Teacher+Resources



=**A Cultural Study of England and Mexico**= Lesson Plan and Activity by Heather Berkowitz and Josephine Buscemi


 * Grade Level/Locations:** Grades 7 & 8 (designed for students in England and Mexico but applicable anywhere)
 * Content Area:** Cultures of England and Mexico - interdisciplinary study of English and Mexican cultures including music, art, food, government
 * Time Frame:** 4 days (50 minute class periods)


 * Objectives:** Students will be able to...
 * identify aspects of English culture including music, art, food, and government
 * identify aspects of Mexican culture including music, art, food, and government
 * describe their own cultures
 * compare and contrast English and Mexican cultures
 * write emails to each other or communicate using technology (ex. Skype)

__ Civics and Government __ 5.3.7.J: Identify various types of governments. __ Geography __ 7.1.7.B/7.1.8.B: Explain and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human features. 7.2.7.A/7.2.8.A: Explain the characteristics of places and regions. 7.3.7.A/7.3.8.A: Describe the human characteristics of places and regions using the following criteria: Population, Culture, Settlement, Economic activities, Political activities __ World Languages __ 12.3.1.S1.A: Discuss the fundamental products and customs of the target culture 12.3.1.S2.A: Discuss the products and customs of the target culture 12.3.1.S3.C: Read, interpret, discuss and write about cultural similarities and differences in specific social interactions in two cultures. 12.5.1.S1.A: Introduce oneself and respond to simple questions in the local and regional community. 12.5.1.S1.B: Respond to simple questions and interpret simple messages on a national level. 12.5.1.S1.C: Introduce oneself, respond to simple questions and interpret simple messages on a global level. __ Arts and Humanities __ 9.2.8.G: Relate works in the arts to geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, North America, South America. 9.2.8.J. Identify, explain and analyze historical and cultural differences as they relate to works in the arts.
 * Standards:**


 * Lesson Plan:**

1. The teacher will direct students' attention to the world map. Where is England located? On which continent? Where is Mexico located? On which continent? Based on the knowledge of where the countries are located, what are some predictions that students can make about the other country's culture? (The teacher can give hints such as climate - how would that affect food grown in the country?) What is culture? 2. Prior knowledge chart - use a piece of chart paper divided in half. The teacher will write "England" on one side and "Mexico" on the other. Students will list ideas of what they know about both countries and make predictions of what they will learn. It is expected that English students will know much more about England than Mexico, and vice versa for Mexican students. The teacher will focus this lesson on the government of each country. Students will compare and contrast the governments in England and Mexico. 3. Students will log onto a computer. They will be directed to go onto the following websites: Mexican students - [] English students - [] 4. Students will work in groups of three. They will read the article and work together to fill out a Venn diagram. The Venn diagram will compare and contrast this country's governmental system with their own. In the case that students need information about their own country, they may go to the link listed above. Link to Venn Diagram: [|Venn Diagram] 5. Class discussion - The teacher will ask students to look at their prediction chart. What was correct? What was incorrect? What have students learned about stereotyping from this? The teacher will use a new piece of chart paper to make a list comparing and contrasting the governments. Group activity, Venn diagram, prediction chart, class discussion Venn diagram, two sheets of chart paper, 1 marker, world map, computers
 * __Day 1__:**
 * Opening:**
 * Activity:**
 * Closing:**
 * Assessment:**
 * Resources:**

__Citations__

Novi Meadows Elementary School. (2001). England’s Government. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112187/england_government.htm

Encyclopedia Britannica: Kids. (2010). Mexico. Retrieved from http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/article-204564/Mexico

//What is Culture//. (n.d.). Retrieved from []

Culture. (2010). In //Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary//. Retrieved June 28, 2010, from []

//What is Culture//. (2009, January 26). Retrieved from []

