World Cultures/Geography Lessons
Cultural Unity Through Folk tales by Stella Samuel, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute - Reading/ English and Social Studies: Grades 7-12 - Study folk tales to discover the diversity and the essential unity of cultures.
Geography Jump-Site - Grade level: K-12 - Source: Pledger Consulting, Australia; last updated January, ‘98 Special features: huge database and wide range of material. - This site contains information that is especially useful to science and social studies teachers. Huge range: South Asian archives, plate tectonics, world issues, Chinese photos and scenes, tons of environmental info, etc.). Again, you can’t search this page; however, you can link w/Lycos and search there. Pictures and maps may be used for younger kids. There are a few sites that mention teacher resources.
Geography/Economics Web Site For K-12 Teachers - Grade level: K-12 - Source: Dennis Boals (email address); last updated 3/98 - Special features: huge database with wide range of material; lesson plans & materials. Although the information is broken down into four categories, you can’t search for a specific thing. For the most part, it is easy to navigate and provides additional links. Most importantly, the site has teacher resources.
Map Adventures - Grades K-3 - This 7-lesson unit introduces primary students to basic map skills using a combination of stories and colorful illustrations. Teachers can print each of the unit's elements for distribution and use by their students using PDF files. These lessons provide all the necessary elements, leaving the precise lesson structure up to the teacher. Well worth a look.
Rice: The Global Crop - Geography/Economics: Grades 6-12 - This mini-unit on rice as a basic food source gives students a concrete sense of basic economic terms and understanding of the relationships between land and civilization. From the Ask Asia lesson series.
Social Studies lesson plans - From Cal State Northridge. Dozens of lessons - including games and simulations - sorted by grade level.
Lesson plans from National Council for the Social Studies - Grades 6-12 - This is a collection of lesson plans drawn from publications of the National Council for Social Studies. They are presented as a set of Adobe Acrobat files which teachers can download for use in the classroom. These are large files (300-500Kb) so they will take a few minutes to download. The lessons range from single topics to entire units. The range of topics is limited, but the material is quite good. The Adobe Acrobat reader is available from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
World Wise Schools Lesson Plans - This is a collection of lesson plan sets created by the Peace Corps. While the lessons were originally designed to accompany a videotape series, they stand perfectly well by themselves. Content is based on cultures of several different continents in which the Peace Corps has been active, and the activities are geared to specific grade levels.
Nigeria - J. Marie Holland and Jeffrey D. Potter, Part of the Geographic Education and Technology Program's collection of lesson plans. - Social Studies/ Interdisciplinary: Grades K-1 - Teach your young students from this collection of 24 lessons about Nigeria and African culture. The culminating Big Book is sure to be a hit. Also included are lessons on Kwanzaa, Yoruban numbers words, and multiple craft activities. Pick and choose or do them all!
What is Currency? Lessons from Historic Africa - Smithsonian in Your Classroom - Social Studies/Economics: Grades 3-8 - Teach about the history of currency in different cultures and the basic economics concepts of barter and currency. Three lessons include activities studying past currencies as works of art and designing a new currency.
Greek vs. Contemporary Architecture - Grades 10-12 - Here's a humanities lesson on Greek architecture which asks students to build a Greek-style model and then find similarities beween Greek and contemporary American architectural styles.
Mythweb Lessons - Grades 4-10 - This page offers a number of lesson ideas linked to the Mythweb site for Greek mythology studies. There are a number of suggestions on how to integrate the material into other classroom activities.
AskAsia Lesson Plans - Available through the Asia Society’s extensive AskAsia site, many topics are covered in this collection of lesson plans/ideas for class activities. Many leave the details of the lesson up to you, but provide the sparks and much background to put exciting lessons together. These ideas draw upon your students’ higher level thinking skills!
Gauri and Prithvi: The Sub-Continent Goes Nuclear - World Cultures/Current Events: Grades 9-12 - This site gives background information, Internet resources, and activity ideas for class discussion and projects on the rising nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan.
Beware the Polarized Stereotype! - World Cultures/Interdisciplinary: Grades 6-12 - Make your students aware of stereotypes and the usefulness of a continuum instead of opposites in comparing/discussing cultures.
Clues to Cultural Values - Grades 6-12 - Explore the cultural values, expectations, and customs as a means of comparing cultures and countries by asking students to explore their own cultural backgrounds.
Cultural Values Through Hero Mythology - English/ World Cultures: Grades 9-10 - Read, analyze, and compare hero myths as indicators of a culture’s value systems.
Extracting Meaning from What We See: Developing Perspective Consciousness with Pictures - Grades 9-12 - Use interpretation of photographs to open discussion and awareness of cultural perspectives.
An Integrated Unit on Cultural Stereotyping - Grades 5-6 - Use this full-blown unit to teach awareness of the concepts of culture and stereotypes.
Asia Through A Glass Darkly: Classroom Activities - World Cultures/ Literature: Grades 9-12 - Use literature as study of cultures and stereotypes.
Exploring the Mandala - World Cultures/Art: Grades 2-8 - Use a study of this Buddhist art form to learn about Asian cultures and people.
Attitudes Toward Nature in Taoist Art - Art/ World Cultures - Grades 9-12 - Understand the Taoist point of view through art and poetry. From the Ask Asia series.
