Final Project: Creating Your Own Culture

by Elise J. Solomon

EdSE 604 OQ

Touro College Professor Mark Gura

August 14, 2011

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A. General Plan for the Unit

1. Class Description: The class is a 5th

Grade Inclusion with 26 students.

2. Title of Unit: Creating Your Own Culture. Curricular Theme: The theme of this unit is based on students developing their own culture and the many aspects of that culture that make it unique based on the knowledge they have of their own and other real cultures.

3. Objectives: Students will be able to create a visual, verbal and written

presentation that describes all aspects of their created society. They will create their own language, government, religion, art, architecture, clothing, etc. in order to represent this culture. Students will develop a visual presentation of their culture. This can be done on a poster using drawings, photography or other technology such as PowerPoint to include at least four aspects such as the name of the country, the national flag or symbols, typical family, typical building, entertainment, industries, environmental features, religion, food, maps (physical, political and land use and resources). Each component will be accompanied by a three or four sentence description. (One of the components must be one type of map!)

4. Standards - SS Standard 3: Key Idea 1:Geography; Use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate knowledge of their understanding of geography. Key Idea 2: Skills of answering and asking questions and analyzing theories. SS Standard 5: use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments. Art Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Contributions of the Arts Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society. ELA Standard 1: Language for information and understanding. ELA Standard 3: Language for critical analysis.

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5. Strategy

6. Rationale – Students will be able to make geographical connections using maps,

relating to different places and the importance of their locations. They will be able

to know the meaning of government and the need for it, describe consequences of

not having a government, understand that social and political systems are based

on people’s beliefs and why there are different nations.

7. Content - Students will work in groups and create a PowerPoint to present their

final projects. Students who are producing actual items such as artwork or

instruments of their culture will use materials that they have decided to use to

represent their product.

8. Student Preparation – Prior to teaching this unit, student should what students

should learn about the different aspects and characteristics that make up a culture.

Students should have a concrete understanding of the characteristics of their own

culture and other major cultures of the world. I would assess their knowledge of

language, food, clothing environment, entertainment, architecture, symbols of

national pride, religion, sports and other unique factors of at least two or more

major cultures. I would determine each students understanding by probing and

having each student write an essay and/or draw pictures, do Internet research to

support their essays (possibly a homework assignment).

9. Motivation – There are many elements that will engage the student depending on

their personalities. Those who are artistic will want to create their own artistic

representation for their culture. Other students may want to use technology to

create a representation of one or several aspects of their culture.

10. Technology – Final projects will be projected onto a Smart Board so that each

group will have a chance to present their culture. In order to access the learning, I

will design a rubric that will be explained to the class that will describe how well

Design

• Discuss Cultures

• Accumulate Information

Create

• Negotiate Criteria

• Accumulate Materials

Present

• Reflect on Process

• Evaluate Process

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each group met the criteria outlined by the rubric. Students will do research online

and in the library to study cultures and use that knowledge to apply to their own

culture.

11. *Student Product/Performance – The students will produce a PowerPoint

presentation that will include the elements of their culture and a written

component that will be bulleted (three or four sentences to describe each

element). Students who are doing actual art projects/poster (not on the computer)

will produce them and display them for the class and follow with a PowerPoint

presentation with the descriptions of their culture and its elements.

12. Assessment - Students will be assessed informally at the beginning of the unit and

by their written response as a formal assessment. This will clarify whether or not

the students have gained comprehension by doing their projects. I will assess their

prior knowledge by asking them to describe the differences between Culture,

Ethnic Group, and Race and whether or not they are related. I will also ask them

what the elements of a culture are and what makes one culture different from

another culture? Students will be formally assessed at the end of the unit by

observing how they developed their own culture and realized the specific

characteristics of their culture and the cultures created by their classmates. I will

use the following rubric to grade each student:

VISUAL COMPONENT

Exceeds Expectations (4)

Meets Expectations (3)

Approaching Expectations (2)

Below Expectations (1)

CONTENT All aspects of assignment were met and clear.

All aspects were met. Some were not clear.

All aspects were not met. Some were not clear.

Many of the aspects were not met or not clear.

CREATIVITY & NEATNESS

Excellent effort and use of materials.

Very good effort and use of materials.

Some effort and use of materials OK.

Effort and use of materials is minimal.

WRITTEN COMPONENT

ACCURACY Excellent job; Thoughts are presented in logical manner with clear culture connections.

Very good job; Thoughts are presented in a mostly logical way with clear culture connections.

Good job; Thoughts are mostly logical and connections between the country and culture are approximately 80%.

Poor job; Thoughts are not logical and do not correlate with aspects of the culture and the country.

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GRAMMAR/ SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Few errors; complete sentences.

Minor errors; Complete sentences.

Some errors; Some incomplete sentences.

Many errors; Many incomplete sentences.

13. Modifications/accommodations: This assignment can be modified for students

with reading and writing difficulties. Students have a choice of creating their

culture elements by hand or on the computer. Also, extra time will be allowed for

those students who need it.

