2012 Defining Culture and
Examining its Role in Daily Life
Lesson Plan
Date your papers:
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012----Geography Lesson
Homework Due
Friday, September 7, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
• Quiet Question: Type Two Prompt---Using your
geography notes from the previous lesson, the atlases,
and the textbook, write an Acrostic Poem for
GEOGRAPHY to review the key concepts.
• Directions:
• Each line must begin with the letter of the
GEOGRAPHY.
• Each line must be a complete thought and cannot be
one or a few words.
• Each line must contain a definition or example for a
definition.
• You cannot repeat concepts.
• See the examples Ms. Barben will show on the
Smartboard.
Friday, August 31, 2012
• Pair-Share: Turn to your partner and share your
Geography Acrostic Poems. Make sure the
information is accurate. Help your partner
complete any unfinished letters.
• THEN WITH YOUR PARTNER, ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING TYPE ONE PROMPT: WHAT ASPECT
OR ASPECTS OF GEOGRAPHY DO YOU THINK
AFFECT US MOST IN AMERICA AND EXPLAIN WHY
AND GIVE EXAMPLES IN THE SPACE PROVIDED
BELOW.
Friday, August 31, 2012
• Class: Have pairs share their Type One Prompts.
Use as a transition to the Nacirema Activity. A
anthropologist in the 1950s wrote this article
about an indigenous people that shocked many
citizens of the United States. We are going to take
a look at what was so shocking about this culture.
• Class: You are to read the CLASS COPY of an article
on the Nacirema and answer the following
questions:
Friday, August 31 and Tuesday, Sept 4, 2012
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Questions: Answer below each question. It is okay to use bullets.
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Are you familiar with the cultural group described in the article. If no, where do you think these
people live and why do you think that. If you who are familiar with the group, do not reveal what you
know about the Nacirema until the class has finished reading. Just write down what aspects gave the
identity away?
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How does Minor’s description of the Nacirema affect our ability to identify them? What are the
techniques Minor uses to describe the Nacirema? (He uses a distinctively anthropological form of
observation and writing called “ethnography.”)
Brainstorm other rituals of the Nacirema that might seem odd to someone from another culture or
even from another planet. (For example, playing a particular sport, preparing and eating food,
watching TV, shopping, going to a party, sitting in a classroom, etcetera.)
Write a paragraph or two describing another “ritual of the Nacirema,” either from the brainstorm list
or one they think of on their own, using the same techniques Minor uses in his story.
Then students will read their paragraphs within a small group and have the group identify the ritual
described. What were the other rituals your group members described?
Friday, August 31 and Tuesday, Sept 4, 2012
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After the individual answering of questions and group sharing, you will now answer THREE
of the following Reflection Questions:
Reflection Questions: Select THREE of the SIX.
Were you surprised when you figured out who the Nacirema were? Explain why or why
not.
How does Body Ritual Among the Nacirema help us understand our own view of other
cultures and how we are viewed by other cultures?
Why do some of the practices and rituals of other cultures seem odd or foreign to us? How
do our own cultural norms affect our understanding and perception of other cultures?
What assumptions do we make about other cultures? What are some examples of
practices in other cultures that we find odd and hard to understand? (For example,
arranged marriages, eating and preparing unusual foods, ritual body piercing, rites of
passage.)
Go back to the brainstorm list created earlier about a specific cultural group. What are the
listed assumptions based on? How does our own cultural worldview affect how we
perceive this specific group?
What techniques can we use to notice when we are making assumptions about others, and
how can we avoid this?
Friday, August 31, 2012
• Homework: Work on your Geography Lesson
Homework
Tuesday, September 4 and Wednesday,
Sept 5, 2012
• Class: Ms. Barben is going to begin her
Powerpoint Lecture on Culture.
• You are to take notes in the provided graphic
organizer.
• Homework: Work on your Geography Lesson
Homework. Remember it is due on Thursday,
September 6, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
• Groups: Using your notes in the graphic organizer, you and your
group members are going to create a Pictoword for CULTURE.
• As a way to check for understanding and review what the term
culture is all about, in your assigned groups, you will be creating
a Pictoword for CULTURE.
• A Pictoword or Sociogram uses images related to the word to
form the shapes of each letter.
• As you shape-spell out the word, you are also defining the word
and providing examples of what the word is all about.
• You may have done this in middle school as one of your art
projects.
• Ms. Barben has examples posted around the room and will also
show examples on the Smartboard.
• There are also examples uploaded on her Teacher Page.
• You will use your graphic organizer notes and the internet to help
complete this project.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
• 1.___________ The student used pictures, symbols, and images to form the shape
of each letter.
• The student did not just outline the letter and stick pictures to it.
• And the images spell out---CULTURE
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• 2.____________The images each defined a different aspect of CULTURE.
• That means SEVEN different characteristics.
• No concepts or images were repeated.
• If an image or aspect is repeated, it will not be counted.
• Must be done in color.
• You may use computer images from Ms. Barben’s PowerPoint, the internet, or
hand-draw them.
• Must address:
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What is culture?
What are different institutions of culture?
What are cultural universals?
What are norms?
What are values?
What are mores?
• The art part of this project is worth 50 points.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
• 3.____________ There was a detailed TYPED key that
explained the symbolism for each letter.
• The key was well-developed and served as a good
review of the notes.
• Each key description was a minimum of THREE welldeveloped sentences that defined, explained, and
provided examples.
• This must be typed, spell-checked, and grammarchecked.
• It should be done in size 14 Calibri Bold font.
• The writing portion of the project is worth 50 points.
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Thursday, September 6 –Monday,
September 10, 2012
Work Days for Pictoword:
Thursday, September 6, 2012 and
Homework for that night
Friday, September 7, 2012 and
Homework for the weekend
Monday, September 10, 2012: LAST DAY
to work on it. Due at end of class.