1. Students will volunteer to write one idea each that they learned about governments in the previous class. In addition, the teacher will ask one student to identify where each country is located on the map. 2. The teacher will announce that today students will be completing a Webquest in their groups to find basic information about this country. Students will fill in the K (KNOW) and W (WHAT I WILL LEARN) sections of a KWL chart. Link to KWL chart: [|KWL Chart] 3. Students will complete a Webquest to find the following information (English students will research Mexico, Mexican students will research England): Students will fill in this information on the "Basic Info" worksheet. (See WebQuest Day 2 for the worksheet) [|Basic Info Worksheet] 4. Once students have completed the worksheet, they will find information for their own countries and write it on the second half of the worksheet. (Most information should be common knowledge except the population estimate) 5. Students will fill in the L (LEARNED) section of the KWL chart. 6. The teacher will announce that in the next class the students will be learning about specific topics in the country's culture - art, music, and literature. She will tell students that a teacher from this country has volunteered to have a class discussion with their class in a couple of days. Group activity, KWL chart, review KWL chart, world map, Basic Info worksheet, computers, Webquest (http://mexicolondon.wikispaces.com/)
 * __Day 2__:**
 * Opening:**
 * Activity:**
 * Current leader of the country
 * Population estimate for the country
 * Government system (they should know this from the previous class)
 * Capital of the country
 * Location (include bordering countries, continent, and oceans)
 * Currency
 * Three largest cities
 * Closing:**
 * Assessment:**
 * Resources:**

__Citations__

//Mexico//. (2005). Retrieved from []

//United kingdom//. (2005). Retrieved from []

//England facts//. (2008, May 6). Retrieved from []

//Mexico//. (2010). Retrieved from []

1. Review of information from the Webquest - ball toss. The teacher will toss a ball to students and whoever catches it needs to answer her questions about the country. 2. Students will be instructed to pick names out of a hat. Whichever name they draw is the student that they will be communicating with in the foreign country. Miss Buscemi's class in Mexico will communicate with Miss Berkowitz and her students in England. 3. Students will navigate through a PowerPoint to discover information about music and art of the foreign country. (see the WebQuest Day 3 for the PowerPoint) Music of the foreign country - students will listen to clips of specific music from each country. Mexico - Ranchera, norteña, tejano, bandas, musica rock (what do these have in common? which instruments do you hear? who are some of the most famous musicians of each genre?) England - Rock and roll, hip-hop and rap, Britpop (what are these types of music? who are some of the famous musicians of each genre?) Art of the foreign country - students will look at famous works of art by the most famous Mexican and British artists (20th century). Mexico - Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, Rufino Tamayo England - Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon 4. Students will fill in a worksheet as they go through the PowerPoint. [|PowerPoint worksheet] 5. Students will write a paragraph comparing and contrasting music and art of both countries in a thread on []. They also must respond to at least two posts by students from the other class for homework. Group activity, worksheet, ball toss review, paragraph, HOMEWORK Homework: Students will write at least ten questions to ask the student from the foreign country. They should have at least six questions about music and art and four questions about any other aspect of culture that they wish to learn more about. They must post their questions in the class [|Wetpaint]. Also, they must write their responses to today's posts. Worksheet, PowerPoint, ball, pieces of paper with student names, computers, []
 * __Day 3__:**
 * Opening:**
 * Activity:**
 * Closing:**
 * Assessment:**
 * Resources:**

__ Citations __

British Broadcasting Company (BBC). 2010. British History Timeline. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_british.shtml

Barrow, M. 2009. History of Britain - Timeline and Facts. Retrieved from http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/history.html

British Broadcasting Company (BBC). 2010. Mexico Timeline. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1210779.stm

Mexconnect. 2009. Mexico: history time-line. Retrieved from http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3148-mexico-history-time-line-overview-resource-page

1. Students will share questions with each other and try to come up with additional questions to ask. 2. Students will communicate with the foreign student through Skype. Students will write down answers to their questions as they go. 3. Brief class discussion - what did you learn about the foreign country and the student? Communication through Skype, class discussion, HOMEWORK Homework: Write a page reflecting on what you have learned and what you would like to know more about. Include specific examples from the conversation with your partner in the foreign country. Post a copy of your paper in the [|Wetpaint] thread for your final paper, so all the students can read what you have written. Computer with Skype software and headsets, [|Wetpaint]
 * __Day 4__**
 * Opening:**
 * Activity:**
 * Closing:**
 * Assessment:**
 * Resources:**