FOR TEACHERS:

Understanding by Design - Lesson Plan Template

Clashing Cultures Novel Project

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goals:
What relevant goals (e.g. content standards, course or program objectives, learning
outcomes) will this design address?

Recognize Perspectives
Interprets text(s) or media reflecting an accurate understanding about
their cultural or historical contexts, genres, audience or purpose, and/or the
authors personal experience/perspective.

Understandings: Essential Questions:

Students will understand that
What are the big ideas?
What specific
understandings about them are
desired?
What misunderstandings
are predictable?
What provocative questions
will foster inquiry, understanding,
and transfer of learning?
What is culture?
What happens when cultures collide?

Culture exists on many levels, is How can an author use a fictional

complex and dynamic.
Broadly defined, culture
encompasses the language, symbols,
values, and norms shared by a
particular group of people.
Acculturation is the 2-way process of
change that takes place as a result of
contact between individuals or
cultural groups.
character to make a statement about
culture?
How do people respond to cultural
collision?
How does cultural collision challenge
ones sense of identity?
What are the implications of cultural
collision in your life and in society?

The effects of acculturation depend

on a variety of factors, including
historical/social/geographical context,
power between groups, & attitudes.

Everyone has a culture. Culture clash

is a universal yet infinitely varied
human experience, and cultural
collision is a universal theme in
literature.
In todays globalized world, cross-
cultural interaction is inevitable.
Learning to understand, anticipate
and respond to cross-cultural
interaction is a necessary skill.
Students will know
What key knowledge and
skills will students acquire as a
result of this unit?
Key terms: culture; acculturation;
assimilation; marginalization;
adaptation
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks: Other Evidence:
Through what authentic
performance tasks will students
demonstrate the desired
understandings?
By what criteria will
performances of understanding be
judged?
Students will be able to
What should they
eventually be able to do as a
result of such knowledge and
skills?
Identify and discuss the literary tools
an author uses to develop the theme
of cultural collision
Interpret the meaning and
significance of a text based on
analysis of author, audience, genre,
and social, cultural, historical, &
geographical context
Make generalizations about the
causes and effects of cultural
collision from close reading of a
fictional text
Seek to understand and empathize
with those whose identities and
experiences differ from their own
Connect the theme of cultural
collision to personal life and
past/current events
Through what other
evidence (e.g. quizzes, tests,
academic prompts, observations,
homework, journals) will students
demonstrate achievement of the
desired results?
How will students reflect

Creation of a Product Students
will collaborate to create and present
a multimedia product that answers
these questions: How is cultural
collision portrayed in your book? How
does it impact the characters and
society? Products will be judged
based on use of textual evidence,
group collaboration, and product
presentation. Students will upload a
digital version of their project to the
Google Classroom sites.
Beyond the Book Blog Post
Students will write a blog post that
answers the question: How is
cultural collision relevant to your life
and the world past and present?
Essays should reflect a blog post
format, and include pictures along
with the citation of at least 2 reliable
sources. Students should write for an
audience of their peers, particularly
students at other high schools who
may not have the opportunity to
explore other cultures or
communities through travel. Students
will read and vote on their favorite
blog posts. Top three will be
published online.
upon and self-assess their
learning?
Small Literature Circles Students
will actively participate in small
literature circles to discuss their
chosen novel. Students will randomly
select a role before each meeting
and prepare by taking notes in a
graphic organizer. Groups will agree
on a set of rules for their circles, and
reflect on the quality of discussion
after each meeting. Students will
post Group Rules, discussion notes,
and completed GOs to a folder on
Google Classroom.
Classroom Discussion Board To
make connections across texts,
students will respond to open-ended
questions in an online discussion
forum. Questions should allow
students to draw parallels between
literary texts and their own cultural
identities, experiences, and
awareness of current events.

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve
the desired results? How will the design
W = Help the students know Where the unit is going and What is expected?
Help the teacher know Where the students are coming from (prior
knowledge, interests)?
H = Hook all students and Hold their interest?
E = Equip students, help them Experience the key ideas and Explore the
issues?
R = Provide opportunities to Rethink and Revise their understandings and
their work?
E = Allow students to Evaluate their work and its implications?
T = Be Tailored (personalized) to the different needs, interests, and abilities
of learners?
O = Be Organized to maximize initial and sustained engagement as well as
effective learning?

1. Begin with entry question to hook students into thinking about

the concept of culture - If you had to describe American culture to
someone completely unfamiliar with the United States, what would you
tell them?

2. Introduce the Essentials Provide an introduction to essential

terms and facilitate a brief discussion to gauge student understanding
of culture, acculturation and assimilation.

3. Acculturation Simulation Engage students in a classroom

simulation of the process of acculturation. Assign students to 2-3
groups. Provide each group with a different list of cultural preferences,
including greetings, norms, behaviors, foods, and past times. Distribute
construction paper to each group and instruct them to make a hat that
represents their culture. Distribute various forms of currency to each
group (i.e. paper clips, rubber bands, sticky notes), and allow them to
determine the value of their currency. Students will also give their
cultural group a name. Once groups are ready, conduct three cultural
exchanges in which students travel to another group with a specific
task: 1) to purchase their favorite food; 2) to have some fun; and 3) to
seek medical help for an injured friend. Host a debriefing session for
students to share their thoughts regarding the acculturation
experience (See Tomcho, T., Teaching Acculturation: Developing
Multiple Culture in the Classroom and Role-Playing the Acculturation
Process, 2002).

4. Allow students time to browse the literature selections and

choose their novel.

5. Introduce Small Literature Circles. Describe each role within the

group and present corresponding graphic organizer. Model how to
create group rules, and provide instructions on the process, timeline
and expectations. Offer suggestions for how to debrief group meetings
reflecting on most important ideas, identifying group member
contributions, agreeing on what went well and what could be
improved.

6. Introduce Classroom Discussion Board. Demonstrate how to

access and appropriately respond to a question posted in the online
discussion forum. Students will post to the forum at least three times
throughout the unit.
 7. Small Literature Circles. Groups meet at least three times in class
for 10-15 minutes throughout the unit. Circle around the room during
discussions to listen, take notes, and monitor student contributions
through their assigned roles. Assess understanding and effort through
GOs and discussion notes posted to Google Classroom.

8. Present instructions for creating a multimedia product that

explores the representation of cultural collision in their chosen novel.
Share project rubric and discuss aspects of an exceptional product.
Allow students time to collaborate on their product in class.

9. Student groups present final product to the class. Classmates will

listen and take notes on an organizer that allows them to compare and
contrast findings across novels. Groups will upload a digital version of
their project to Google Classroom.

10. Present final blog post writing assignment. Discuss the

format, audience and rubric while sharing examples of travel blogs.
Talk about how to evaluate Internet resources and verify the reliability
of a source, and provide guidance on citing sources.

11. Students upload final blog posts to Google Classroom, and

vote on their favorites. Arrange for the top 3 blog posts to be published
online or shared in another public forum.

Supplementary Teaching Ideas:

- Show a video that relates to major themes: God Grew Tired of Us
(2006)
- Invite a guest speaker for Q&A. Potential invitees - staff member
from Study Abroad office of local college; Peace Corps volunteer; ESL
student or teacher; immigrant or refugee; attorney for
immigrants/refugees; nonprofit professional who serves
immigrant/refugee communities

Additional Resources:
Questions for assessing the reliability / validity of an internet source:
http://www.library.georgetown.edu/tutorials/research-guides/evaluating-
internet-content.