Peace Corps
Culture is Like an Iceberg
What influences the way you dress, or celebrate holidays, or connect with your friends? Explore the cultural traits that are not easily seen with an engaging discussion. Using the model of an iceberg, learners place features of culture...
Curated OER
Features of Culture
Students examine features of cultures. In this cultural diversity instructional activity, students explore 5 features of culture as they compare their cultural traditions to the traditions in other cultural groups.
Curated OER
Japanese Festivals and Holidays
Bring the excitement and beauty of Japanese festivals into your classroom. Kids with special needs create calendars that reflect special festivals and holidays common to Japanese culture. They start the project by creating a list of...
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Hanal Pixan
Students research the culture of Mexico. For this Mexican culture lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation about the culture of Mexico and the students take notes. Students write an essay about what they have learned.
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South American Cultures
Students examine South American festivals. In this cultural diversity lesson, students research Spanish cultural festivals and determine their purpose. Students write and conduct a survey about cultural festivals.
Curated OER
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Primary learners will embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism through these engaging activities. Which include reading the story Martin Luther King and singing the song "A Man Named King." They will also explore the...
Curated OER
Holidays and Observances: Looking at Diversity and Culture
Students share their own knowledge and experiences of holidays they observe. They research a holiday of their choice and write a report. They also create art of their holiday to complete as a pre-writing activity.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Bridging the Gap Between Cultures
Have you special education class examine multiculturalism. By exploring the cultures of Israel and Greece, they discover the holidays, cuisine, arts, andgeography of the countries. During this twelve-week unit, students develop a...
Curated OER
Heritage and Citizenship: Traditions, Celebrations and Cultural Diversity
Second graders explore the concept of cultural diversity. In this traditions lesson, 2nd graders investigate the cultures of Canada as they discuss traditions within the country. An extension mathematics activity is included.
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Our Cultural Classroom
Second graders are introduced to the cultural diversity within their own classroom and relate this diversity to community, country and world. They create a visual family culture poster containing different aspects of their personal culture.
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Cultures Around the World
Students explore the concept of culture. In this culture activity, students discuss how clothing, food, celebrations, holidays, and travel contribute to the formation and perpetuation of culture.
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Compare and Contrast Culture
Fifth graders compare and contrast the cultures of American culture with that of the other cultures of North America. Using traditional and Internet research, 5th graders gather data on one element of culture for comparison. Data...
Curated OER
Jewish Culture Through Food Recipes
High schoolers engage in studying Jewish culture through the experience of tasting and eating different foods. They answer key questions that are used to guide the lesson. The foods of Americans is contrasted with the Jewish foods.
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Waking Up, Stepping Out
Students examine cultural differences. In this Peace Corps lesson, students compare their culture to Nepali culture as they read and discuss Waking Up, Stepping Out by Steve Iams.
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
Celebrating Diversity
Young scholars celebrate diversity. In this cultural differences lesson, students use their research skills to create a Venn diagram that compares the beliefs and practices of 2 different cultures that they select.
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Everybody Celebrates
Examine the holidays of La Posada in Mexico, Hanukkah in Israel, and Kwanzaa in the United States. Learners identify the countries on a world map, listen to stories, create art projects for each holiday, and make recipes celebrating...
Curated OER
Cultural Comparison
Students choose from a group of entries about the culture of Peru. In this Peruvian culture lesson, students understand the definition of culture. Students describe the culture of Peru researched in the entry and complete a worksheet.
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Mexico's Day of the Dead
Students explore global culture by researching a Mexican holiday. In this Day of the Dead lesson plan, students read assigned text which discusses the view of death in several different cultures including the U.S. and Mexico. Students...
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Happy Thankgiving: Traditions in Culture
Students relate their own Thanksgiving experiences to those of the past through colonial games, Thanksgiving story books, and personal interviews. They develop a concept of how to celebrate Thanksgiving and plan a class time celebration,...
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Holidays
Students make a list of all of the national holidays and explain why we celebrate them. They create a holiday based on their culture, gender, or generation and then debate and defend the creation of their holiday in class. They create...
Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Honoring our Ancestors Through Community Celebration
Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...
New York City Department of Education
Learning about Lunar New Year
Rich in images and information, a teacher's guide to the traditions of Lunar New Year's celebrations in various cultures addresses celebrations of Buddhism and Daoism. It includes background information about the origins of the...
Curated OER
Different Ways We Celebrate
Students examine a variety of ways that families celebrate winter holidays. They complete a graphic organizer comparing Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, and write a five-sentence paragraph about one of the holidays discussed. Students...