Chinese Dialect Exercise - Grades 9-12 - Explore the different dialects in China and the impact of such diverse language on the nation. From the Ask Asia series.
Geography and Culture of China - Grades 6-8 - This is a two-week unit introducing the culture and geography of China to middle school students. From the Ask Asia series.
How Shall We Rule China? Role Play - Grades 9-12 - Learn and role-play about Kublai Khan and the Mongols as they established the Yuan Dynasty. From the Ask Asia series.
Murder in Hai-Tien - Grades 7-12 - Study Chinese justice and alternative perceptions of reality in this one-class lesson. From the Ask Asia series.
Scenarios for Hong Kong's Future - Grades 9-12 - Discuss and support differing predictions for Hong Kong’s future. From the Ask Asia series.
Should the Ming End the Treasure Ship Voyages? - Grades 5-12 - Look in detail at the fifteenth century decision by the Chinese to stop maritime voyages, a decision with a lasting impact on history. From the Ask Asia series.
Who Invented it? When? Chinese Inventions: An Introductory Activity - Social Studies/Science/Inventions: Grades 5+ - Learn about Chinese inventors and deflate erroneous stereotypes about Chinese technology. From the Ask Asia series.
A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust - Grades 9 and up - Developed at the University of South Florida. Information for students and extensive links for teachers to use in building lessons.
Russian Easter - a Gastronomic Tour - All Grades - TeachersFirst contributor Brenda Walton, Ed.D. offers this lesson on Russian Easter customs, in which students eat their way to a better understanding of an ancient culture.
These listings are all part of the AskAsia web site, which includes lessons on a number of Asian countries and cultures.
Artha: Strategies for Survival, Success, and Power - Grades 6-12 - Learn about this concept from Hinduism and how it applies in the real world.
Decoding Borobudur - Grades 6-12 - Use the Buddhist monument of Borobudur to understand the culture and religion of Indonesia.
Gandhi Speaks Through Clothing - Grades 6+ - Learn about Gandhi’s life and work and study photographs of his clothing during different phases of his life as analogies for his ideas. A chronology accompanies the lesson.
How Much is There To Eat? Population Density and Food Production: A Comparison of India and the Southern United States - Grades 6+ - Use the hands-on ideas in this plan to help students understand about world food supplies.
Images of the Goddess in India - Grades 6+ - Investigate Hindu goddesses to better understand the Hindu culture.
Nataraj: Shiva as Lord of the Dance - World Cultures/ Art: Grades 6-12 - Use the image of Nataraj to study Hinduism and important concepts of Hindu thought.
Understanding Karma, Dharma and Samsara - Grades 6-12 - Understand underlying concepts of Indian life through this lesson using a skit and discussion.
What Can We Learn about India from a Ten Rupee Bank Note? - Grades 6-12 - The Indian currency serves as a centerpiece for this clever introduction to Indian culture.
What Should Arjuna Do? - Grades 6-12 - Read and discuss a story from an important Hindu text to better understand the culture.
Women In Rural India - Grades 6-12 - This lesson helps students understand about women’s roles in India in the twentieth century.
Some of these listings are part of the AskAsia web site, which includes lessons on a number of Asian countries and cultures.
American and Japanese Cities - Grades 4-8 - Help students develop consciousness of differences between cultures and communities by comparing cites in the U.S. and Japan.
Japan - Images of a People - Grades 6-12 - This site, from the Smithsonian Institution's "Art to Zoo" series, offers a complete introduction to Japan and its arts, including discussion ideas and lesson activities. All materials are available as downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF files, so you can print out the entire unit. (A color printer works best, of course.) You can download the Adobe Acrobat reader from the TeachersFirst Toolbox.
Environment and Conservation: JAPAN - Economics/ social studies: Grades 5-8 - Use the Resource Distribution simulation in this plan to teach concepts of international trade.
Japan and the West: A Historical Comparison - Grades 6-12 - Compare periods of feudalism, exploration, and modernization in different parts of the world.
Noboru's Family Tree - Grades 4-8 - Learn about a Japanese family and compare their life with the lives of your students.
Noh and Kabuki - Social Studies/Performing Arts: Grades 4-8 - Learn about these Japanese performing artforms and have your students try face-painting.
Kite Making - Art/Social Studies: Grades 5-8 - Make your own kites by traditional methods as you discuss handcrafted versus manufactured materials and products.
What Makes the Japanese Laugh? - World Culture/Literature: Grades 6-12 - Compare cultures through the unique sense of humor that each shows in its literature and entertainment.
Understanding Hispanic/Latino Culture and History Through the Use of Children’s Literature by Jean Sutherland, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute - Reading/Language Arts, Social Studies: Grades 3-5 Examine folk tales, use role-play, learn about holidays and food, and study culture in this integrated unit.
Religious Beliefs Made Visual: Geometry and Islam - World Cultures/Math/Art: Grades 9-12 - In this Ask Asia lesson plan, students construct their own Islamic geometric patterns as they study the patterns as analogies for the Islamic cultural beliefs.
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Take a Walk in My Shoes - Grades 7-9 - This two-week unit, a TeachersFirst exclusive, lets students play the parts of Jewish, Palestinian, and British negotiators in trying to establish a workable understanding of the issues which continue to cause tension between Arabs and Israelis. The unit combines research, writing, and interpersonal skills to create a new awareness of the many facets of this conflict. |
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