California Academy of Science
Guess That Spice
From medical treatments to cooking, people have been using herbs and spices for thousands of years. Perform a blind smell test of household herbs and spices to engage students in learning about ancient spice trading. Research the history...
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Welina's World
Students living in Hawaii draw a picture of themselves in their neighborhood. They draw their neighborhood in relation to their district and then in relation to the island they are from. They compare their pictures to their classmates'...
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Soul Food
Students identify foods that they associate with different cultural groups in which they are members and speculate possible connections between specific foods and the cultures in which they are popular. They also explore the importance...
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Deportation of the Acadians
Students use an online atlas to identify the presence of Acadian culture in the Maritime provinces of Canada and explore the deportation.
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Hip Hop and Geography
Students study the various geographic regions of the U.S. and discuss how popular music is influenced by cultural/regional factors. Groups choose East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, or South in rap/hip hop music and create a PowerPoint or...
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Le Monde Francais
Students research countries that were occupied by the French and how the French culture influenced the native culture. They conduct Internet research, and create a PowerPoint presentation displaying their research information and...
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Documents of Diversity
Eighth graders explore the cultural diversity in their own families. They examine the cultural profile and historical development of their own community through developing a walking tour, in booklet or web-based form.
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Tree of Life
Learners explore the importance of the tropical rain forest in different cultures. Through a cooperative game, they locate countries that are known for their forest resources. Students discuss the similarities and differences of various...
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Renaissance Trade and Exchange
Sixth graders map out trade routes. In this Renaissance time period lesson, 6th graders complete a Christopher Columbus Map Activity, discuss and identify the parts of a map, and locate Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Students...
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Early Humans
Sixth graders read about the different types of Humanoid. They examine the different cultural beliefs and their own personal beliefs about evolution. They research the species using the scientific theory about evolution.
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Sam Samurai
Learners study the history and culture of 17th century Japan by examining samurai. They review the format of haiku poetry and examine renga poetry. They examine Kamishibai, the Japanese storytelling form and apply it five facts they...
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Baseball the National Pastime of the Dominican Republic
Ninth graders examine how the game of baseball has played a significant role in shaping the culture of the Dominican Republic. They analyze a world map, and read and discuss an informational handout. Students can then create a sports...
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Globalization 101
Students explore the challenges created by cultural globalization. In this history lesson, students read several hand-outs centered on the topic, then participate in a class discussion and fill in a worksheet.
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Murals
Students investigate how murals portray cultural expression. They study the history of mural making, explore its symbolism and design a mural of their own.
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Discovering New Perspectives on Life
Students examine how the author's world view expanded by living in another culture. They discover the three lessons Storti learned as a Volunteer and find out how he learned them and reflect on the enduring understanding: "Living and...
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The Sounds of Change
Students recognize that music brings out feelings and emotions in people. In this music themes lesson, students explore the relationships between culture and music. Students answer questions about favorite choices in music.
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Ireland: the Emerald Isle
Third graders complete a unit of study that examines several perspectives of Ireland. They explore how climate shapes Irish culture, reference historical and political maps, compute exchange values for Irish money, complete worksheets,...
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Geography And The Gulf War
Young scholars develop maps, tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams to depict the geographic implications of current world events, and analyze major human conflicts to determine the role of physical and cultural geographic features in the...
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Brief Encounters (Building Bridges)
Students experience what it is like to confront and deal with a culture highly different from their own. They gain skills in observing and describing behaviors and develop an understanding of how our cultural values influence the way we...
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Celebrating Ancestors
Learners participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.
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Four Immigrant Groups: Their Lives and Music
Fourth graders examine the experiences of four immigrant groups. Class members brainstorm a list of misconceptions of those groups and discuss if these perceptions are still present today. Using maps, groups locate the countries of...
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Gullah People of the Sea Islands
Students examine the history and culture of the Gullah people. They study the geography, impact of industrialization and effects of tourism on the people of Gullah. They view films, use a large map of West Africa,. Students will listen...
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Crossword Puzzle
In this crossword worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle by different solving clues. For example, "Term used to describe a broad range of cultural differences."
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Elements of Civilization
Students create their own ancient civilizations based off of topographical maps of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Yellow River. In this social studies lesson, students are assigned one topographical map to use to create...