College Board
2010 AP® Psychology Free-Response Questions
A pep rally may seem like a simple ritual for a high school, but there are a number of psychological factors operating behind the scenes. Learners flesh out these features using a case study from College Board. A second prompt offers...
Curated OER
Masks of Many Cultures: Celebrations of Life
Bring art and society together with this highly creative and interesting activity. Learners research various uses of masks in ceremonies. They then create a ceremony of their own and a mask to go along with it. They film themselves...
Curated OER
Advanced Art – Cultural Place-setting Still life
Upper graders view a series of films that depict rituals or celebrations as they occur in different cultural settings. They conduct a cultural investigation about one culture, brainstorm and research objects that have cultural or...
Curated OER
Easter Petal Pathways
Students discuss Guatemalan Easter rituals and customs. They comprehend Guatemalan traditional color and design. Students create a mixed-media representative piece using paper mosaics, layered crayon, and glitter glue. They celebrate...
Curated OER
Rituals/traditions with Gullah religion
Sixth graders discuss some of the earliest people who lived in each region in order to comprehend how humans interacted with the environmental conditions at that time. They make connections to present-day regions including...
Curated OER
Bye-Bye Trout Song
Students develop an understanding about what will happen to trout after they are released into the trout stream. In this trout life lesson, students discuss how it feels to release the trout they have cared for. Students also sing a song...
Curated OER
Much Ado About Nothing?
Students explore their feelings regarding the celebration of various holidays. Using the New York Times article as a model, students write articles critiquing what they consider to be inappropriate expressions of holiday spirit.
Curated OER
Art to Zoo: Celebration
Students research and develop a report on birthday rituals around the world. In this research lesson plan, students compare birthday rituals from other cultures to their own. Images and resources are included.
Curated OER
Daily Life of the Caddo Indians
Fourth graders research Caddo culture and present their findings to classmates. They suggest meanings of the Caddo Indian Turkey Dance. They draw illustrations for their presentations.
Curated OER
D'Nile Is Where It's At!
Students travel down the Nile River to survey ancient Egypt in this unit of nine lessons. Data about pharaohs, hieroglyphics, growing crops, pyramids, the geography, and the sacred rituals are explored in this unit.
Curated OER
Exploring Cultural Rituals
Students analyze images and music of common rituals in America with those of other countries. They use worksheets to compare and contrast the events.
Curated OER
Rituals
Students research and write short reports on religious or cultural rituals and create displays to illustrate their findings.
Library of Congress
Loc: Family Customs Past and Present: Exploring Cultural Rituals
Photos, documents, music, and stories help students deepen their understanding of the rituals and customs of various cultures throughout American history.
Buddha Dharma Education Association
Buddha Net: Buddhist Festivals and Special Days
Article outlines the holy places, holidays, and ritual practices of the Buddhist faith. Includes links to more extensive information about selected holidays.
Other
Torah Tots: Sukkot
Defines sukkot and discusses the treatment of work on the holiday. Describes a sukkah in detail. Discusses the Four Species and other rituals.
Curated OER
Kids Health: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder that affects the "worry thoughts" that a person has. One way to think about OCD is to think about superstitions. When you do something a certain way or avoid a situation, such as...
City University of New York
Chinese Cultural Studies: Faxian Fa Hsien: A Record of the Buddhistic Kingdoms
This resource discusses the history of the Buddhist kingdoms, and how their godlike monarch worked. Discusses Buddhist religious rituals and beliefs as well.
Other
Council on Spiritual Practices: A Brief History of the Native American Church
An informative account of the Native American Church in North America and its use of the peyote cactus in its religious services.
Library of Congress
Loc: Family Customs Past and Present: Exploring Cultural Rituals
In this lesson, young scholars will use photos, documents, and music from the Library's digital collection. Then they will students investigate rituals and customs of various cultures.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Origins of Ballet
Can you imagine a party where every movement and every visual detail were governed by a complex system of rules and procedures? For centuries, such rituals were commonplace for European nobility. And while they've gone out of fashion, we...
Other
Lily De Silva: Giving in the Pali Canon
A long essay from Lily de Silva on the scriptural basis for the Buddhist concept of "dana". Discusses the qualities the donor must posess, the reasons one should give, and the proper items to offer.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Fascinating History of Cemeteries
Keith Eggener delves into our ever-evolving rituals for honoring the dead.
PBS
Pbs: Lewis and Clark: Mandan Indians
An informative look at the Mandans, the Indians with whom the Corps of Discovery spent their first winter. Read about their villages, ceremonies, and relations with other Indian tribes. From PBS.
Other
Hellenic Ministry of Culture: The Ancient Olympic Games
Gives a brief history of the ancient games held every four years in Olympia. There are also short articles with pictures on some of the items used during the games.