Discovery/Inquiry Lesson Plan

Topic: Cultural Backgrounds, Grade Level: 1st Name: Ashlie Barton and Kaylene Hathaway
personal customs, and Nationalities

# in a series: 2 Grouping: Students will begin by being divided into groups of 4. Then, after working
individually for some while, they will regather back into their original groups again.

CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.7
Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.

2 Literacy Strategies: Word Wall; Synonym Web.

Social Studies Standard: 1.SS.1.1.4 Compare personal histories, pictures, and music of other selected times and places in
America’s past.

Objective/s: Students will be able to define what a cultural background is, and compare their own cultural background with others
through studying customs/traditions, holidays, music, Nationalities, etc. Students will be able to make a poster that explores their own
cultural background, and briefly share it with others.

Vocabulary terms and definitions:

Cultural background- Aspects that contribute to an individual’s identity such as nationality, customs, religion, race, gender, etc.
Customs- (aka traditions) a common way of doing things; something someone has done for a long time, often according to their
country, culture, & religion.
Nationalities- the nation where someone belongs (such as various different countries).
 Technology Integration: ICT.K-2.3.a With guidance from an educator, students use digital tools and resources, contained within a
classroom platform or otherwise provided by the teacher, to find information on topics of interest.

Accommodations:
To accommodate students who may have differentiated individual needs, allow them to choose and perform one of the following
tasks:
1. Allow the students to watch a video about culture to help them understand that culture varies across the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpTR1wF4M6k
2. Have students draw a picture about their favorite holiday, custom, or tradition (on a blank paper). Follow up by asking them
how participating in that holiday/custom/tradition has shaped them into the person that they are.
3. Have the students read a book about culture and then create a picture chart that shows different
4. Allow the students to complete a free-write on a blank lined sheet of paper. Have them briefly write/respond to the prompt:
“What does culture mean? What are some parts of your culture?”

Time: What the teacher will say and What the student will say and do: Materials:
do:

5 min. Anticipatory Set/Gain
Attention & Recall prior
Knowledge: The teacher will
leave the classroom to put on a
Mexican Sombrero hat, and
then come back in to ask the
students where they think the
hat came from? Which country?
Then she will leave again and
come back into the classroom
The students will sit on a rug, facing the Sombrero hat, hair flower, chinese
board where the teacher will present umbrella, African beaded necklace and
herself and speak with the students. The colorful robe (other props from other
students will comment on the cool props countries can be substituted).
and they will make their best guesses as
they answer questions about where the
props came from.
 wearing a flower in her hair and
holding a Chinese umbrella
over her head. She will ask the
same questions. Next, she will
leave the classroom and then
return wearing a colorful robe
and beaded necklace
(representing Africa), and ask
the same follow up questions.

5 min. Teacher Input: The students will work together with the N/A
The teacher will explain that teacher to create a synonym web.
different countries and even
different areas within our own The students will give a thumbs up if
country all have different they agree that they understand what
cultures. Our culture depends “culture” and “cultural background”
on things such as what we means.
wear, what we do (activities),
what we eat, how we speak, The students will provide
what we believe in, what input/comments about what culture is,
holidays we participate in, etc. and different countries that have different
cultures. They will respectfully listen to
The teacher will use the “word the teacher when she’s speaking, and
wall” strategy, by placing the continually sit criss-cross-apple-sauce on
words: cultural background, the rug.
customs, and Nationality on the
board (along with their
definitions). Then, go over each
one and explain more if needed.

The teacher will ask the

students to give a thumbs up if
they understand what
culture/cultural background
means.

The teacher should also check

for understanding and ask
follow-up questions if needed.
The teacher will work together
with the students to create a
synonym web.

If some of the students still

seem confused, tell them “it’s
okay” because they will
continue to learn more about
culture as they complete the
activity and discover more on
their own.
5 min. Discovery Or Inquiry
questions:
After the students seem fairly
comfortable with the vocabulary
and they show that they’ve
thought intently about what
culture is, ask them: “Is culture
different for different people?”
The teacher will explain that
there are several cultures and
each one is different. Although
some cultures are similar,
everyone has a different culture.
Discovery Or Inquiry questions: N/A
The students will ponder the questions.
They will answer the questions and
suggest things like “where we live affects
our lifestyle/how we live and our culture”.
The students will comment about their
own culture and share some things about
what they feel contributes to what their
culture is.

