Lisa Harris

Lesson Cycle

Lesson Title/Topic: A Salad of Cultures (6th Grade)

Concept: Learn how different cultures affect and impact one another

Standards/Rationale: TEKS 113.18 (b) 17 (D)

Culture. The student understands relationships that exist among world cultures. The
student is expected to: identify and define the impact of cultural diffusion on
individuals and world societies.

Learning Target: Upon completion of Assessment

Project TSW be able to identify 4 examples Students will hand in their notecard with
showing how cultural diffusion impacts the information identifying examples and
society and individuals with a 80% how they impact society.
accuracy.

Materials: Chart paper, markers, glass with water, blue food coloring, family culture comparison
worksheet, food origin cards rice, beans, corn, potatoes, bananas, index cards. Social Studies
Menu of projects.

Lesson Cycle: (Direct instruction)

The teacher will: The student will:

Focus/Mental Set: Help the teacher brainstorm what
What is Culture? possible things could make up
Culture is the share ideas and culture.
beliefs and customs shared by a Student will come up and write
group of people. their example in the web.
Teacher will draw a word web with culture
in the center.
What are some examples of shared ideas,
customs and beliefs a group of people can
have?
Religion
Laws
Language
Clothes
Food
Traditions
Lisa Harris
Teacher Input:
Culture can be smaller than
countries.
Can a_____ have a culture?
o School
o Family
o Group of friends
we just discussed the different parts and
groups that can make up a culture. Now
we are going to talk about what
happens when different cultures
influence or affect each other. This is
called
Cultural Diffusion
Teacher will have a student come
up and model diffusion with cup of
water and food coloring.
o how do ideas spread?
Travel and trade
The Silk Trail
https://youtu.be/55YYTZew3aw
Do you think its easier or harder to
travel and spread ideas today?
Call on students to give examples of what
we have today that helps us to spread
ideas?
Internet
travel
Now we are going to do an activity that
shows us what can happen when culture is
shared and spread.
Guided Practice:
America is a salad:
Each table (5 groups of 5) will have
an assigned food and will
brainstorm all the different dishes it
can be used in.
The teacher will call on a person
from each group to share their
results.
Students will participate in the
discussion by answering
questions.
Student will provide examples
based on culture chart.
Students will provide reasons
to back up their responses.
Student will come up and drop food
coloring into water and describe
what is happening.
Other students will provide
explanations of what they are
seeing.
Students will watch the short video
on The Silk Trail.
Students will provide examples of
how information and ideas are
spread today.
Students will come up with answers
and reasons why they think it is
easier or harder today for ideas to
spread.
Students will brainstorm together
and come up with a menu of items
that contain the food they have been
given.
Students will share the items they
listed with the class.
Students will think about the
question.
Lisa Harris
The teacher will then share the
origin story of the food
The teacher will ask the student to
think about what it means that so
many cultures use a food that
started somewhere else
Independent Practice:
Similar but different:
Students will divide into pairs of
two and begin by filling out their
cultural biography independently
about themselves and their familys
rules, traditions, language
They will then discuss with a
partner the similarities and
differences between their families
Closure:
Ask each group to share some of the
similarities and differences they found with
their partner.
Have students sit down and hand each a
card for exit ticket.
Ask students to provide specific examples
of how cultural diffusion can affect
societies and two specific examples of how
it can affect individuals.
Options:
Enrichment: For Student who tested out
of content with 80 or above on Pretest,
have them choose a project presentation
off the Social Studies Menu that will
give the student the choice of how to
present the research of two different
cultures comparing similarities and
differences.
When called on, student will give
reason for how or why different
cultures might use each others
food.
Working with a partner
Students will fill out their cultural
biography.
List family rules, traditions,
languages spoken, and food they
eat.
They will then share with their
partner their answers.
Together, they will fill out a sheet
comparing the similarities and
differences between their individual
answers.
o Students will take the index card
and write their name at the top and
record on back their responses to
cultural diffusions impact.
o Turn in their cards as they leave.
Reteach:
Cultural diffusion: Beautiful Art
Teacher will have students break
into groups of five.
Each group will represent a
different culture that they will
name.
Each culture will be given a set of
patterned blocks (one kind for each
group)
And they will come up with
beautiful art using the blocks.
Teacher will then assign trade
Lisa Harris

routes and restrictions between

groups to exchange blocks.
The students will either accept or
reject the trade.
Teacher will ask the questions:
How does the beautiful art
change/diversify with the introduction
of new blocks/ideas from other
civilizations?
If some students choose to reject the
new ideas, why might they make this
choice?

Modifications/Correctives:

Follow IEP allow students to verbalize exit

ticket answers.

References: