Where We're From = Who We Are

Step 1: students brainstorm as a group about why and how geography is an important subject and how it might influence culture. In small groups they try to come up with examples for some of their ideas.

Step 2: students write a one-page essay detailing their ideas about geography's influence on culture.

Step 3: Students research their locality (town, city, school, neighborhood) looking for evidence of how the geography of the place has influenced the culture. They identify people they might interview -- parents, laborers, skilled professionals -- who might discuss with them how geography resulted in their or their families being in this place and how their being in this place has affected the culture.

Step 4: Students break into teams to produce a ten minute variety show illustrating the relationship between geography and culture. They must develop researchable questions, identify "guests", as well as programs and "advertisements" that would support their show. All the material in the show must be related to their specific inquiry as to how the geography of their place (in my case Houston, Texas) influences the culture (language, arts, economy, industry, ethnic areas, restaurants, sports, music, food, etc.) that is present in the place.

Step 5: Students designate a writer/host, director, videographer and producer to create the show, and they use FLIP CAMERAS to create the material for their shows.

Step 6: Students create their presentations using a video editing program such as iMovie.

Step 7: They show their work to their peers, evaluate each other's work; they also self-evaluate.

Step 8: They extend their learning to examine how other cultures in the world are shaped and influenced by geography.

Step 9: The variety shows are featured on a class-generated or teacher generated blog and shared with the community -- local, regional and global.