"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness . . . Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain, 1867 -
Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Additional Materials
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Culture is everywhere. It is the spice of life.
Most people approach each other with good intentions, but we can get on each other's nerves just by being ourselves. Especially if our cultural beliefs are not the same and we push our beliefs on someone who does not have th
ose same beliefs.
Understanding culture will allow you to respect others feelings as you encounter them in the world. It will reduce the potential for conflict and power struggles. It will allow you to work with the diversity of people by giving you insight into how to approach different people in different situations.
As seniors in high school, you are preparing to move into workplaces and social environments that are geographically, religiously, politically, and ethnically diverse.
Culturally aware individuals understand that their own culture is unique and not universal. They understand that each person's ideas, priorities, and habits are to some extent culturally informed. They are thus able to acknowledge that even their most deeply held convictions are related to the social, national, and geographic cultures with which they identify. Cultural awareness encompasses the ability to communicate respectfully with those who do not share one's own culturally informed values.
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You are being sent to a different area of the world on business for your company. In order to conduct yourself properly, you must learn about this culture's daily habits and customs, attitudes and values, rules of etiquette, etc.
Seek NEW information about this culture; do not simply repeat what we have already covered in class about the religion. Also, do NOT focus on a land and climate report; you are to concentrate on the people and the culture.
As you explore a day (or even a week) in the life of this other culture, you can concentrate on the following as a starting point but you are not limited to just these items:
Customs/Traditions
Food/Cuisine
Popular games and past time activities
Ettiquette/Manners/Conduct
Note: Select data that will be useful in dealing with this culture in a day-to-day situation.
How could you apply what you learn from your research in business situations or social
situations with a person from this culture?
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The class will be divided into groups.
Groups have been created by the drawing of names.Using the suggested internet sites, and materials listed in the Additional Materials section, plus any
additional materials you find on your own, research the culture and specific area of the culture that you
have been assigned.
You must complete the following steps:
* Work within your group to collect information on your topic during class time provided and
outside of class.
* Your presentation will take a documentary format with skits to demonstrated the key points.
The following must be included in the discussion or demonstration:
A cultural holiday or festival
Business etiquette (greetings, attire, behavior)
Social etiquette (greetings, visiting, meals, attire)
Body language/behavior/gestures
Popular game/past time activity/recreation
Rights of passage (birth, marriage, death, etc)
Music of the culture (as background to some part of your presentation)
* Use programs such as Audacity, MovieMaker, or PhotoStory 3, Comic Life, etc to create a unique
presentation.
NOTE: Your finished product should be entirely contained on the technology you select as your
final presentation medium.
* Use Titanpad.com to plan your project and gather data with your group members. This link must
be shared with the teacher as well as the group members.
* Create a handout of main points
(A quick reference guide to be used as a refresher for propercustoms, etiquette, mannerisms, etc.) from the presentation that will be turned in to the teacher
(via a Blackboard Learn Assignment).
* Keep a list of technology used for the project on the given handout and turned in via
Blackboard Learnassignment.
* Include a readable APA format bibliography at the end of your presen
tation which should includeprint sources, audio/video/picture sources used in the creation of the project.
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Group participation during the collection of data and planning class time.
Group members will also have a chance to grade their group members on participation during the
project.
Presentation will be graded with presentation rubric.
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Culture is all around us. Even in America, which is the melting pot of many cultures, you will see American born people who still hold old family customs as a part of their family tradition. These rituals and traditions should not be considered strange. Instead, they should be cherished, and remind us of all the freedoms of expression we have.
Now that you have completed your investigation of the different cultures, you should have a new understanding of various cultures and be more aware of your actions and the actions of others as you encounter them in your daily life.
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Classroom Materials:
Atlas of Islam: People, daily life, and traditions by Neil Morris
Atlas of World Cultures by Brunetto Chiarelli
China: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Kathy Flower
Greece: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture smart) by Constantine Buhayer
Grolier Illustrated Encyclopedia: Countries of the world
India: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Nicki Grihault
Indonesia: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Graham Saunders
Iran: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Stuart Williams
Italy: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Charles Abbott
Japan: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Paul Norbury
Kenya: A quick guide to Customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Jane Barsby
Multicultural Manners by Norine Dresser
Saudi Arabia: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Nicholas Buchelle
Spain: A quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart) by Marian Meaney
Library Materials:
REF 305.8 WOR Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life
REF 394.26 ENC Encyclopedia of Holidays and celebrations
REF 910 JUN Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the nations
REF 910 M35 Marshall Cavendish New Illustrated Encyclopedia of the
World and it's people.
297 HOD What Muslims think and how they live
305.4 ESH Women in the African world
305.4 VAN Women in the Japanese world
305.42 HUN Women in the world of India
305.42 SAN Women in the world of China
390 HAR Blackbirch Press Visual Encyclopedia: People of the World
390 MAC Culture Encyclopedia - History of Culture
391 KEN Ethnic Dress
391.009 CHE Cultures and costumes: symbols of their period: Middle East
391.009 GRE Cultures and costumes: symbols of their period: Africa
391.009 KIL Cultures and costumes: symbols of their period: India and Sri Lanka
394.2 ING A celebration of customs and rituals of the world
394.2 BRE Festivals of the world
394.2 JAC Splendid slippers: a thousand years of an erotic tradition
394.2 WOR World Book's celebrations and rituals around the world
394.26 FOL Folklore of World Holidays
Note: Use the online catalog to research each culture individually
for other books on a specific culture.
Designed by Delilah Heil
Last updated on February
25, 2013