A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Ohio Standards
Connection
Research
Benchmark B
Locate and summarize
important information from
multiple sources.
Indicator 2
Identify appropriate sources
and gather relevant information
from multiple sources (e.g.,
school library catalogs, online
databases, electronic resources
and Internet-based resources).
Benchmark E
Communicate findings orally,
visually and in writing or
through multimedia.
Indicator 8
Use a variety of communication
techniques, including oral,
visual, written or multimedia
reports, to present information
that supports a clear position
with organized and relevant
evidence about the topic or
research question.
Social Studies: History
Benchmark B
Describe the political and social
characteristics of early
civilizations and their enduring
impact on later civilizations
Indicator 2
Describe the enduring impact of
early civilizations in India,
China, Egypt, Greece and
Rome after 1000 B.C.
including:
a. The development of
concepts of government
and citizenship;
b. Scientific and cultural
advancements;
c. The spread of religions;
d. Slavery and systems of
labor.
Lesson Summary:
Historical research and persuasive multimedia
presentations provide the backbone of this lesson.
Students research particular elements of the ancient
cultures of India, China, Egypt, Greece or Rome,
centering their research around the question: “What
characteristics of this civilization have had an enduring
impact on later civilizations?” The richness of this lesson
lies in its interdisciplinary content, research and
presentation process. The lesson clearly illustrates the
intellectual progression of students writing a mere report
to crafting an informational essay. In the post-assessment
students move to yet another skill level as they transform
their informational essay to a presentation that attempts
to convince their classmates of their culture’s enduring
legacy. This interdisciplinary lesson lends itself to teamteaching across disciplines, but the lesson can be
successfully executed by a single teacher.
Estimated Duration: seven to eight 45-minute periods
Commentary:
A kaleidoscope is an appropriate metaphor to describe the
strength of this lesson. As students study cultural legacies,
each legacy becomes a reflecting mirror, a pane in the
kaleidoscope. With each rotation of the kaleidoscope, the
patterns and perspectives change. Each change produces a
new design emerging from all those that have gone
before.
Field testers give this lesson high praise for its emphasis
on enduring connections.
“Students love seeing references in current media to
ancient cultures they have just studied. To understand this
concept of change over time opens new worlds of
understanding.’
Pre-Assessment:
Assess student ability to write informative essays:
 Ask students to draft a well-organized informative
essay about a topic that affects their lives, such as
school lunch, dress code, specific school policy, etc.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Visual Art: Connections,
Relationships and
Applications
Benchmark B
Apply and combine visual
art, research and technology
skills to communicate ideas
in a visual form.
Indicator 2
Apply computer skills to
explore and create a range of
visual effects to enhance
projects and presentations.
Scoring Guidelines:
The rubric, the Informative Essay Scoring Rubric,
Attachment A, assesses content, structure and writing
conventions. Use the scoring guide as an opportunity to
review the elements of an information essay. Ask students
to critique their own papers during the modeling of the
rubric.
Instructional Tips:
 Students may need to spend some extra time with the
abstract concept of the thesis statement.
 Students may need to work with sample sentences to
practice crafting a thesis statement.
 Remind students that research and writing are processes;
they may continue to fine tune their theses throughout
the drafting stage.
Post-Assessment:
The post-assessment assesses the team’s ability to present
researched information.
 Each group (representing its respective civilization:
China, Egypt, Greece, India, or Rome) presents its
information about an ancient civilization after 1000 B.C.
and its enduring legacy. Record the presentation so that
the class can watch this Kaleidoscope of Cultures. The
class selects the best presentations which contain
persuasive, thorough content, and demonstrate superior
organization, compelling delivery, effective multimedia
aids and teamwork.
Instructional Tip:
Parents may view these tapes at open houses, at festivals
celebrating student achievement, at parent conferences, or
be made available for each family to purchase.
Scoring Guidelines:
Grade the groups using the rubric, Culture Presentation
Rubric, Attachment B, which assesses teamwork,
organization, content, delivery, and multimedia aids. The
groups receive a rating of advanced, proficient or basic.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
Instructional Tip: Even though this lesson works well with a teaching team, it can be taught
effectively by individual teachers. Teachers need to prepare for the opening day by studying
these ancient cultures in order to excite students about the unit, guide the brainstorming session,
and guide them in their research.
1. After finishing the pre-assessment and recognizing that students can write informational
essays, lead students in a brainstorming session about the cultures of China, Greece, India,
Egypt and Rome.
2. Create five columns or five pieces of chart paper with one of the five cultures written on each
column or piece of paper.
 To introduce the Kaleidoscope Unit, ask students to share what they know about the
cultures of the five countries.
 Explain and discuss the Culture Challenge Project Sheet, Attachment C.
3. Allow students to arrange themselves in groups of four to six and ask each group to select a
country: China, Greece, India, Egypt, or Rome.
Instructional Tip:
Add additional cultural choices to accommodate larger classes. Consider Persia, Zimbabwe,
Mesopotamia, Israel, Parthia, Phoenicia and Carthage.
4. Within the groups, instruct students to choose individual paper topics based on each of the
different cultures:
 The development of concepts of government and citizenship;
 Scientific and cultural advancements;
 The spread of religions;
 Slavery and systems of labor.
5. Hand out the Informative Essay Check Sheet, Attachment C, and the Culture Presentation
Rubric, Attachment B. Discuss the rubrics and stress the main points of the essay and
presentation.
Day Two
6. Schedule library time for research
Instructional Tips:
 The research topics may be broken down into even more discrete topics; details create good
research.
 Suggest students go beyond the school library for sources.
 If this assignment is being team-taught, use all members of the team to help with the
research.
7. Allow students to begin research in teams.
8. Remind students to use textbooks and notes from social studies class, as well as books,
periodicals and Internet sources.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Day Three
Instructional Tip:
Gauge the time allotted for research by the ability and momentum of the class.
9. Once students complete their research, guide them in transferring their information from
notes to the informational essay.
10. Direct students to center the focus of their paper on the thesis.
11. Remind them to organize their details around the essential questions they have used for their
research.
12. Clarify questions by referring students to the Informational Essay Check Sheet, Attachment
C.
13. Encourage students to peer-edit the essays, using the Informational Essay Check Sheet,
Attachment C, as a guide.
14. Assign students to complete the final copy at home.
Instructional Tip:
Review the proper citation of sources, as needed.
Day Four
Instructional Tips:
 If this assignment has been team-taught, each team member helps with the scoring. The
social studies teacher could assess the content while the language arts teacher assesses the
essay structure and writing conventions.
 Rich professional growth and collaboration occurs as teachers work together, use the rubric,
set scoring essay models, and discuss and score each essay in its entirety. This enables each
to understand the strengths and weakness of the writer and to be better equipped to guide the
students through the next steps of the assignment.
15. After grading the essays, ask students to highlight the main ideas. Remind them to sort and
select their strongest points for use in their persuasive presentation.
Instructional Tip:
Model this process with a sample essay, using the overhead projector or PowerPoint.
16. Students write their main ideas on note cards.
17. Students then work carefully on a powerful opening or introduction.
18. Ask students to return to their groups to begin to share their “speech drafts” and brainstorm
ideas for their multimedia presentations.
Day Five
19. Students work on speeches and multimedia presentations, keeping in mind that they are not
working on a simple report, but rather they are presenting specific information to persuade the
audience to believe in the enduring legacies of their culture.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Instructional Tip:
If the school culture and schedule allow for cross discipline collaboration, students may seek
assistance from the drama teacher, the art teacher, the industrial arts teacher, etc. as they work on
their presentations.
Day Six
Instructional Tips:
 This can be an event to which parents are invited, so the performance may be given in the
school auditorium — encourage students to think “out of the box” for the magnitude of this
production.
 The teacher prepares for the presentations by securing a video camera and other media tools.
20. Students make presentations. Allow only staff involved in this process to participate in the
assessment.
Day Seven
21. Students and teachers celebrate their accomplishments, view the presentations, reflect on the
process and vote for the most persuasive and captivating presentations.
Instructional Tip:
This lesson allows for much flexibility. Alter ballots to address specific strengths and learning
objectives.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the intent
of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the specified
indicator(s).
 The flexibility of this lesson allows for continued differentiation: students choose research
topics, find a comfort level for their research, and write a presentation that showcases their
strengths.
 Students who have difficulty doing the research for their speeches can be assigned a tutor.
 Students with different modalities of learning can choose different types of visual aids to
support their presentations
.
Extensions:
 After students become “experts” on the country, allow them to delve into the philosophy,
architecture, art, mathematical concepts, sports, and theater. Students create a product which
demonstrates their new knowledge which can be presented in various ways. Students create a
product which demonstrates their new knowledge, such as reproductions of famous art
pieces, models of famous architecture, musical instruments or dance from a culture.
 Students may transform the recording of the presentations into a show using a video editing
program. This could be shown to other classes or linked to the school web site.
Vocabulary:
 anecdotes
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven





delivery
inflection
multimedia aid
relevant facts
voice modulation
Technology Connections:
 Students use the Internet to complete research
 Students record presentations using video or digital cameras and link them to the school web
page and/or in-house broadcasting system.
 Students make presentations to class using the LCD, video cassette recorder, and television.
Library Connections:
Students use the library to research information for their individual essays and to make
multimedia aids.
Research Connections:
Zemelman, Steven, Harvey Daniels and Arthur Hyde. Best Practice: New Standards of Teaching
and Learning in America's Schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998.
 Integrative units
Rather than allow students’ learning to be delivered in disconnected incoherent “chunks,”
material is identified by interest and importance. Extended units are then built around these
topics (James Beane 1997). Doing more than crossing subject areas, this method makes
students real, responsible partners in curriculum development.
 Small group activities
Cooperative learning has been described by William Glasser (1990), David and Roger
Johnston (1991), Yael and Shlomo Sharan (1992) and Robert Slavin (1985) among others.
Manifestations:
Peer Response and Editing
Group Investigations
Arter, Judith and Jay McTighe. Scoring Rubrics in the Classroom: Using Performance
Criteria for Assessing and Improving Student Performance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press,
2001.
Clear rubrics assure that different teachers would similarly rate the same product or performance.
Homework and Home Connections:
 Students have a family member, significant adult or family friend edit their persuasive essay
using the Informative Essay Check Sheet, Attachment C. By doing that, parents, guardians,
siblings or others become familiar with and involved in applying the criteria for evaluating an
effective informational essay and persuasive presentation. .
 Students practice their speeches with a family member, significant adult or family friend.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of its
contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does not
endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main page,
therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information required
for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes over time,
therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related to a given
lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher:
chalk, board or overhead projector, television or liquid crystal display, video
cassette recorder and video camera or digital camera
For the students: paper and pencil
Attachments:
Attachment A, Information Essay Scoring Rubric
Attachment B, Culture Challenge Rubric
Attachment C, Culture Challenge Project Sheet
Attachment D, Information Essay Check Sheet
Attachment E, Culture Kaleidoscope Ballots
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Attachment A
Informative Essay Rubric
Name_______________________________
Date__________________________
Directions: Use this rubric to grade the informative essay in the pre-assessment. The rubric
assesses the structure, content, and writing conventions of the essay.

