National Museum of the American Indian
The Kwakwaka'Wakw: A Study of a North Pacific Coast People and the Potlatch
Discover the cultural practices and unique value systems of a group of native peoples from Canada called the Kwakwaka'wakw. Your young historians will discuss how conceptions of wealth can vary and how these native people utilized...
Peace Corps
Features of Culture
Explore the melting pot in your own classroom with a lesson that focuses on cultural beliefs, traditions, and traits. Middle and high schoolers examine the details of their own identified cultures before sharing them with peers, and...
Peace Corps
Celebrating Our Connections Through Water
Water is vital for survival, but how does it help global cultures flourish? Elementary and middle schoolers learn about the different cultures around the world that celebrate water and incorporate it into their festivals or traditions.
Curated OER
The Kwanzaa Tradition: Pronoun Review
Celebrate Kwanzaa and reinforce grammar skills with one language arts activity. Learners add missing pronouns to sentences in a passage about the traditions and customs of Kwanzaa. Next, they answer four comprehension questions about...
Illustrative Mathematics
“Crossing the Decade” Concentration
Young mathematicians concentrate on learning to fluently count. Following the rules of the classic game Memory, children take turns flipping over cards in order to find pairs of numbers that cross a decade (e.g. 29 and 30). For younger...
Curated OER
A Single Lucid Moment
Students examine a case study of contrasting values between cultures. They read and discuss a story of a family of Peace Corps volunteers in Papua New Guinea, write a response to the story, and write a script for a dramatization of the...
Curated OER
Shange's Novel Betsey Brown & Jazz
Students read a work of fiction and investigate literary values and structure of the work. They demonstrate understanding of the family values, cultural and historical context of the novel;
Curated OER
Classroom Guide for Coming to America
Learners discuss the pre-reading focus questions. In this reading lesson, students discuss and explore the book cover and title. Learners predict what they will learn from this book. Additionally, students read to find out what life is...
Curated OER
Birthplace of John F. Kennedy: Home of the Boy Who Would Be President
Students explore the upbringing of John Kennedy and how it effected his culture, character and personality. They investigate their own family traditions, values, and interests.
Curated OER
Building Strong Families
Students brainstorm a list of the qualities that strong families have. In groups, they are given a list of the characteristics proven to keep families together and compare them to their own list. To end the lesson, they discuss family...
Curated OER
Family Life Among the Ashanti of West Africa
Students examine the way of life of the Ashanti who live in West Africa. After locating the countries on a map, they are shown slides of artifacts to determine their uses. In groups, they compare and contrast the Ashanti's view of...
Curated OER
Celebrate Kwanzaa in the United States
Students explore and study the celebration of Kwanzaa in which African-Americans remember their heritage and remind people of the importance of sharing with family and friends. They participate in a chant about the seven continents and...
Curated OER
Family Relationships
Students examine the various types of family relationships. In groups, they analyze sibling rivalry, birth order, positive and negative aspects of relationships in general. To end the lesson, they complete a short quiz on this...
Curated OER
Inuit Culture: The Family
Young scholars examine the attributes of Inuit families. In this cultural practices instructional activity, students read "Saqiyuq: Stories for the Lives of Three Inuit Women," and respond to 10 comprehension and critical thinking...
Curated OER
The Kwanzaa Tradition…Pronoun Review
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a passage regarding Kwanzaa. Students fill in the 7 blanks in the passage with the appropriate pronouns and then respond to 5 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Area Model of Multiplication Using Base 10 Manipulatives
Explore two-digit multiplication with your class as they work in groups to build models of two-digit multiplication using base 10 manipulatives. They construct rectangles replacing standard numbers with equivalent place values using the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
History in Quilts
Learners investigate the use of cloth-based art forms intended to pass down traditions and history. They research types of quilts, quilt characteristics and then identify how Freedom Quilts were historically used in the US.
Curated OER
Fieldwork Basics Overview
Put your feet up and grab a cup of coffee before going through this extensive field work unit plan! Based on folklorist studies of traditional culture and ethnography, several activities focus on topics such as cultural sensitivity;...
Curated OER
The Hmong and the Storycloth: How traditions and cultures are transmitted through folklore and art
Fourth graders understand how families, communities, and countries preserve tradition through art and recognize that the Hmong of Southeast Asia use storycloth as a medium to pass down their tradition and history.
Curated OER
Learning to Master: Some Ideas from Tradition
Students explore the Biblical teachings. In this stewardship lesson, students cite passages from the Bible that promote philanthropy and identify Biblical texts that contradict one another.
Curated OER
Story Quilt Project
Students investigate how quilt making was a family and community activity. They read and discuss books, complete various handouts, and create a paper quilt celebrating philanthropic activities.
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Dancing With the Indians
Students read Dancing With the Indians by Angela Shelf Medearis. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of Native American festivals and traditions. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing,...
Curated OER
Metis
Fourth graders examine the Metis culture. In this Metis living instructional activity, 4th graders read Things I did Last Summer by Martin Shulman and discuss the life of the main character, Bonnie. Students recreate their favorite...
Curated OER
Chinese Shadow Puppet Play
Students experience through role-play the art of shadow puppetry and appreciate the role of oral traditions in Chinese history. They research the origins and history of puppetry as a part of a unit on China. They discover what Chinese...