Unit 1: Cultures around the World

In the world, there are many cultures that exist in various places. Each
culture has its own characteristics that make them unique and that make them
people’s own. Cultures consist of different traditions, values, beliefs, people,
languages, etc. among other aspects that make them special. In this unit, we will
explore what culture is and discover what makes cultures special. At the end of this
unit, students will understand what culture is, how they are different and what
they include.

This unit is designed for an ESL college level course. The unit will have a
variety writing activities that will employ the use of different materials, technology
and resources. In this unit, students will experience writing in different forms such
as writing for essays, newspapers, and advertisements, among other things. At the
end of this unit, the students will have done various writing activities where they
have learned about cultures around the world and their own culture.
Activity 1:

What is Culture?

In the classroom, teachers will ask students to define the concept of culture. All
students will participate in the activity by saying what they think culture is and
what it is about. The teacher will write the definitions and terms they share on the
board. Once they are done, students will work in pairs and pick one of the terms
used to describe culture. Next, they are going to make a drawing of the term and
how it represents culture. In a short paragraph, underneath the drawing, they are
going to define the term and explain why they think the term defines culture and
how it is related to culture. When they finish, students will go up to the front of the
class and explain what they did.

Example:

Name: ______________________ Date:______________________

What is Culture?

Culture includes food.

Image retrieved from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/collection-

cute-drawings-food-kitchen-tools-147679850

Food is a part of culture because…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Activity 2:

Culture and I

Now that students have defined culture, they will pick another term used to
describe culture. Once they pick a term, they will write five sentences with it. The
five sentences have to be about how this term is used or represented in their
cultures. Student’s sentences have to be in complete sentences and also have to be
grammatically correct.

Example:

Culture and I

Term: Clothing

Sentences:

1. In my culture, clothing is used in different ways and represents my people’s

heritage and traditions.
2. _____________________________________________________________________________________.
3. _____________________________________________________________________________________.
4. _____________________________________________________________________________________.
5. _____________________________________________________________________________________.
Activity 3:

Comparing Cultures

Students will pick one culture that is not their own. Once they pick a culture,
students will compare and contrast it to their own culture. They will compare
these two cultures by making a Venn diagram, where they will showcase the
similarities and differences between the cultures.

Example:

Name: ________________ Date :_________________

Venn Diagram: Cultures

______________ Culture _______________ Culture

Contrast Compare Contrast

Venn Diagram Image retrieved from:

https://sites.google.com/site/witchofblackbirdpondwebquest/Home/task/proces
s
Activity 4:

Video about Culture

Students will see a YouTube video, that the teacher will show them, explaining
what is culture. While seeing the video, the students will write what they think are
the main points of the video. After they see the video, they will get in groups and
discuss the video. When they finish discussing the video, students will answer two
questions about the video they saw on a worksheet that the teacher will give them.

Video address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgXpN6ZBKIM

Example:

Name:____________________ Date:_________________________

Video Worksheet: Culture

1. How do you think this video portrayed and explained culture?

2. What would you add to this video to make it more detailed?

Activity 5:

Self-made Video

Students will get together in groups of three. Students will create a video about
what is culture. In this video, they have to define culture and discuss what they
think culture is about. In order to complete the video, students will have to use the
information they have learned in the classroom and information they can find from
credible online sources and books. The video can be from one minute to five
minutes long, but it cannot be less than this amount. In the video, they have to
include themselves speaking and writing about culture. When they are finished
with the video, students will present the video in class.
Activity 6:

My Culture Video

Students have to make an informative video explaining their culture. Students will
write about their culture’s traditions, beliefs and values. The video has to be from
one minute to ten minutes long and cannot be less than that. Once students are
done they will present the video to the class.
Activity 7:

Cultures Skit

The teacher will have index cards with different cultures written on them. Students
will pick a random index card and pick a culture. Once students have an index card,
students will write a skit about the culture they got from the index card. Before
writing the skit, students will do research about the culture and pick one of their
holidays to base their skit on. In the skit, students will pick any amount of
characters to perform what this culture’s holiday would be like and what people
would do during this holiday. The skit has to be at least 5 minutes long, but not
more than 30 minutes long. When they are done with the skit, they will perform
the skit to their classmates and teacher.
Activity 8:

Observing Cultural Traditions

The teacher will give students a worksheet. In this worksheet, students will write
about examples of cultural traditions that they find around them. They will then
write why they think this is an example of culture.

Name:__________________________ Date:___________________________

Examples of Culture

Thanksgiving _________________
__________________ _________________________
__________________ __________________________
_____________________ _________________________

____________
_______________________
_______________________
_________________________

___________ ___________
_______________________ ________________________
________________________ _________________________
___________________________ ___________________________

Activity adapted from: http://www.sdcda.org/office/girlsonlytoolkit/toolkit/got-

12-culture.pdf
Activity 9:

Cultural Cookbook

Students will pick five different cultures. After they pick five cultures, they will pick
one traditional meal from each culture. Students will make and write a cookbook
about these five meals. In this cookbook, for each meal, the students will include a
picture of the meal, the ingredients that are used to make it and the procedure to
make the meal. The students will then put all the meal recipes together to make the
cookbook and hand it in to the teacher.

Example:

Name:________________________ Date:_____________________________

Culture: ______________ Photo of meal:

Meal:________________

Ingredients:

Procedure:

1._____________________________________________________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________________________________________________
3._____________________________________________________________________________________________
4._____________________________________________________________________________________________
5._____________________________________________________________________________________________
Activity 10:

Culture Power Point Presentation

The teacher will project a document on the board that has the names of different
cultures and the students will pick one of the cultures. Students will then have to
make a power point where they will speak and write about each culture and
present its traditions, values, food and clothing to their peers. They will then
present the power point in class.
Activity 11:

My Culture Poem

Students will write a poem about their culture. They can write about any kind of
aspect about their culture. The poem can be free writing or any other poem genre.
Students will present the poem to the teacher. The teacher will revise it. After
checking it again, the students will present their poem in a school poetry slam.
Activity 12:

Cultural Map

The teacher will project an image of the map of the world. Students will see the
map of the world and make their own basic map. In this map, students will identify
a country and write what cultures are found in this country.

Image retrieved at: https://www.mapsofworld.com/

Activity 13:

Creating a Culture

Students will create their own culture. For this activity students will create their
own culture that has its own traditions, beliefs, values, clothing, food and heritage.
They will describe each aspect and write about the culture they create in a report.
They will then create a computer document, which will display all the different
aspects of the culture.
Activity 14:

Imaginary Pen Pal

Students will write a pen pal letter where they will be describing their culture to
their pen pal who is from another culture. In this letter, the students will also ask
about their pen pals culture and make up questions, which they would ask to their
pen pal.
Activity 15:

Advertisement about Culture

Students will create an advertisement for a cultural event that will happen in their
community. They will pick any important event or festival their culture would be
celebrating. In the advertisement they write brief details about what the festival or
event is about, its background, what the event will include and where and at what
time the event will take place. They will then hand in the advertisement to the
teacher.
Activity 16:

Historical Event

Students will pick an important historical event that is important in their culture.
After they pick the event, students will make a timeline of what led up to the event
and what happened after the event. They will also either draw or look for images
on the internet about the event and put these next to the date when it occurred.
Once students are done with the timeline, the students will give a brief oral report
of the event to the class.
Activity 17:

Questions

Students will create questions that they would ask a person of another culture.
These questions have to be about a variety of aspects. Students will write
questions that have to do with the person’s cultural beliefs, clothing, traditions,
among other aspects. The students will hand in the questions to the teacher, who
will check if they are structured correctly. Once the students receive the feedback
they will fix their errors.
Activity 18:

Interviewing Cultures

The students have created a variety of questions that they would ask when
interviewing a person of another culture. Now that students have these questions,
they will interview a person of another culture with these questions and write
down their answers. They will then write down the complete interview and hand it
in to the teacher.
Activity 19:

Artist Biography

Students will write a report of an important artistic figure in their culture. They
will write about this person and describe their history, life, achievements, and
work. Student will read this report in front of the class.
Activity 20:

Comic Strip

Students will create a comic strip about their cultures clothing. In this comic, they
will write brief descriptions of their traditional clothing and explain for what
events do they use their traditional clothing. The students will then present the
comic strip to their classmates. The comic strips will then be hung around the
classroom.

Example:

Image retrieved from: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-

Comic-Strip-Template-Comic-Book-Paper-3284641
Activity 21:

Traditional Clothing vs. Modern Clothing

Students will brainstorm about how the clothing they use in their culture has
changed. In a table, students will then write down the similarities and differences
between the clothing they wear now and their traditional clothing.

Example:

Similarities Differences

Traditional Clothes

Modern Clothes
Activity 22:

Cultural Fashion

Students have completed a chart about the similarities and differences between
the clothing they wear now and the traditional clothing of their culture. Students
will now write a short article, as if they were going to publish it in a fashion
magazine, and explain how clothing has changed and why it has changed. They will
also give their opinion on why they think it has changed. They will then hand this
in to the teacher.
Activity 23:

1900’s Diary

Students will imagine they were living in the 1900’s and will think about how their
life in their culture would have been like then. Students will write a diary as if they
were living in that time and describe their daily lives and how they would carry
out the beliefs, tradition, etc. of their culture. Students then will hand in the diary
entry to the teacher.

Example:

December 12, 1918

Dear Diary,

Today I …
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Activity 24:

Comparing Myths

Students will compare the myths of their culture to the myths found in Greek
culture. Students will pick two myths of Greek culture and compare it to two myths
from similar myths or legends from their own culture. They will write about how
each myth is different from each other. Students will also write about whether they
enjoyed learning about the myths of another culture.
Activity 25:

Modern Myths

Students will pick myth from their own culture. Once they pick a myth, they have
to write the myth in their own words and change the myth to make it seem like it
was happening in today’s world. Students will use elements of the modern world
like technology, cars, etc. to complete the myth. They will then read the myth in
class.
Activity 26:

Ending Myths

The teacher will pick a myth from Greek culture. The teacher will then give the first
half of the story to the students for them to read. After they read the story, the
students have to create their own ending for the story and write how they think
the myth is going to end. Students have to use elements from Greek culture to
finish the story as well. Once they are finished, they will get in partners and share
their stories with their classmates.
Activity 27:

Songs

Students will write a song about their culture. They can write about any aspect of
their culture such as clothing, dance, traditions, legends, etc. The song has to be at
least one minute long and cannot be more than five minutes long. After they write
the song, students can sing it, read it out loud or get someone else to sing it for
them in the classroom.
Activity 28:

Eastern and Western Cultures

Students have to pick a culture from the Western Hemisphere and a culture from
the Eastern Hemisphere. They will then write a report on each cultures heritage
and traditions. After they write about the cultures, they will discuss how they think
both are similar and different.
Activity 29:

Facebook Profile

Students will pick a culture from a list the teacher will give them. The students will
then make a Facebook profile about the culture they picked. In this profile,
students have to give a description of the culture, make a biography of the culture,
which will explain where it is from and its history and they will include what foods,
clothing, movies and music make up the culture. They will then present this profile
through the computer.

Example:

Image retrieved from: https://www.template.net/social-media-

templates/facebook/facebook-template/
Activity 30:

Vocabulary

The teacher will give students vocabulary words related to culture and to other
specific cultures around the world. Students will then write down these words and
look for their definitions. After writing the definitions, students will write a list of
these words and make sentences with the words. They will hand in the sentences
to the teacher.

Example:

Vocabulary Word:____________________

Definition:_________________________________________________________________________________.

Sentence: __________________________________________________________________________________.
Activity 31:

Game Show

The teacher will create a game in class where students have to identify which
culture is being talked about. In this game, students will be separated in two
groups. The teacher will read out a fact about any culture students have studied in
class. The first student to write the answer on the board and answer correctly
which culture that attribute belongs to will win a point for their group. The teacher
will ask 15 questions about the cultures and the first group to reach 15 points will
win the game.
Activity 32:

Travel Journal

Students will write a travel journal. In this travel journal, they will write about any
place they would like to visit and the culture of that place. They will then imagine
that they were visiting the country and write about learning about people’s
traditions and culture in that country.
Activity 33:

Post Card

Students will make a post card about the country they are living in. In this
postcard, students will make a drawing about anything relating to the country and
their culture. In the postcard, students will also write a catchphrase or persuasive
sentence that would make tourist want to visit the country. After they are done
making the postcard, they will show it to the class and the teacher will put all the
postcards together in a board.
Activity 34:

Family Interview

Students will interview somebody in their family that is older than them. Students
will use guide questions that the teacher has given them to complete the interview.
Students will record this interview and then show the video in class. They will then
write a report on their experience doing the video and what they have learned
from their own culture that they did not do before.

Examples of Guide Questions:

1. What traditions did you celebrate growing up?

2. Do you still celebrate them now?
3. Do you wear traditional clothing?
4. Do you prefer wearing traditional clothing or modern clothing? Why?
5. Which traditional food do you like best?
Activity 35:

Culture Chart

The teacher will give students a table of different cultures. In this table, students
will write in the space next to the cultures, the language each culture speaks and if
it is more than one language, students will write these as well. If there are more
than 3 languages, students will write etc. after the first three languages.

Example of Chart:

Cultures Languages

Puerto Rican Culture

Japanese Culture
British Culture
North American Culture
Egyptian Culture
Activity 36:

Language Report

Students will make a short report about which language they speak in their
culture. They will hand in the report to the teacher at the end of the class.
Activity 37:

Stereotypes

Cultures frequently tend to be stereotyped by people. The teacher will discuss

what are stereotypes with the students. The teacher will then write three different
cultures they have discussed in the class on the board and divide them by making a
chart. Students will go up to the board one at a time and write about a stereotype
they know has been associated with the culture. After each student goes to the
board and each culture has at least one stereotype, they will discuss in class why
they think that stereotype is attached to the culture. They will also discuss why
stereotyping is wrong. After they finish, they will write a paragraph on why they
think stereotyping a culture is wrong.

Activity adapted from: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-

plans/understanding-stereotypes.cfm
Activity 38:

Personal Experiences

Students have talked about stereotyping cultures. Now they will write of any
personal experience they have had with stereotypes and what they did in that
situation. They will also write about why people should not stereotype and what
they would do to stop people from doing this.
Activity 39:

Persuasive Essay

Students will write a persuasive essay. In this persuasive essay, they will write
about their culture and write about why they think their culture is important,
unique and different from other cultures. Students will write in a manner that
persuades other readers to understand why their culture is important and why it
should be conserved.
Activity 40:

How has Culture changed your community?

Students will think about ways in which culture has impacted their community.
Students will then make a list about the ways in which culture has made the
community change or evolve.
Activity 41:

Current Events

Students will look in newspapers for current events that are happening in any
culture. Once they pick a newspaper article, they will write a summary of what the
article was about and what relevance it has to the class.
Activity 42:

Newspaper Article

Students have read and summarized a current events newspaper article. Now that
they have read one, students will look up other current events articles that have to
do with their culture and will create their own newspaper article. In this
newspaper article, students will write about the current event they picked. Later
on, the student’s articles will be put together by the teacher and made into a short
book.
Activity 43:

The Future of Culture

Cultures change and evolve as time passes. Students will make a list of how they
think their culture could change in the future.
Activity 44:

Culture Day Invitation

Students will write an invitation for a culture day that is happening at school. In
this invitation, they will write what cultures are going to be presented at the
activity and what things you can expect from the activity. Students will also write
the time and place the Culture Day will be.
Activity 45:

Culture Day

Students will make a poster board for Culture Day. In this poster board, they will
write about their culture. They will have a section for traditions, dances, food,
clothing, people and heritage. On Culture Day, students will dress up in their
traditional clothes, bring traditional food and present some of their dances.
Activity 46:

My Culture Day Experience

After Culture Day has passed, students will write a reflection about the experience
they had teaching people about their culture. They will also write about what they
learned about their classmate’s cultures.
Activity 47:

Culture Book

Students will pick a book about cultures and read it. Once they have read the book,
they will create an outline of the most important parts they found in the book.
They will also write the subtopics discussed in the book.
Activity 48:

Culture Book Essay

Students have read a book about cultures and have created an outline of the main
points of the book. Now, they will write an essay discussing the book’s main ideas,
why they liked the book and how they think culture is portrayed in it. Once they
finish the essay, it will be handed in for grading.
Activity 49:

United Nations Speech

Students will write a speech as if they were to read it at the United Nations. In this
speech, they have to write why understanding a culture is important and why the
conservation of diverse cultures is important for the world. They will then present
the speech in front of the class.
Activity 50:

My Learning Experience

Students will write about their experience learning about cultures, what they
enjoyed the most, what they would like to learn more about and how learning
about cultures has added to their personal knowledge about the world. They can
write this as an essay, reflection, poem, song, poster, or any other form they would
prefer. Once they finish, they will give it to the teacher.