Curated OER
Community Celebrations
Sixth graders are introduced to cultural history and diversity that is present in the community in which they live by examining secular and sacred celebrations. Students create scrapbooks to chronicle their family's celebrations.
Curated OER
Stone Soup
Students explain how various cultures affect the interactions that take place in a community. They compare and contrast families by where they live, the jobs they hold and the types of food they eat. Using examples, they sort goods and...
Curated OER
Survival Skills
Students investigate the challenges the Inuit people face in today's society. Students conduct Internet research on Inuit history and culture. Then students write a news report about the Inuit Nation and their struggles in the...
Curated OER
Shadow Theater of the Mahabharata
Students explore the Hindu epic, Mahabharata, by creating Javanese shadow puppets and performing significant scenes from the story. They combine their artistic ability with their desire to learn an important aspect of the Southeast Asian...
Curated OER
Chuukese Dinner (high School)
Students read journal entries about having dinner with a Chuukese family. Using this information, they identify which foods sound appealing and compare and contrast Micronesian and American foods, fruits and vegetables. In groups, they...
Curated OER
Communicating with the World
Learners practice their communication skills with people from other cultures. Using predetermined questions, they email their penpal and wait for their responses. They reflect on the value of the information given to them and complete an...
Curated OER
The Seasonal Round and The Cycle of Life
Seventh graders recognize moments of importance in people's lives and asks them to find meaning in the stages of their own and other's lives. They are taught that all cultures have rites of passage for similar stages in the cycle of life.
Curated OER
Landscape Confection: Pre-visit Activity
Upper graders explore the concepts of landscape art, man, nature and their inter-relationship. This is a critical thinking and analysis activity intended to prepare the class for an up coming trip to a local art museum. They analyze,...
Sargent Art
Destination Art: Paper Mola Collage
The Kuna Indians hail from the San Blas Island near Panama. Learners will investigate their culture by creating paper mola collages, just like the ones created by the indigenous Panamanians. They'll focus on understanding the symbolism...
American Documentary
American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i
In this activity, high schoolers will examine Hawaii's issues of colonization, authority, authenticity and cultural identity, and understand the distinction between native and non-native Hawaiians. This activity includes links to videos,...
Curated OER
Fieldwork Basics Overview
Put your feet up and grab a cup of coffee before going through this extensive field work unit plan! Based on folklorist studies of traditional culture and ethnography, several activities focus on topics such as cultural sensitivity;...
Denver Art Museum
My Animal Symbol
Here is an art lesson plan that combines visual arts and language arts into one very nice package. In it, youngsters study a fascinating painting called Painting of Bear and Sun Dances. They begin to understand the importance of...
California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
Curated OER
Family and Household Structure
Students examine what the word "family" means today. They identify cultural traditions that are still popular in the United States. They read primary source documents and discover how advice is passed on from generation to generation.
Curated OER
Should Art Be for Art's Sake?
Learners examine how European-America aestheticians (philosophers of art) do not all agree about the value and definition of art. students examine how some cultures do not have a distinct word or definition for art.
Curated OER
Silk Dragons - Activity 1
Students investigate and discuss Japanese art and culture through an online video and a KWL chart. This lesson is an introduction to Japanese art with two supplemental lessons provided for further activities.
Curated OER
Colonial Identity
Learners research and discuss the origins of the American colonies and explore how colonists were still influenced by English culture. As a follow-up project, students produce a portrait of an individual.
Curated OER
Northwest Native American
Third graders describe and come to the understanding the American Indians in this locations and their customs. They explain that the region and its natural resources affected how Native Americans developed their cultural practices.
Curated OER
Native American Storyteller Figure
Third graders explore cultures that use clay figures in the art of storytelling. They discover the importance of cultural history being passed through generations. They also form their own storyteller from a clay figure.
Curated OER
Introduction to China
Compare and contrast the distinctive characteristics of art forms from various cultural, historical, and social contexts, and describe how the same subject matter is represented differently in works of art across cultures and time...
Japan Society
Japanese Architecture for High School Students
Japanese architecture is rich in symbolism and culture. Critical thinkers engage in three activities intended to expose them to the beauty of Japan. They read through the book, Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki and watch the film...
Student Handouts
Comparing Countries’ Constitutions
Analyze the constitutions of five different countries and see how they relate to each country's culture and traditions. Pupils read the preambles to the constitutions of India, Ireland, Russia, Suriname, and the United States. After...
Curated OER
Osage, Legend, and Arkansas History
Elementary schoolers evaluate the legend of Norristown Mountain by looking at facts about the Osage Indians and the legend itself. They do an exploration of Arkansas' Native American groups which includes a look at their legends,...
San Diego Museum of Art
Tapa-Inspired Pattern Painting
Middle schoolers are encourage to try their hand at traditional Oceania tapa art by crafting their own cloth using brown paper bags. Included in the resource is background information about the cultures of Oceania and their art.