The ABCs of Culture: The Native Texans
Patrick Rodriguez
Dobie Middle School
TEKS:
2A Compare the cultures of Native Americans in Texas prior to European
coloniztion.
10A identify ways in which Texans have adapted to and modified the
environment
L Define traits that define culture
Materials:
ABCs of Culture slideshow (see attachment below), database program, library
resources on Native Americans in Texas, "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema"
reading (see attachment below)
Activity:
Students take notes from the slideshow on the ABCs of Culture (each letter
represents an aspect of culture; eg. A is appearance, B is belief system, etc).
These are written in Cornell notes style.(see attachment below)
The class then reads aloud the "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema". They view
the rituals as barbaric and disgusting because they are described from an
outsider's perspective. The rituals are really describing the daily life of Americans
(Nacirema spelled backwards!).
Explain that when they research the customs of another people they should be
aware of how they are satisfying their needs through these practices, the same
way that we satisfy our needs through our cultural practices.
On the second day, the class is divided into four groups for the four main cultural
groups of natives in Texas. They may use the textbook and library resources to
research the ABCs of their particular cultural group. After completing the
research, they are to share their information with members of the other three
groups to gather data. They organize this into a cultural database that is more
easily utilized in class and for tests.