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Self-Portrait Unit - Lesson #1
Fourth graders create self-portraits using artistic elements found in Hispanic culture and, specifically, the art of Frida Kahlo. The lesson can be adapted for any culture/country and requires an outside person with cultural knowledge.
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A Ticket to Japan
Fourth graders discover similarities and differences in the lifestyles and geography of Utah and Japan. They use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast daily life and geography in Utah with daily life and geography in Japan. They make...
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The Mayan Empire
Students study vocabulary associated with the Mayan Empire; its art, daily life, inventions, and religious beliefs. They examine why the Mayan culture is considered to be one of the most advanced of the ancient civilizations by...
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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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Mosaic America: Paths To The Present
Seventh graders study the ideologies of life, values, love, peace and struggle of African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans as citizens of the United States. Authors and artists are used as tools to open the eyes of the students...
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The Joy Luck Club
Students read The Joy Luck Club and analyze the effect of having to translate from one culture into another. Students trace patterns that link mothers and daughters in the novel, and write an essay comparing personal experiences to those...
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HARLEM RENAISSANCE
High schoolers analyze historical conditions which led African Americans to settle in Harlem. They describe the culture of everyday life in Harlem and identify individuals significant to the Harlem Renaissance and describe their...
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Isamu Noguchi/Stone Sculpture
Young scholars examine the art and history of Japan and use it to help them conceptualize and create a work of art that reveals something about their own culture. They examine, interpret and analyze Noguchi's work and reveal ...
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GANDHI'S INDIA
Students describe key events in the life of Gandhi. They determine why knowledge of geography is necessary to understand the history of the people in a place or region. They write a summary of how the events in Gandhi's life,...
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Folktale through African Art
Students study folktales and other stories from West Africa. By hearing and reading these stories they explore many new cultural and religious beliefs, such as spirits inhabiting nature and possessing special powers. Once the students...
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Native Americans in Utah History: Research Project
Students research the basic cultural information available on the various Native American cultures of Utah. They investigate the historical time period, shelters, weapons, tools, foods and methods of obtaining food.
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China - Dragons
Students compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives to understand commonality and diversity among cultures. They analyze examples of interactions between cultural groups and explain factors that contribute to cooperation...
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The Sound of Music in Kenya
Students study Kenya's culture and see how people and things can be different and similar at the same time. They create a pictograph of objects from each culture that are used in similar ways and examine a few Swahili words.
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Emotion Masks
Students analyze and discuss masks of different cultures as an art form to evoke emotion. This lesson culminates in the creation of individual mask designs and self-directed assessment (included).
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Know Your Rites
Learners examine ceremonies in cultures around the world that celebrate young peoples' entry into adulthood.
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Celebrating Ancestors
Students 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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Solving Mummy Mystery Helps History Come Alive
Students uncover more mysteries of Ancient life. They see how artifacts can reveal much about a complex culture's history and beliefs. They study the long line of ancient Egypt's pharaohs.
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Trash! How Cities Work: Dealing with Garbage in the US and India
Students identify how different cultures deal with the challenge of trash. Read an excerpt from a chapter book based on real life written from the Southern Indian perspective. Describe the life of a street child in Southern India....
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Out With the Old, In With the New
Students study China's cultural and economic complexities through a slide show that is written, read, and photographed by a Peace Corps Volunteer. They answer the questions: What does SARS stand for? [Severe acute respiratory syndrome]...
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Is All Cinema Verité?
Young scholars explore the relationship between movies and culture, looking at movies as both a part of and a reflection of popular culture. They research the specific historical and cultural realities present during the run of a...
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Modern Conditions Placed on Traditions
Students explore the role of traditions in world cultures. They read a New York Times article dealing with recent changes in the traditional clothing worn in England's House of Lords
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The Heritage of Puerto Rico and Cuba
Students examine the influences of the Hispanic culture in the United States. In groups, they read about the life of a slave in Cuba and identify the misconceptions are discussed. As a class, they define racism, read an essay and...
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Power Totem
Learners investigate the important symbols to Native cultures by writing a poem. In this animal totem instructional activity, students discuss animal spirits and their relation to the Native American lifestyle. Learners write a...
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Starquest
Students study the history and cultural interpretation of a celestial body or constellation. They create technology based presentations of the information.