Celebrating Ancestors

After brainstorming the various aspects of cultural identity, class members interview each other, examine video clips, and read stories to discover how these aspects reveal one's cultural identity. Individuals then craft a quilt square...

Young historians learn what life was like in the South during the Reconstruction era. They complete hands-on-activities and participate in group discussion to understand how experiences varied between African Americans and white...

Brainstorm lists of celebrations with which your class are familiar. This lesson plan can be adapted to many different grade levels as they research ethnic and religious occasions/events celebrated by people around the world, and...

Laissez les bons temps rouler! Create your own festive Mardi Gras masks with a lesson that provides background information on the celebration and instructions about constructing the masks.

No need to wait until Halloween to create a mask. Young anthropologists get involved in the centuries-old tradition of mask and puppet making with the help of an engaging resource that shows them how to craft their own masks or puppets.

Sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this comprehensive site explains traditional Japanese arts, crafts, and culture in a way that's very friendly to younger students. Traditional arts covered include drumming, the tea...

Students explain the purpose of masks to various cultures in Africa. They recognize the conceptual patterns used to create African masks and illustrate their understanding by creating their own masks

Read about, and then make culturally inspired masks. Learners watch the video, "Masks and Face Coverings," then design and make a mask with cultural significance out of papier mache. Tip: Have small groups research, write about, and make...

March 7, 1965 forever changed the lives of African American activists in Selma, Alabama, when a peaceful protest turned deadly. Young academics learn about the 1965 non-violent march of African American activists that ended in the...