Cathy Boerner June 14, 2012 Rationale: I plan to be a teacher who shows her students a clear understanding of diversity

and culture and embraces a current and non-biased view of society. It is important not just to teach culture and diversity in the classroom, but also to be aware of the varying cultures of my students and the community I teach in. Good teachers stress tolerance in the classroom, making sure to not perpetuate stereotypes and to incorporate culture into every area of study. This gives students the ability to see culture as a part of everything we do, not just a one-time unit to be taught. This unit is about cultural and familiar traditions but it will not be the only time I teach with a multicultural perspective. I am passionate about maintaining this perspective and integrating it across the curriculum. Working for Milwaukee Public Schools will mean I will likely be teaching a classroom of culturally and ethnically diverse students. I will want to make sure they all feel that they belong in the classroom and to do this I need to teach them in a way that they can identify with. Through this unit it is my goal for students to begin to reach a deeper understanding of the definitions, tradition and culture by looking at aspects of their home culture. I also want them to begin to understand that personal traditions and culture are sometimes effected by socio-cultural changes over time and space. Ideally I would like my students to understand that there is not one single culture that can define an individual, that a persons culture is created through a mix of elements that form each individual in a unique way.

Social Studies Unit Plan Title: Culture and Tradition Subject/Course: Social Studies Grade: Fourth Time: Two Weeks Content Focus and Theme Overview: My unit plan focus on the students own exploration of their own culture and family tradition. Through the study of various cultures and traditions of Wisconsin people, via the building and preservation of traditions and customs, students can build a better recognition of culture and learn how to recognize and appreciate their own culture as well as those of their peers. Standards/Goals: Reading 5. Students will compare and contrast the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts. Writing 7. Students will conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. 8. Students will recall information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. 10. Students will write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Speaking and Listening 4. Students will report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. Social Studies (Geography) A.4.7 Students will identify connections between local community and other places in Wisconsin, the United States, and the world. Social Studies (History) B.4.1 Students will identify and examine various sources of information that are used for constructing an understanding of the past, such as: artifacts, documents, letters, diaries, maps, textbooks, photos, paintings, architecture, oral presentations, graphs, and charts B.4.3 Students will examine biographies, stories, narratives, and folk tales to understand the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people, place them in time and context, and explain their relationship to important historical events. B.4.4 Students will compare and contrast changes in contemporary life and in the past by looking at social, economic, political, and cultural roles played by individuals and groups. Social Studies (Political Science) C.4.1 Students will identify and explain the individuals responsibilities to family, peers,

and the community, including the need for civility and respect for diversity. Social Studies (Behavioral Sciences) E.4.2 Students will explain the influence of factors such as family, neighborhood, personal interests, language, likes and dislikes, and accomplishments on individual identity and development. E.4.3 Students will describe how families are alike and different, comparing characteristics such as size, hobbies, celebrations, where families live, and how they make a living. E.4.4 Students will describe the ways in which ethnic cultures influence the daily lives of people. E.4.7 Students will explain the reasons why individuals respond in different ways to a particular event and the ways in which interactions among individuals influence behavior. E.4.8 Students will describe and distinguish among the values and beliefs of different groups and institutions. E.4.11 Students will give examples of how language, stories, folk tales, music, and other artistic creations are expressions of culture and how they convey knowledge of other peoples cultures. Essential Questions: How does gaining knowledge of family tradition and culture affect ones own past and current beliefs about culture and tradition? How does the culture and beliefs of different ethnic or regional groups affect your own beliefs? Students will understand that There are many things that influence cultural perspectives over time and space. There are multitudes of ways we express our culture and ethnicity or regional perspective. Families that appear alike dont always celebrate the same traditions or share the same cultural beliefs. Students will know How to engage in conversation with their family members about their heritage. How to write about their own family traditions and those of others. How to talk about their culture and traditions with their peers. Families that appear similar in appearance may have very different cultural beliefs and celebrate different family traditions.

