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Stories of Nepal
Young scholars explore folktales and fairy tales from Nepal to help them understand the Nepalese culture, and to compare the stories to the ones the students may know. After reading the stories, young scholars consider what rural life is...
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Diggin' The Past
Students explore the culture of Ancient Egypt. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students are divided into groups to research how aspects of culture were influenced by the Nile River. Students create a slide show that describes how...
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Origami
Students, through active participation in Japanese origami, demonstrate their skills in this cultural art form and develop an appreciation for other cultures.
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Male Nok Head SculptureNigeria, Africa
Sixth graders create sculpture. In this visual arts lesson, 6th graders design and create Nok sculptures that feature patterns and textures in the style of the Nok culture.
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Vietnam-Tet Nguyen Dan; Dancing Dragon Puppets
Students are shown visual examples of Dragon Dance costumes and identify cultural characteristics and ceremonial design qualities. Students listen to the teacher tell about the significance dragon dances have played throughout Vietnamese...
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Two Very Different Concepts of Time
Students explore the concept of cultural anthropology. In this culture studies lesson plan, students consider the culture of Guinea as they read "The Meaning of Time" by Katherine Ross. Students also discuss the traits of monochronic and...
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Cave Painting
Sixth graders create replica cave paintings using flowing lines, texture, and earth colors.
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Treasures of the Silk Roads
Students examine and discuss art objects from the Silk Roads. They analyze images of artifacts, create a word map, and develop and write a short story or poem based on the slides viewed.
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A Day In The Life
Young scholars create an online newspaper documenting the politics and culture of ancient Rome. Using online tools and websites, they conduct research on ancient Roman politics and everyday culture. The informaiton gathered is used to...
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People for the Land: Native Americans in Iowa
Young scholars identify Iowa's American Indian cultures and complete a research project for the topic. For this Iowa's American Indian lesson, students research read the background information about tribes in Iowa and complete a research...
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Flamenco And Its Origins
Middle schoolers discuss the role Islamic culture had on the development of Flamenco music in this General Music activity for the middle-level classroom. Resource links are provided. The activity emphasizes the creation of group posters.
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Weaving Project
Students practice artistic weaving. For this Colonial arts lesson, students weave pieces using lint from their home dryers. Students replicate the weaving process early Americans used. Students are also challenged to weave using the...
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Mesopotamia
Sixth graders find information on three culture universals which they choose for their research. They organize their notes and select illustrations to be used in the final report.
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Oral Histories
One of a series of lessons from Ellis Island. For this lesson, students use research from a previous lesson to conduct oral history interviews of family members to learn about their cultural and ethnic heritage.
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Significant Events
Students identify significant events in Australia's history. They speculate how they have influenced the development of our culturally diverse nation. Students write an imaginary interview with a person whose life was influenced by one...
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Harry Potter: Middle Grades Activity
Middle schoolers identify inferred and recurring literary, cultural and social themes such as bravery, loyalty, friendship and the notion of good vs. evil.
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Musical Makeover
Students explore the importance of folk music is various ethnic cultures.
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Murals With a Message
Students recognize historical and cultural influences in art and appreciate art as a vehicle for public expression of ideas. They develop group skills, working together to produce a single mural or several related murals.
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Music Styles
Young scholars identify many genres of music and connect styles of music with various cultures. They watch "The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A to Z" and list music styles: folk, jazz, rock, etc.
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Every Picture Tells a Story
Students examine the ways in which a work of art represents the culture or lifestyle of people living in a state. They analyze the back of the Iowa quarter and discuss how art reflects the time period in which it was created.
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Pysanky: Not Just a Pretty Egg
Students examine the art of Pysanky. Using the Internet, they identify the cultural similarities and differences between the United States and the Ukraine. Using Pysanky's art, they discover the symbolism he used in his artwork and...
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Mary's Choice: To Go or Stay?
Students read about Mary Jemison and her decision to stay in her adopted Indian culture or return to her native culture. In this Pennsylvanian history lesson, students read about the true story of Mary Jemison's kidnap as well as her...
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The Language of Love
Students explore the images and idioms related to love in their own culture. They examine new rituals recently created in Japan by reading and discussing "Osaka Journal:Japanese Date Clubs Take the Muss Out of Mating."
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The Hajj: Journey to Mecca
Students reflect on the importance of rituals in their own families. They examine the activities that are performed during the Hajj. Using other religions, they discover the diversity of other religious and cultural traditions. They...