Cultural Celebrations

Finished projects will be used during the school's daily news program, displayed on classroom website, and during school-wide open house.

Outline includes:
Country (Location, population, languages spoken)
Holiday/Cultural Celebration (date observed, origins, historical significance, relevant facts)
Unusual/interesting information or facts discovered
Websites accessed for research

The lesson begins with a discussion of the cultural diversity of our school, community, and state. Further discussion is held on the importance of recognizing the importance of celebrating differences in all students.
Teacher creates heterogeneous student groups and assigns a country for research.
During the course of two computer lab or media enhancement classes (typically 45-60 minutes each), students are given the opportunity to research their country, complete the outline, and decide upon a final product for submission.

Additional time in the computer lab (estimated 2 periods of 45-60 minutes) is needed for creation of their product, with a separate presentation time scheduled.

Younger students (K-1) may be paired with older "Reading Buddies" for this project, with the adjustment of student groups made to include 2 younger and 2 older students.

Flip cameras are used to create "news reports" about their country, providing information to all students and staff throughout the school.