Assessment/Evidence: Composition journal entries Oral Presentations

 Written research and observations Rubric for performance tasks Performance Tasks Overview: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Preview Activity: Step Into A Photograph Interviews: Exploring My Familys Culture and Traditions Preview Activity: Creating Family Trees Mapping My Heritage Preview Activity: Mindwalk Discovering My Nonverbal Cultural Cues by Recalling the Last 24 Hours 6. Presentations: Nonverbal Cultural Representations

Performance Task One: Preview Activity, Step Into A Photograph Duration: one half hour Learning goal: Students will compare and contrast culturally symbolic developments that occur due to the progression of time. Wisconsin Model Academic Standards Correlations: Social Studies (History) B.4.4 Students will compare and contrast changes in contemporary life in the past by looking at social, economic, political, and cultural roles played by individuals and groups. Social Studies (Behavioral Sciences) E.4.2 Students will explain the influence of factors such as family, neighborhood, personal interests, language, likes and dislikes, and accomplishments on individual identity and development. Activity Overview: 1. I will display two photographs on the class overhead projector. 2. One picture will be from the 1960s, showing a family celebrating a childs birthday. 3. Students will be asked to look at the picture and pay attention to as many details as they can find. 4. I will ask them to imagine if they were inside the picture and to think of what they would see, how they would feel, what they might smell or hear, and who they might be. 5. They will record their thoughts in their composition journals. 6. Next I will show a modern day photograph of a family celebrating a childs birthday. 7. Students will be asked the same questions as for the first photograph but this time

they will also be asked to compare this photograph to the one taken fifty years ago. They will be asked to think about what they see is different and what are some similarities in both pictures. They will be asked to think about the reasons why things might be different from then and now. 8. They will then record these thoughts in their composition journals.

Assessment: We will engage in class discussion and I will read and respond to each students reflection. Performance Task Two: My Familys Culture and Traditions Duration: Two weeks Learning Goal: Students will begin to explore their own family culture. Wisconsin Model Academic Standards Correlations: Social Studies (Behavioral Sciences) E.4.2 Explain the influence of factors such as family, neighborhood, personal interests, language, likes and dislikes, and accomplishments on individual identity and development. E.8.2 Give examples to explain and illustrate how factors such as family, gender, and socioeconomic status contribute to individual identity and development. Activity Overview: 1. Before hand I will talk about how families come in all shapes and sizes and each student can define whom they consider to be members of his or her own family. 2. They may choose another adult they are close with such as a mentor, teacher, family friend, or a friends family member as long as it is someone they feel comfortable with. 3. By exploring the culture of their own family, students will learn how influences such as neighborhood, personal interests, language, likes and dislikes, and accomplishments affect both their own cultural identities and that of their families. 4. After students identify an aspect of their familys culture they wish to explore, they will plan and conduct an interview with a family member of their choice.

5. Students will then describe in their composition journals how their family culture has influenced who they are. 6. Finally, they create a display, exhibit, or presentation to share the things they have learned about family culture. They can use photos, objects, mementos, drawings, a scrapbook, or make a collage: anything that will appropriately accompany their presentation. Writing and Interview Prompts: Whom do I consider to be members of my family? What would I like to learn about my own family culture? What everyday activities are important in my family? What special traditions do my family share? What beliefs and values do my family find important? Assessment: I will read and respond to each students interview and presentation. Performance Task Three: Preview Activity: Creating a family tree and Introduction to Discovering Heritage Duration: One Hour In-Class (plus more time the next day if needed), and Homework Wisconsin Model Academic Standards Correlations: Social Studies (Behavioral Sciences) E.4.8 Students will describe and distinguish among the values and beliefs of different groups and institutions

Activity Overview: 1. I will begin by reminding students that there are all different types of families and no two are alike. Because of this, everyone has a different definition of what family is, and everyones definition is correct. 2. I will then ask students if they are familiar with a family tree and if anyone has ever seen one. 3. I tell them we are going to make family trees and I will show them one that I made for my family. 4. I will tell the students that we will be making our family tree a little different than traditions ones because we can also include people whom we consider family but may or may not be blood related. 5. Students will have an hour and the next day if needed to draw out a family tree and add the names of everyone they can think of as far back as possible.