Advanced: The structure of the essay includes an introduction with a clear position, body
paragraphs with supporting detail and a conclusion; all elements flow into a tightly
constructed argument. The content has strongly connected facts, figures and ideas that
support the main idea and make the writer’s argument relevant, believable and convincing.
The writer follows the writing conventions for mechanics, usage, grammar, and spelling.

Proficient: The structure of the essay includes an introduction with a somewhat clear
position, body paragraphs with supporting detail, and a conclusion, which somewhat flow
into a moderately constructed argument. The content has somewhat connected facts, figures
and ideas that support the main idea and make the writer’s argument somewhat believable
and convincing. The writer follows some of the writing conventions for mechanics, usage,
grammar and spelling.

Beginning: The structure of the essay includes some of the following: an introduction with
no clear position, body paragraphs with supporting detail, and a conclusion, which flow
poorly into a weakly constructed argument. The content has few connected facts, figures and
ideas that support the main idea that offer little to make the writer’s argument believable and
convincing. The writer follows few of the writing conventions for mechanics, usage,
grammar and spelling.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures – Grade Seven
Attachment B
Culture Challenge Presentation Scoring Rubric
Name_______________________________
Date__________________________
Organization
Delivery
Content
Multimedia Aid
Team Work
The introduction, body and conclusion establish a
clear position, capture the audience’s attention,
contain supporting material; essay is clear and
memorable.
Uses consistent, appropriate and logical
organizational structure with relevant information
to support ideas.

Eye contact,
speech rate and
volume were
good.
 Good use of voice
modulation and
inflection to
express important
ideas.

Demonstrates an understanding of
the topic.
 Supports position or thesis with
relevant facts, details, examples
quotations, statistics, stories and/or
anecdotes.
 Accurate, interesting and in-depth
 Multiple sources used and
identified

Use appropriate visual
materials (diagrams, charts,
illustrations, songs, skits and
available technology)
 Very interesting (e.g.,
unusual, informative,
memorable)
 Very appealing (e.g., neat,
eye-catching, colorful)

Basic
The introduction, body and conclusion establish a
somewhat clear position, gain some of the
audience’s attention, contain some supporting
material and is somewhat clear and memorable.
Uses somewhat consistent, appropriate and
logical organizational structure with relevant
information to support ideas.

Eye contact,
speech rate and
volume were
adequate.
 Moderate use of
voice modulation
and inflection to
express important
ideas.

