
17.A.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather
information about people, places and environments.
17.C.2a Describe how natural events in the physical environment affect human
activities.
17.C.2b Describe the relationships among location of resources, population
distribution and economic activities (e.g., transportation, trade,
communications).
17.D.2a Describe how physical characteristics of places influence people's
perceptions and their roles in the world over time.
18.A.2 Explain ways in which language, stories, folk tales, music, media and
artistic creations serve as expressions of culture.
18.B.2a Describe interactions of individuals, groups and institutions in
situations drawn from the local community (e.g., local response to state and
national reforms).
18.C.2 Describe how changes in production (e.g., hunting and gathering,
agricultural, industrial) and population caused changes in social systems.
19.C.2b Identify offensive, defensive and cooperative strategies in selected
activities and games.
21.A.2c Work independently on task until completed.
21.B.2 Work cooperatively with a partner or small group to reach a shared
goal during physical activity.
24.A.2b Demonstrate positive verbal and nonverbal communication skills (e.g.,
polite conversation, attentive listening, body language).
26.A.2e Visual Arts: Describe the relationships among media,
tools/technology and processes.
26.B.2b Drama: Demonstrate actions, characters, narrative skills,
collaboration, environments, simple staging and sequence of events and
situations in solo and ensemble dramas.
27.B.2 Identify and describe how the arts communicate the similarities and
differences among various people, places and times.
28.A.2a Comprehend illustrated stories, audiovisual programs or websites.
28.B.2a Pose questions spontaneously in structured situations.
28.D.2c Present an original production (e.g., TV commercials, ads, skits,
songs) using known vocabulary and grammatical structures.
29.A.2 Demonstrate activities (e.g., games, songs and role playing) associated
with the target language.
29.E.2 Use maps, charts, digital images, graphs and other geographic
representations to describe and discuss the countries where the target language
is spoken.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES WHICH WILL PROMOTE ENGAGED LEARNING:
Lesson 1- In this lesson the students will communicate with
students from other countries. They will then need to locate where their
e-pals’ countries are on a large wall map. The students will use the Scholastic
site as their connection to e-pals.
Lesson 2- The students will discuss what defines a culture and
then they will use Inspiration to create a word web to organize their words
into categories.
Lesson 3- The students will communicate with their e-pals to collect information about what holidays that culture celebrates. The students will also research those holidays on the web. They will use the following web sites: www.holidays.net , www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC , teacher.scholastic.com/holiday
Lesson 4- The students will communicate with their e-pal to
collect information about the customs of that country. They will then use
various resources, including the Internet, to research those customs. They will
then compare and contrast their customs and their e-pals’ customs using a Venn
Diagram.
Lesson 5- The students will communicate with their e-pals to
collect information on that country weather. They will then research the
weather patterns of that country using various resources and web sites. Once
they have compiled their information, they will use Microsoft Word to create a
chart of the temperatures and a graph showing the number of sunny, rainy,
cloudy, snowy, etc. days in that country for the last two weeks.
Lesson 6- The students will communicate with their e-pals to
collect data on what foods they eat. They will then have to create a menu
listing what they would cook for their family for breakfast, lunch and dinner
if they lived in their e-pals’ country.
Lesson 7- The students will communicate with their e-pals to
collect information on what type of games they play and what they like to do
for fun. They will then need to create and demonstrate one game they have
learned about.
Lesson 8- The teacher will read two versions of the same fairy
tale. The books would be Little Red Riding Hood and Lon Po Po.
The students would then discuss the differences between the two stories
and what role culture played in those differences. They will then choose
another fairy tale and use Microsoft Word to write it from the perspective of
their e-pals’ culture.
Lesson 9- The students will be grouped according to where their
e-pals’ countries are located. All the people that have an e-pal from Europe
will be in one group. All the people that have e-pals from Asia will be in
another group, and so on. They will compare the information they have gathered
and create a news cast that would be broadcasted in their e-pals’ countries.
They will each take a role in the newscast and present it to the class while
the teacher videotapes it.
Lesson
10- The students will gather together all
the projects they have completed for this unit. They will construct a
display that will be part of a Multi-Cultural Fair that they will participate
in. They will also bring in any artifacts, clothing, etc. that reflect the
culture they have studied.
SHARE YOUR IDEAS:
The teacher will set up a Multi-Cultural Fair
consisting of booths displaying the students’ work. The students will display
the various projects they have prepared. They will also display the props and
articles they have collected that reflect the cultures of their countries. The
rest of the school will be able to visit these displays and listens to the
students tell about the various cultures.
STUDENT AND TEACHER ROLES: The Student’s role through out the unit will be to
work cooperatively with others to create various projects. They will also help
others to understand the differences and similarities between our culture and
the ones we studied. The teacher’s role is to guide the students to the places
they can find information on their various cultures. The teacher will also help
the students when they have questions about the directions or steps through out
the projects.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE PRINT RESOURCES STUDENTS MAY USE :
World Book Encyclopedia
Dictionaries
Thesaurus
World Atlas
THE FOLLOWING BOOKS CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC:
The Seven Days of Kwanzaa, by Angela Sheif Medearis
The Spirit of Tio Fernando: A Day of
the Dead Story, by
Janice Levy
The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish
Holiday Tales, by Nina
Jaffe
Weather, by Brian Cosgrove, 1991
The Eyewitness of the World, by Deni Brown, 1994
Multicultural Fables and Fairy
Tales: Stories and Activities to Promote Literacy and Cultural Awareness, by Tara McCarthy
FOR ADDITIONAL ONLINE INFORMATION AND MEDIA PERTAINING TO THIS UNIT, TEACHERS MAY WANT TO USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ARTICLES: (minimum 6 sites)
Title1: Scholastic
URL1: www.scholastic.com
Description1: This
web site has a special multicultural project. As an extension, the teacher can
have the students go to this site and leave a good will message to other
children around the world. It also allows the students to share facts about
their cultures.
