Warm Up: What Do You Know About Culture?

Instructions: Think quietly to yourself for a moment.

When you hear the word "culture," what comes to mind?

Share your ideas with a partner, or be ready to share with the class.

Teacher's Script: What Makes Us, US?

Introduction (Slide 1: What Makes Us, US?)

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to explore a really fascinating topic: What Makes Us, US? We're going to dive into the wonderful world of culture. Think for a moment, what makes you, you? What makes your family special? And what do we all share together?"

Warm-Up (Slide 2: Warm Up: What Do You Know?)

"To get us started, let's do a quick warm-up. When you hear the word 'culture,' what comes to mind? Take a moment to think quietly to yourself.


(Pause for a few seconds to allow students to think.)


Who would like to share their initial thoughts? Don't worry if you're not sure, just tell me what first pops into your head!"

(Listen to 2-3 student responses. Write keywords on the board.)

"Those are some great ideas! We'll explore many of those things today. Our goal is to understand what culture truly means and why it's so important."

What is Culture? (Slide 3: What is Culture?)

"Let's define it. Culture is the shared way of life of a group of people. This means it's not just about one person, but about how a whole group lives, thinks, and interacts. It includes a lot of different things, like their beliefs, customs, arts, and even how their society is set up.

Look at these elements on the slide:

• Beliefs: These are things people think are true. For example, some people believe it's good luck to find a four-leaf clover.
• Customs: These are special ways of doing things, like shaking hands when you meet someone new, or how we celebrate birthdays.
• Arts: This is how people express themselves creatively, like through music, dancing, telling stories, or making beautiful paintings.
• Food: What we eat and how we eat it is a big part of culture! Think about your favorite family meals.
• Language: This is how people talk to each other, like English, Spanish, or Chinese."

"Any questions about these parts of culture so far?"

Elements of Culture (Slide 4: Elements of Culture)

"Let's look at a few more examples of cultural elements that might be familiar to you. Culture is truly made up of many different parts!

• Language: We just talked about this. How many of you know someone who speaks another language? It's amazing how many different ways people can communicate!
• Food: Who here has a special family recipe or a food that's important for a certain celebration? (Allow a few students to share.) Think about tacos, pasta, sushi – these are all linked to different cultures!
• Traditions: These are things we do over and over, often passed down through generations. Think about holidays like Thanksgiving or Diwali, or even family traditions like a weekly game night. What are some traditions your family has? (Allow 2-3 students to share briefly.)
• Clothing: Sometimes clothing tells us a lot about a culture, like traditional garments worn for special ceremonies or everyday styles that are popular in a certain place.
• Music & Art: Music is a huge part of culture, from classical to pop to folk music. And art, like storytelling or painting, often reflects what's important to a culture."

"So, as you can see, culture is all around us, in everything we do and see!"

Your Culture Web Activity! (Slide 5: Your Culture Web Activity!)

"Now it's your turn to think about culture and what it means to you. I'm going to hand out a worksheet called the Culture Web Activity Worksheet."

(Distribute the worksheets.)

"Here’s what I want you to do: In the very center circle, where it says ‘Culture,’ write that word. Then, I want you to think about all the different elements of culture we just discussed. Draw lines from the center to the empty circles around it. In those empty circles, write down different elements of culture you can think of – like food, language, traditions, music, clothing, beliefs, or anything else we discussed.

Then, for each element, I want you to either draw a small picture or write a specific example that connects to that element. For example, if you write 'Food,' you might draw a pizza or write 'Tacos.' You can think about your own culture, your family's culture, or cultures you know about.

Take about 10 minutes for this activity. Be creative and think about all the amazing ways culture shapes our lives! I'll be walking around if you have any questions."

(Circulate, assist students, and monitor progress.)

Celebrating Our Cultures (Slide 6: Celebrating Our Cultures & Wrap Up)

"Alright, let's bring it back together. Who would like to share one or two elements from their Culture Web Activity Worksheet? What did you put in your web?"

(Allow 3-4 students to share their webs and examples.)

"Wonderful! Did anyone notice how some of your webs might have had similar elements, but different examples? Or completely different elements? That's what's so amazing about culture – it's both shared and incredibly diverse.

As the slide says, understanding different cultures helps us learn new things, respect others, and see the world in new ways. It helps us understand each other better and celebrate what makes each of us, and all of us, unique."

Cool Down (Cool Down: One Word)

"To finish up our lesson today, let's do a quick 'Cool Down.' I want each of you to think of one word that describes something new you learned about culture today, or one feeling you have about culture after our discussion and activity."

"Think about it for a moment, and when I call on you, share your word. It could be 'diversity,' 'food,' 'respect,' 'family,' 'music,' 'language,' 'tradition,' or anything else that comes to mind."

(Call on students to share their words until time runs out or most have shared.)

"Thank you all for sharing your insightful words and for exploring culture with me today! Remember to celebrate what makes us, US!"

Culture Web Activity

Name: _____________________________

Instructions: What is culture? Think about all the different parts of culture we discussed. In the center circle, write "Culture." Then, in the empty circles around it, write different elements of culture (like food, language, traditions, music, etc.). For each element, draw a small picture or write a specific example that connects to it.

# Introduction to Culture (What Makes Us, US?)

Table of Contents

• Lesson Plan: What Makes Us, US?
• Slide Deck: What Makes Us, US? Slide Deck
• Warm Up: What Do You Know?
• Teacher's Script: What Makes Us, US?
• Worksheet: Culture Web Activity
• Answer Key: Culture Web Activity Answer Key
• Cool Down: One Word

This is a 30-minute, single-session lesson designed for 4th Grade students to introduce the concept of culture. It aims to help students define culture and identify various elements that contribute to it, fostering empathy and appreciation for diversity. The lesson includes a warm-up, explicit instruction with a slide deck, a hands-on activity, and a cool-down reflection. All necessary materials, including a detailed lesson plan, slide deck, teacher's script, student worksheet, and answer key, are provided to minimize teacher preparation time.

Culture Web Activity Answer Key

Instructions: This answer key provides example responses for the "Culture Web Activity." Students' answers may vary greatly depending on their personal experiences and what they learned. Encourage diverse responses as long as they are relevant to the concept of culture.

Example Culture Web

Center Circle: Culture

Connecting Elements (and example details):

• Language
  • Example: English, Spanish, speaking with family, greetings
• Food
  • Example: Tacos, pizza, special holiday meals (e.g., Thanksgiving turkey, tamales), using chopsticks
• Traditions
  • Example: Celebrating birthdays, family game nights, telling stories, New Year's Eve fireworks, religious holidays
• Music
  • Example: Pop music, folk songs, traditional instruments, family sing-alongs, dancing
• Art
  • Example: Drawing, painting, storytelling, sculpture, traditional crafts
• Clothing
  • Example: School uniform, traditional dresses/outfits, clothes for special events, types of shoes
• Beliefs/Values
  • Example: Being kind to others, importance of family, respecting elders, belief in good luck charms
• Celebrations
  • Example: Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, Diwali, Cinco de Mayo, birthday parties
• Sports/Games
  • Example: Soccer, basketball, traditional games, board games

Teacher Notes:

• Look for students to identify at least 3-5 distinct elements of culture.
• Ensure that the examples provided by students are specific and relevant to the cultural element they chose.
• Encourage discussion about the similarities and differences in students' webs, highlighting the rich diversity within the classroom and the world.

Cool Down: One Word

Instructions: Think about our lesson on culture today. In your own words, what is ONE word that describes something new you learned about culture, or one feeling you have about culture after our discussion and activity?

Be ready to share your word with the class!