11/18/2017 Culture Studies - Christ Lutheran

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THIRD GRADE CULTURE STUDIES

A culturally responsive classroom

embraces and respects similarities or

differences between people. Teaching

my students about culture, countries,

and the world around them has become

one of my favorite units in my

curriculum.

I teach with an interdisciplinary

approach, creating lesson plans with

objectives in multiple subjects. The

culture project I do with my third graders involves not just culture but history, geography,

social studies, writing, research skills, math, problem solving skills, and creativity.

Students are introduced to various countries and asked to select one to focus on for their

project. They are given a project packet which asks questions about history, currency,

government, geography, economy, religion, social life, and other various facts. As we go

through what it means to study each of these concepts, students are introduced to new

websites and ways to gather information. They recreate their countrys flag and learn about

their national anthem. They study the geography and draw a map of their country. They

research their currency and find out what it is worth compared with their own US dollar. They

study the people and what their lives are like, comparing along the way how they're own culture

is different and how they are the same.

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WORLD FACT BOOK (HTTPS://WWW.CIA.GOV/LIBRARY/PUBLICATIONS/THE-WORLD-FACTBOOK/)

GEOGRAPHY (HTTP://WWW.DUCKSTERS.COM/GEOGRAPHY/)

This project is given in fall so when Thanksgiving rolls around we hold a cultural potluck.

Students are asked to writes a How-To-Article on a food dish from their culture and bring in

the food to share. They hone writing skills, practice math skills by measuring ingredients, and

embrace a part of another culture through food.

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By the end of this project, students have created 3D landmarks, done hours of research and

writing, gained understanding of where they are on the globe, discovered new cultures, and

generally opened their eyes to the world around them. Using an interdisciplinary approach

challenges students brain, engaging them on multiple fronts. As a side bonus, students

become culturally sensitive and respectful of others differences. Both my students and I

cherish this learning experience. Its amazing how much growth I can see happening through

this one project.

"You have to taste a culture

to understand it" -Carter

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