14. B. PROCEDURE/IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

a) Session #1: Creating Your Own Culture - Design

b) Time: Total 40 minutes. (Teacher Instructions - 5 minutes, dividing into groups

of four - 5 minutes, Design Time - 20 minutes, followed by a

Class Discussion – 10 minutes).

c) General: During this session students will brainstorm in their groups and make

decisions about the design of their culture; Name of country or culture, national

flag or national symbol, a typical family, types of housing/buildings, types of

entertainment, types of industries, types of clothing people wear, environmental

features, religion, food. (Groups must use a minimum of four of these aspects)

Students also use prior knowledge to create two out of the following; Physical

Map (showing rivers, mountains, bodies of water, elevation), Political Map

(showing the name of the culture, cities and capitals), Land Use and Resource

Map and Resource Map (how land is used and/or where natural resources are).

Students will decide what aspect of the project they will be responsible for.

c) Goal(s): Each group will choose one student to represent them. This student

will report at the end of the session what they accomplished, who is designated to

do each aspect of the project and what they chose as their culture. The “design”

aspect of the project should be accomplished at the end of the first session. d) Logistics: Students will have their desks arranged in groups of four (square).

This is a collaborative work group activity. Each group will have an assigned

person to distribute and collect materials. Students will keep their notes in a folder

created for this project in their desks.

e) Teacher Narrative:

Directions for the Visual Aspect: Each group is responsible for creating a visual

representation with your group on the aspects of culture we previously discussed.

Your group must choose four of these aspects; national flag or symbol, typical

family, types of housing/buildings, types of entertainment, types of industries,

types of clothing people wear, environmental features, religion, food. Each group

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member will pick one of these aspects to work on. Then you will work in pairs to

create one of the following (2 per group): a physical, political and/or land use and

resource map. This assignment can be done on a poster board that I will hand out

during our next session OR can be done using a PowerPoint presentation.

After breaking into groups I will circulate around the room to clear up specific

questions and assist students when necessary.

f) Materials and Resources: This lesson will require dry erase boards for each

group to brainstorm and paper and pencils for note taking.

__________________________________________________________________

a) Session #2 & 3: Creating Your Own Culture – Create

b) Time: 80 minutes (2 Periods; can be one double period or two single periods).

c) General: Students will work in groups on their individual portions of the

project. Students will work on posters and/or on the computer to do research.

c) Goal(s): Students will create their individually assigned aspects of their culture.

Students will also write three to four sentences about each aspect of their culture

to become part of their PowerPoint presentation about their project or will

incorporate three to four bullet points on each aspect of their culture is doing the

entire assignment as a PowerPoint presentation.

d) Logistics: Students will work at their desks. Students who need the computer

will request time and will use the library in pairs when necessary. This is a small

collaborative group activity. The group representative will distribute materials.

Projects will be stored in a designated “Project Area,” by group.

e) Teacher Narrative: Today we will break into our groups, distribute materials

and create our cultures based on what was decided during our last session.

Remember to keep voices low during this activity, as we tend to get a bit louder

during group activities. Be sure to have all the materials you will need on your

desks. Those who need to use the computers will sign their names on the

clipboard and I will let you know when you can use one. The teaching assistant

and myself will be available to answer any questions you have. Let’s get started!

f) Materials and Resources: One piece of poster board/paper, coloring tools, glue

sticks, etc. (individuals may use other materials to create an art project if OK’d by

the teacher). Some students will use computers to create a PowerPoint of their

culture.

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a) Session #4/5: Presentation

b) Time: This will be two single forty-minute periods or one double period. One

half hour will be devoted to completing presentations. 50 minutes will be allotted

allowing each group to present their cultures.

c) General: Students will put finishing touches on their projects. Then each group

will be given a turn to make their presentations.

c) Goal(s): This is the final presentation that will allow for reflection and

evaluation.

d) Logistics: Students will begin the session at their desks to complete their

projects. Students will sit at their desks while groups do their presentations in

front of the classroom (or wherever the SmartBoard is located). Upon completion

students with posters/models will display their work in a hall display designated

and named “Culture Creations + Class Name.”

e) Teacher Narrative: I will give feedback about each groups project and describe

how specific goals of the project were met. I will also ask questions about certain

aspects of each project. For example, “How does this aspect represent your

culture and does this aspect coincide with another culture that you may know? I

will praise those who put in a lot of effort and assess their understanding of the

effects characteristics have on culture.

f) Materials and Resources: Students will use the materials they were using to

complete their projects. Those who need computers to complete their work will

do so. The SmartBoard will be used for the PowerPoint presentations.

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References: Hart, K., (n.d.), Dream Green Homes Your Source for Alternative Home Plans, retrieved August 14, 2011 from http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/function/residential.htm Kealen, A., (2003), Create Your Own Culture, retrieved August 14, 2011 from http:// www.successlink.org The Good Human, Don’t Blow It…Good Planets Are Hard to Find, (2003), Energy Ideas for Green Houses and Cabins, retrieved August 14, 2011 from http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2011/03/22/energy-saving-ideas-for-green-houses-and-cabins/#comments Trendir Modern House Designs, (2005 - 2008), Vetsch Architecture, Earth House retrieved August 14, 2011 from http://www.trendir.com/