6. I will encourage students to draw any kind of tree they want, making it any shape or color or size they like. 7. Next, I will introduce our activity Discovering Heritage and tell students that they will need to ask their parents/guardians to help them come up with a list when they get home. 8. For homework, they will need to come up with a list of countries (verified or possible) that their ancestors have come from and where their immediate family has previously lived. 9. I will tell them that we will be using this information for our next activity. Assessment: I will assess for participation and family trees. They will be assessed on the completion of their homework as well. Performance Task Four: Discovering Heritage Duration: Two Hours Learning Goal: Students will begin to learn about which countries their ancestors originally came from and locate them on a world map, plotting the ancestral path that has led to their hometown. Wisconsin Model Academic Standards Correlations: Social Studies (Geography) A.4.7 Students will identify connections between local community and other places in Wisconsin, the United States, and the world Activity Overview: 1. I will review our previous lesson creating family trees and ask that the class will be using their homework results for this activity. 2. I will invite the students to produce their list of countries as part of their heritage. 3. Using a large world map on a pegboard, I will work with students in groups of three or four. 4. Students will put one tack on every country listed in their interview as part of their heritage. 5. Next we will attach yarn or ribbon to one end of their dot and tie the other end of the yarn to the students current hometown with a second tack. 6. Once all students are finished and return to their desks, I will begin a discussion comparing and contrasting where the tacks have been placed. I will use prompts such as Which countries, continents, and cities have the most tacks? Do you notice if this class seems to have similar or different

backgrounds? 7. I will encourage students to imagine how the map might look if this activity was performed in classrooms in other parts of the world. 8. Students will then have time on their laptops to research, using Google maps. 9. Finally, students will reflect in their composition journals. Assessment: I will assess each students completion of each performance task using a checklist rubric. I will also read and respond to their journal entries. Performance Task Five: Preview Activity: Recalling how we may have nonverbally communicated over the past 24 hours Duration: One Hour Learning Goal: Students will discover how they nonverbally communicate things about their cultural perspective nonverbally. Wisconsin Model Academic Standards Correlations: Social Studies (Behavioral Sciences) E.4.4 Students will describe the ways in which ethnic cultures influence the daily lives of people. Activity Overview: Students will be invited to imagine about the events of the last 24 hours. They will be asked to think particularly about what they wore, what they ate, where they went, and whom they saw. They will be asked to write down their memories on post-it notes. I will give them some prompts to think about such as, when you opened the door did you hold it open for the person behind you? Did you pray before you ate? Did you dress casually, or in a uniform? Students will then put their post-it notes up on the chalkboard, mixed with everyone elses. Students will then take a look at the chalkboard and observe all the other post-it notes of their peers. Afterwards they will reflect in their composition journals. They will be asked to write about what other things they read on the post-it notes and what they noticed. Were there a lot of repeats? Did you read something youve never heard about? I will then begin to introduce to them to the next lesson on exploring nonverbal communicating among cultural and ethnic/regional groups.

Assessment: I will assess students completion of each of the performance task with a checklist rubric. I will also read and respond to students journal responses. Performance Task Six: Exploring the Nonverbal Expressions of Cultural and Ethnic/Regional Groups Duration: One hour a day for one week Learning Goal: Students will understand that, in addition to spoken and written language, there are many ways to communicate. Wisconsin Model Academic Standards Correlations: Social Studies (Behavioral Sciences) E.4.11. Give examples and explain how language, stories, folktales, music, and other artistic creations are expressions of culture and how they convey knowledge of other peoples and cultures. Activity Overview: 1. I will begin by asking students to recall the previous activity and discuss our observations. 2. My explanation to students: In addition to spoken and written language, people communicate nonverbally in many ways such as through music, dance, their clothing, and the products they own such as their cars, sports team paraphernalia, and how they decorate the outside of their house. 3. I will invite students to think about these cultural expressions (verbal: stories, folk tales, legends, songs, poems, and history. Nonverbal: music, dance, clothing, food, and decorative objects). 4. Students will form groups of 3 or 4. 5. Groups will use their laptops and Internet to find examples of both verbal and nonverbal communication among ethnic and/or regional groups of their choosing. They will focus particularly on how an ethnic or regional group demonstrates their culture. 6. When groups are done finding examples, they will share their findings with the class (using the class overhead projector if they all have printed materials). 7. Students will take notes as other groups present their findings. 8. Each group can choose how they will present their findings. They can make a poster, poem, collage of pictures, perform a play, or come up with an interpretive dance. 9. After all the groups have presented, I will resume discussion, inviting students to compare and contrast the ways in which different ethnic and/or regional groups communicate. 10. Students will then go back to their desks and do a quick write in their

composition journals, reflecting on their findings. Assessment: At the beginning of the activity I will explain the learning goals for the activity. I will have a check-off rubric made and use this during the group presentations. I will also read and respond to each students journal reflections. Materials Needed For This unit: Laptops and Internet connection Two photographs Composition Journals Overhead Projector (optional) Art supplies and paper Large Map, tacks and pegboard Resources For This Unit Plan: Wisconsin Historical Society http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/ Scholastic Teachers http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/