The teacher will tell the

students that now she wants
them to think about their own
culture. Ask: “what is your
culture?” Give the students a
minute to ponder.
25 min. Explore Activity: Explore Activity: Video Access X2, recording station,
The activity consists of 4 Students will discover and develop matching game cutout, 4 books about
stations, which the students will questions based on their involvement and culture.
rotate through, until they’ve hands on activities. Participation is vital to
each received an opportunity to their learning and ability to gain
participate in and learn from knowledge.
each station.
Students will participate and show their
The teacher will set up each of eagerness to learn more about culture.
the stations, and then divide the They will explore culture as they
students into groups of 4-5 participate in the different stations.
students per group (depending
on the class size). Each station
should take around 5 minutes,
give or take...and then the
students will rotate. The teacher
will need to briefly observe each
group (walk around and check
on the students) and help when
students ask for help.

The stations will consist of the

following:
1. The students will watch
a video about culture.
https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=ni_at59TzM
A
 Then they will discuss
the different cultures
with the members in
their group.
2. The students will play a
matching game. They
will first listen to a
recording about which
holidays correspond to
which countries. Then
they will match the
cards together (pictures
of holidays/traditions
with the name/flag of
country).
3. The students will take
turns reading through
the following books:
(Students will share books if
there aren’t enough)
4. The students will listen
 to music from different
cultures.
https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=DZ5VTWy0
1Wg&list=PLHfT6KRl2
OJBzw1v5mcVFZQdYB
gKxxhKH
And then they will talk
about their own favorite
music with the members
in their group.

3 min. Teach: Teach: N/A

Review concepts about culture
that were taught at the
beginning. Ask the students
what they think culture is, now
that they have experienced it a
little more through the stations.
The teacher will also ask the
students to share what they
learned in the stations.
The students should have a more full
understanding about what culture is. They
will answer the teacher’s question by
saying something like:” Now I understand
that culture has to do with the way we
live, where we’re from, what we wear, the
music we listen to, and what we eat!”
30 min. Apply:
Students need to demonstrate
that they know the content and
that they understand what
culture is, what cultural
backgrounds are, and that we
all have unique but different
cultures.
The teacher will direct and
guide the students as they
complete their culture posters
(assessment). The students
should answer the guided
questions on their posters.
Apply: Poster papers, markers, crayons, colored
Students will demonstrate their pencils, safety-scissors, glue, tape, colored
knowledge and understanding of culture, paper, stickers, pencils.
by making a simple poster and by briefly
sharing it with their peers (in groups).
The students should be creative and
answer the prompted questions for the
poster (whether that be through writing or
drawing). Give them the agency to be
creative and unique.

The teacher will pass out

printed pages of the “About My
Culture” poster, as well as
materials such as markers,
crayons, paper, scissors, glue,
tape, stickers, etc. The teacher
should encourage the students
to be creative and draw and/or
write to fill in the bubbles on the
poster.

Teacher will walk around and

 ask additional questions about
the student’s posters to check
for understanding.

The teacher will divide the

students into groups again, and
the students will share what
they completed on their posters
with their peers. Students
should also turn in their posters
so that they can be assessed.

5-7 min. Closure: In conclusion, the students will each N/A

The teacher will allow share something that they learned from
volunteer students to share with today’s activities.
the class about their culture
poster.
The teacher will ask “what did
you learn after today’s
activities?” Go to each student
and have them share a short
answer.

To be collected: The “About My Culture” Posters.

Reflection (done after the lesson) : N/A

Matching Game:

China
New Year’s Festival
 USA
Easter

Jerusalem

Hanukkah
 Africa
Kwanzaa

Mexico
Day of the Dead
 Turkey
Christmas

USA
Groundhog Day
 Mexico
Cinco De Mayo

Assessment: Students will complete the “About My Culture” poster.

***When completing the “About my Culture Poster”, students will fill in their individual poster according to the following
guided questions:

Traditions/Customs: What family traditions and customs do you have? Do you celebrate holidays? How?

Family: Who are your family members that you live with?

Music/Art: Is there any special music or art in your culture?

Foods: What foods do you eat in your culture? Do you have special foods that you eat?

Language/Ethnicity: What languages are spoken in your culture? What is your race? Where are your ancestors from?