Seminar: Researching your 3 cultures

Research: For each of your 3 Cultures (one origin culture, on foreign culture, one modern urban culture), complete a research card for these features. See my CULTURE RESEARCH PROJECT google doc for the most current details.

1. Natural feature(s) that defines the place:
1. intangible (describe at least one)
1. climate: High/Low Temps
2. past natural disasters
2. tangible:
1. moveable (describe at least one)
1. Distinctive/indigenous fauna (animals)
2. local, natural resources
2. immovable  (describe at least one)
1. geographical formations
2. distinctive flora (plants)
2. Cultural Features that describe the people:
1. intangible (describe 3; include at least one from bold section)
1. History of the place
1. High points in their history
2. Low points in their history
2. holiday traditions/celebrations
3. Common Values
4. Religion
5. music/dance/performing arts
1. traditional
2. popular
6. greetings/hospitality customs
7. Heroes/legends: mythical, fictional, real life
8. Language(s)
9. ______________
10. ______________
2. tangible (pick 1; focus on a specific item; include details)
1. moveable
1. fine art (purely decorative or symbolic objects)
2. crafts (useful objects)
3. food
4. clothing
5. _other_
2. immovable  (pick 1; focus on a specific structure; include details)
1. Buildings
2. other permanent structures

Detailed information card format (use this to take notes on your research):

Part (of outline):                                           brief title:

3-5 details about this feature (in sentence form): _ _ _ _ _ Related Statistic: How does this affect the culture? OR What does this tell me about the culture?

Source(s):  (web site URL, Video link, book info, etc.)

example (this is an example of a complete research card)

Part (of outline): I. B. 1. b. Natural Resources       brief title: Peat (turf)

3-5 details about this feature: In wet areas called bogs, sphagnum moss and other plant life grows up to about ten feet thick over thousands of years. This “peat” or “turf” is spongy but looks a lot like adobe. The turf grows about a millimeter every year. Unlike adobe, the peat is dried and burned for fuel. Scientists do not agree whether or not this is a “fossil fuel” or a renewable energy source, but farmers have harvested it for hundreds of years. Related Statistic: Northern Scotland has 1,544 sq miles of Peat bogs. How does this affect the culture?  There are very few trees in this part of the world, so shoveling peat is kind of like chopping wood for them. I wonder if cutting peat is considered a manly activity there like chopping wood is here. OR What does this tell me about the culture?  Clearly they have a lot more rain and water than we do!  It makes sense to me that this is where golf was invented.  Their grass is naturally perfect.

Source(s):  http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-26423114 http://www.peatsociety.org/peatlands-and-peat/peat-energy-resource http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peat

Sample Unit for PD: Remembering Who We Lost

This project is a part of a year long theme of Identity and Culture.  It was inspired by Dia de los Muertos.  Most of the resources for the project are available on the google document:

  REMEMBERING WHO WE LOST doc (click to see the document).

Sub plans for Thursday March 4

Complete and discuss pages 51-51, 67-73 in the Culture Matters handbook.  This is a workbook for Peace Corps volunteers that can be modified to teach students about anthropology and culture.  Copies are on the table. Instructions are on blue sticky notes and green notations in the teacher copy.

Culture Research Project: brainstorming

To see the instructions on the project,
 click on this link to my Culture Research Project document.

Make sure you have 2-3 possible places for each of the 3 categories by Thursday (even periods) or Friday (odd periods)!