University of Idaho Lesson Plan

Name Date
Breana Ortiz 11/2/19

Subject Topic
History/Geography Elements of Culture
The big idea(s) or essential question(s)
What is culture?

State of Idaho and/or common core standards addressed:

 6-9.GWH.2.4.2 Compare and contrast cultural patterns in the Western Hemisphere, such as
language, religion, and ethnicity. (469.04c)
 6-9.GWH.5.1.1 Discuss how social institutions, including family, religion, and education, influence
behavior in different societies in the Western Hemisphere.
 6-9.GWH.5.1.2 Give examples of how language, literature, and the arts shaped the development and
transmission of culture in the Western Hemisphere.

Objectives
 Identify what is Culture
 Identify Culture in their lives
 Identify Culture in other places around the world

Diversity goals: (where relevant)

o Developing cultural consciousness
o Increasing intercultural competence
o Developing awareness of the state of the planet and awareness of global dynamics
o Developing social action skills
TSWBAT Students will be able to identify culture around Moscow

TSWBAT Students will be able to identify at least one other

culture from somewhere outside the US

Materials and/or technology

 Maps (print outs)
 Notes/power point
 Packet (with space for notes and the worksheet)
 Projector
 Screen
 Chromebooks
 Pencils

Activities/procedures
Introduction/activator
 Have students write in notebook about what they think culture is -5
minutes
  We will then review a power point on culture and create our own definition
based on the 7 elements of culture (Ex. All things that make up a person’s
way of life.) – 15-20 minutes
Class activities Class activities
 Discussion - Together the class and  Creating our own
Instructor will come up with our own definition will help
definition of culture- 5-10 minutes
students
 These will be placed on the board so
students can write in their packet understand what
 Watch: culture is
https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/movies/00000  The video will be
144-0a41-d3cb-a96c-7b4ddb450000 presented to show
 Instructor: Pause Video and point out
what people from
differences between American Culture and
African – 5 minutes Africa think of their
 Stop Video at 4 minutes first experience in
America
 Use the map to find 2 other countries, use  Finding and
the Chromebooks to find some cultural comparing other
differences to Americans -15-20minutes
countries will help
students
understand how
different countries
have different
cultures

Closure/reminders
 Discussion – Talk about the countries they found and have students share
what they found – 10 minutes

Assessment
Students will turn in worksheets at the end of the day.
They will have found 2 countries and identified at least 1 difference in each culture
compared to America to get a 3, they will receive a 4 if they have more than 1
difference in each culture they found.

Accommodations/differentiation
 ELL – Print outs in their language
 Learning Disabilities – Students will only need to find 1 country to compare
America with or work can with a partner
 Focus problems – Students will receive special attention to help refocus them
(one on one with student)
 Trouble speaking (in front of peers or IEP) – students will not be expected to
participate in the group but instead can have a conversation with partners or
teacher

Reflection/evaluation
At first teaching this lesson I was really nervous. After the 2 nd class I had the
lesson down and was able to teach better to the students. This was my first-
time teaching to students, so the first 2 classes were my guinea pigs. They did
not read the instructions so after I read the instructions to the class and
explained it so they would understand. The activities took a little longer than
expected but that’s okay because I really enjoyed having discussions about
culture, especially because one student thought he did not have a culture
because he was white.
 7 Elements
Social ·         Creates social structure by organizing its members into small units to meet basic
Organization needs.
s ·         Family Patterns: family is the most important unit of social organization.  Through the
family children learn how they are expected to act and what to believe.
·         Nuclear family: wife, husband, children.  This is a typical family in an industrial
society (US). 
·         Extended family: Several generations living in one household, working and living
together: grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins.  Respect for elders is strong.
·         Social classes: rank people in order of status, depending on what is important to the
culture (money, job, education, ancestry, etc.)
Customs and ·    Rules of Behavior are enforced ideas of right and wrong. They can be customs,
Traditions traditions, rules, or written laws.
 Some examples include: Greetings, Clothing, Church.

Religion ·         Answers basic questions about the meaning of life.

·         Supports values that groups of people feel are important.
Language ·         Language is the cornerstone of culture.
·         All cultures have a spoken language (even if there are no developed forms of
writing).
·         People who speak the same language often share the same culture.
·         Many societies include a large number of people who speak different languages.
·         Each language can have several different dialects.

Arts and ·         They are the products of the human imagination.

Literature ·         They help us pass on the culture’s basic beliefs.
·         Examples: art, music, literature, and folk tales

Forms of ·         People form governments to provide for their common needs, keep order within
Government society, and protect their society from outside threats.
·         Definition of government:
1. Person/people who hold power in a society
2.  Society’s laws and political institutions

·         Democracy:  people have supreme power, government acts by and with consent.

·         Republic:  people choose leaders who represent them.
·         Dictatorship: ruler/group holds power by force usually relying on military support for
power.

Economic ·         How people use limited resources to satisfy their wants and needs.
Systems ·         Answers the basic questions:  what to produce, how to produce it, and for whom.
·         Traditional Economy:  people produce most of what they need to survive (hunting,
gathering, farming, herding cattle, make own clothes/tools).
·         Market Economy:  buying and selling goods and services
·         Command Economy:  Government controls what/how goods are produced and what
they cost.   Individuals have little economic power
·         Mixed Economy:  Individuals make some economic decisions and the government
makes others
Definition of Culture
 Map of Countries
Identify and circle the two countries you will compare with America.
Use your Chromebook to research 2 different countries from above. Find 3 similarities and 3 differences between the countries you have picked and
America. Fill the information out in the chart below.

America Similarities Country 1:

America Similarities Country 2:

 Standard 4 3 2 1
6-9.GWH.2.4.2 Found at least 3 Found at least 2 Found at least Not done or
Compare and differences and differences and one difference completed
contrast cultural similarities similarities and similarity
patterns in the
between each between each between each
Western
Hemisphere, country and country and country and
such as America America America
language,
religion, and
ethnicity.
(469.04c)

Packet is filled Packet is Packet is Packet is not

out completely missing 1 item missing multiple complete
items