Demonstrates some understanding
of the topic
 Supports position or thesis
somewhat with relevant facts,
details, examples quotations,
statistics, stories and/or anecdotes
 Somewhat accurate, interesting
and in-depth
 Use several identified sources

Use somewhat appropriate
visual materials (diagrams,
charts, illustrations, songs,
skits and available
technology)
 Somewhat interesting (e.g.,
unusual, informative,
memorable)
 Somewhat appealing (e.g.,
neat, eye-catching, colorful)

Limited
The introduction, body and conclusion did
not establish a clear position, gain little or
none of the audience’s attention, contains
little or no supporting material, and is not
very clear or memorable.
Uses little consistency and/or not appropriate
or logical in organizational structure with
relevant information to support ideas.
 Eye contact,
speech rate and
volume are of
low quality.
 Little use of
voice
modulation and
inflection to
express
important ideas


 A few of the
people appear
to do all of the
work.
 A few
collaborate
Advanced
Demonstrates little or no
understanding of the topic
 Supports position or thesis
with little or no relevant facts,
details, examples quotations,
statistics, stories and/or
anecdotes
 Not much accuracy, interest
and/or depth
 Use few identified sources
Use few or no
appropriate visual
materials (diagrams,
charts, illustrations,
songs, skits and available
technology)
 Little or no interest
(e.g., unusual,
informative, memorable)
 Not very appealing
(e.g., neat, eye-catching,
colorful)
All team
members work
to create the
presentation.
 All team
members
appear to
collaborate and
work well
together.
Most team
members work
to create the
presentation.
 Most team
members appear
to collaborate
well together.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures –Grade Seven
Attachment C
Culture Presentation Project Sheet
Name_______________________________
Date__________________________
Directions: After choosing groups select an early civilization after 1000 B.C. from the following list.
 China
 Greece
 Egypt
 India
 Rome



The goal of this project is to inform the class about your country’s enduring cultural legacy .The
presentation will consist of individual informational speeches and multimedia aids.
Your group will be graded on the use of organization, delivery, content, multimedia aids, and
teamwork. See the Culture Presentation Rubric for details.
Each person will write a persuasive essay on a specific topic. See Informational Essay Check Sheet
for details on writing this essay.
PLAN: Each person will research a specific area. The purpose of the research is to inform the class about
the rich and enduring culture of your country.
Assign each person a topic for the essay. The main points of the informational essay become the body of
the speech for the presentation.




The development of concepts of government and citizenship.
Scientific and cultural advancements;
The spread of religions;
Slavery and systems of labor.
Use a variety of sources, such as the social studies textbook, Internet, books, periodicals, etc. Do not
forget to use your notes from this time-period in social studies class and to discuss your topic with your
social studies teacher. Cite all sources in the individual informational essay.
ORGANIZE: Meet as a group and organize a presentation. Turn the essay into a written speech by
writing main points on note cards. Each presentation must have a multimedia aid to accompany the
presentation. Examples of topics for multimedia aids are as follows: architecture, art, music,
dances, sports, theater, homes, tools, clothing, and literature. Work together as a group to create the
aid. Practice the presentation so that the order of speeches and use of the aid is seamless. The presentation
should not last more than 15 minutes.
RECORD: Record presentations so that the class can view them on presentation day.
VOTE: The class will vote after viewing all of the presentations to name the best presentations.
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures –Grade Seven
Attachment D
Informational Essay Check Sheet
Name_______________________________
Date__________________________
1. _____(50 points) Does the CONTENT have strongly connected facts, figures, ideas and
evidence that support the main idea and make the writer’s thesis statement relevant,
believable and convincing?
2. _____ (20 points) STRUCTURE Are there at least five paragraphs? Does each paragraph
focus on the correct information? Do the three body paragraphs each contain specific
examples and include relevant information to support the position?
 INTRODUCTION--introduce the topic and thesis by clearly defining the position and
identifying the country
 BODY PARAGRAPH 1--support the thesis statement with relevant evidence
 BODY PARAGRAPH 2--support the thesis statement with relevant evidence
 BODY PARAGRAPH 3--support the thesis statement with relevant evidence
 CONCLUSION--restate the thesis statement, which is convincing and believable and
concludes the essay
4. ______(10 points) Does the essay FLOW into a tightly constructed essay by using
appropriate transitions?
5.
_____ (10 points) WRITING CONVENTIONS--Does the writer demonstrate an
understanding of the grammatical conventions of the English language in the use of
 spelling, punctuation and capitalization;
 eight parts of speech correctly and verb tenses correctly;
 clauses (e.g., main, subordinate) and phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive, and participial) and
modifiers;
 parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis?
6. ______ (10 points) Does the essay cite sources appropriately?
TOTAL___________100 points
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A Kaleidoscope of Cultures –Grade Seven
Attachment E
Culture Kaleidoscope Ballots
Culture Kaleidoscope Ballot
Culture Kaleidoscope Ballot
Directions: Choose the best
culture presentation based upon
organization, teamwork,
persuasive strategies, content,
delivery and multimedia aids.
Directions: Choose the best culture
presentation based upon
organization, teamwork, persuasive
strategies, content, delivery and
multimedia aids.
Vote for one:
Vote for one:
China
Greece
Egypt
India
Rome
China
Greece
Egypt
India
Rome
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