Explore the gifts of one’s own and others’ cultures.
Learners began a unit to explore their own culture by learning what culture means. They started by reading This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World by Matt LaMothe. They reflected on what they had learned by creating a word wall with all the elements of culture that were represented in the story. They invited Elders, parents, caregivers, guardians, and other staff into the class to share stories of what made their cultures unique. As a class, they created a series of questions to ask their families or to research to learn more about their own culture and practices that might celebrate culture.
Once learners had interviewed their families or completed the research, each learner shared what they had learned in a Sharing Circle. The class then co-constructed aspects of cultural expression that might be unique and special using the “Parts, Perspectives, and Me” thinking routine from Project Zero. These included celebrations, food, traditions, clothing, stories, values, and so on. The learners brainstormed ways they could create something to represent and celebrate what made their culture unique and special, but also ways in which they might share common understandings. One class decided to create a giant wall-sized puzzle in the shape of a globe, where each learner created a puzzle piece contributing to the whole picture. (Another class created a tree, where every learner contributed a leaf. Yet another created a 3-D art piece using artifacts from their cultures.)
The teacher shared a mini-lesson to help learners understand the use of symbols, and the learners discussed colour choices and other design features that might represent their ideas. Each learner chose how they might decorate their puzzle piece based on their own learning and their understanding of symbols. They drafted their ideas first, and then shared them with a group of peers for feedback. After receiving feedback, they created a final copy. The class then built their puzzle together and celebrated the community art piece with snacks from cultures in their classroom.
LaMothe, Matt. This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World Chronicle Books, 2017.
Project Zero. Parts, Perspectives, and Me: A routine for exploring the complexity of objects and systems. Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2024.