Title2: The
World Factbook
URL2: www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Description2: This
web site contains the world factbook. Teachers and students can access the most
updated information on countries.
Title3: Infonation: Choose Countries
URL3: www.un.org/Pubs/CyberschoolBus/infonation/e-infonation.htm
Description3: This
is a site where the teachers can ask for information about other countries and
the United Nation provides the information the teachers ask for.
Title4: Proteacher
URL4: www.proteacher.com
Description4: This
site contains activities, units and links that can be used to teach about
cultural differences and how to be tolerant of them.
Title5: Kids
Helping Kids: Activities and Resources for Teaching Peace
URL5: www.unicefusa.org/issues96/sep96/guide/english.html
Description5: This
site contains activities that allow the students the chance to strengthen their
language arts, math, and leadership skills while learning about the lives of
children around the world.
Title6: Geography
World
URL6: members.aol.com/bowermanb/101.html
Description6: This
site is filled with links to other wonderful geography web sites.
RELEVANT INFORMATION, STUDENTS WILL VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITES: (minimum 6 sites)
Title 1: Holidays
on the Net
URL 1: www.holidays.net
Purpose of Use 1: The students will visit this site to gather information about holidays
celebrated around the world.
Description 1: This
site provides information about holidays that are celebrated around the world.
It also gives the history of the holidays.
Title 2: Maps
and References
URL 2: www.cgrer.uiowa.edu/servers/servers_references.html
Purpose of Use 2: The students will visit this site to gather information on the
countries they are studying.
Description 2: This
web site contains maps and interactive map skill activities.
Title 3: Scholastic
URL 3: www.scholastic.com
Purpose of Use 3: The students will visit this site to gather information about various cultures around the world.
Description 3: This
site contains a unit on multicultural awareness. It also has links to other
sites that are helpful.
Title 4: Ask
Jeeves for Kids
URL 4: www.ajkids.com
Purpose of Use 4: The students will visit this site to find relevant links to gather information about their projects.
Description 4: This
is a search engine for kids to use to find web sites and articles on the web.
Title 5: Atlapedia
Online
URL 5: www.atlapedia.com
Purpose of Use 5: The students will visit this site to gather information for their
projects.
Description 5: This
site contains information on every country in the world. It is very informative
and easy for the students to use.
Title6: MCC
Multicultural Calendar
URL6: www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC
Purpose of Use 6: The students will visit this site to gather information on the cultures
of other countries.
Description 6: This
site contains information on the holidays and customs of other countries.
ACTIVITY 1
Activity Title: Where in the World Are They?
Overview: The
students will communicate with children from other countries and find those
countries on a world map.
Objectives: In
this lesson, students will be able to:
Materials: World
Map, Computers, Internet, Push pins
Questions:
Procedure:
Evaluation:
The students will be assessed on the
following:
ACTIVITY 2
Activity Title: Word Web
Overview: The
students will use Inspiration to create a word web on cultures.
Objectives: In
this lesson, the students will be able to:
Materials: Inspiration
program, computers, word list
Questions:
Procedure:
Evaluation: The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 3
Activity Title- Holidays around the World
Overview- Using
the Internet, the students research various holidays in other countries. They
then fill in the Celebrations Around the World Grid and nominate a new holiday
for the Unite States to celebrate.
Objectives-
In this lesson the students will be able to:
Materials- Computer,
Microsoft Word, Internet, Celebrations Around the World worksheet, paper and
pencil.
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 4
Activity Title- How do We Compare?
Overview- Using
e-pals, the students will communicate with students from other countries and
gather information on their cultures.
Objectives-
In this lesson, the students will be able to:
Materials- Computer
with Internet, paper, pencils and the list of questions to ask.
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 5
Activity Title- Forcasting the Weather
Overview-
Using e-pals, the students will communicate with students from other countries
and gather information on their weather.
Objectives-
In this lesson, the students will be able to:
Materials- Computer
with Internet, Microsoft Word, paper and pencil
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 6
Activity Title- What’s on the Menu?
Overview-
Using e-pals, the students will communicate with students from other countries
and gather information on what foods they eat.
Objectives-
In this lesson the students will be able to:
Materials- Computer
with Internet, paper and pencil
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 7
Activity Title- Games Around the World
Overview- Using
e-pals, the students will communicate with students from other countries and
gather information on the types of games they play.
Objectives-
In this lesson, the students will be able to:
Materials- Computer
with Internet, paper, pencil, equipment for presentations
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 8
Activity Title- Fairy Tales from Other Countries
Overview- In
this lesson, students will use Microsoft Word to write their own fairy tale.
Objectives-
In this lesson, the students will be able to:
Materials- Computers,
Microsoft Word, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Lon Po Po
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 9
Activity Title- World News Reports
Overview-
The students will create a news report using the information they have gathered
through out the unit.
Objectives- In
this lesson the students will be able to:
Materials- Video
camera, paper, pencils, props and information that has been gathered
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
ACTIVITY 10
Activity Title- Multicultural Fair
Overview-
The students create booths to display their projects and materials. The school
visits the booths and listens to the students present their information.
Objectives-
In this lesson the students will be able to:
Materials- Projects
that are completed, booths, tables, televisions, and v.c.r.’s
Questions-
Procedure-
Evaluation- The
students will be assessed on the following:
FINAL PROJECT RUBRIC
CATEGORIES POINTS
Includes information from each students
research 10
Each Group member must participate in
presentation 10
Presentation is organized and visuals are
neatly done 10
Presentation runs smoothly and students are
well prepared 10
Public Speaking Skills 10
Creativity 50
Total Points 100