This activity aims to help students understand components of culture and cultural similarities and differences. Students will compare two different cultures using a Venn diagram, noting shared and unique aspects like holidays, beliefs, education systems, languages, and activities. They will then discuss questions about the cultural components they identified and be guided to recognize that these questions represent the basic building blocks of culture.
This activity aims to help students understand components of culture and cultural similarities and differences. Students will compare two different cultures using a Venn diagram, noting shared and unique aspects like holidays, beliefs, education systems, languages, and activities. They will then discuss questions about the cultural components they identified and be guided to recognize that these questions represent the basic building blocks of culture.
This activity aims to help students understand components of culture and cultural similarities and differences. Students will compare two different cultures using a Venn diagram, noting shared and unique aspects like holidays, beliefs, education systems, languages, and activities. They will then discuss questions about the cultural components they identified and be guided to recognize that these questions represent the basic building blocks of culture.
This activity aims to help students understand components of culture and cultural similarities and differences. Students will compare two different cultures using a Venn diagram, noting shared and unique aspects like holidays, beliefs, education systems, languages, and activities. They will then discuss questions about the cultural components they identified and be guided to recognize that these questions represent the basic building blocks of culture.
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Celebrating Diversity
Purpose: As a result of this activity, students will be able to understand basic
components of culture, as well as cultural similarities and differences among specific groups. Related Standard & Geography Benchmarks: Standard 10. Understands the nature and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics Level I [Grade K-2] Benchmark 1. Knows the basic components of culture (e.g., language, social organization, beliefs and customs, forms of shelter, economic activities, education systems) Student Product: Venn diagram Material & Provide students with blank Venn diagrams for use with this task. Resources: Teacher's Note: No supplementary notes for this activity. Activity Begin the activity by discussing how different countries have different customs and ways of doing things. For instance, in many Asian countries, people use chop sticks rather than forks and knives to eat their food. In some countries, such as Australia, some American holidays (e.g., Halloween) are not celebrated. Then ask students to choose two different cultures and use a Venn diagram to compare them. For example, students should place items that are common to both cultures in the overlapping portion of the two circles, and place items that are unique to a culture in the portions of the circles that are separate. Help students use separate diagrams to compare different types of items and activities. Students may start with the examples given above (eating practices and holidays), but encourage them to think about other activities and practices that are part of a culture. Students may choose to refer to children’s encyclopedias or other resources to learn about different cultures. Once students have completed their diagrams, ask them to discuss the following questions: Which cultures had special holidays or traditions? Which cultures had special beliefs? Which cultures had education systems? Which cultures had special languages? Which cultures had special recreational activities? Which cultures had special social organizations? Which cultures had special economic activities? Encourage students to elaborate on their answers to the above questions. For example, if one of their cultures had an unusual holiday, ask them to explain the holiday to the class. When students have gone through the list of questions, allow them to discuss any other unique aspects of the cultures they compared. Then ask them to list some general components of culture at the bottom of their Venn diagrams. Students may require some guidance in coming to the conclusion that the above questions are actually components of culture. That is, different cultures have different holidays, traditions, languages, etc. that set them apart from other cultures. Some of these components may be the same across several cultures, but many components are different for different cultures. Conclude by discussing the similarities and differences among the cultural components of the cultures students have chosen.
