What Makes a State?

Title of Project: What Makes a State?

Schools and Teachers

Roland A. Chatterton School Teacher: Christina Mongeluzzi

ENL Proficiency Level | ENL Program | Standards | Technology

Appropriate for all levels | Integrated ENL/SS | 4W6, 4W7, 4SL4 | Buncee

Assessments

Formative & Summative: unavailable

Description

Students will have an understanding of what culture means. Culture is a pattern of behavior shared by a society, or group of people. Many different things make up a society's culture. These things include food, language, clothing, tools, music, sports, arts, customs, beliefs, climate, natural resources, and religion. The students will be learning all about culture and applying it to learning about a state. In fourth grade, students are learning about New York. They will be applying the term culture to New York along with researching the culture of a new state. They will be showing what they learned in a graphic organizer and then applying it to their own Buncee slide presentation.

Content

I can describe the culture of NY state and various states in the United States.

Language

I can identify and organize nouns related to content based information.

Technology

I can utilize the National Geographic Website and create a Buncee on their chosen state.

Student work

Procedure

1. Ask the class what makes people different?(i.e. how you are raised, where you come from, what you look like, language spoken, holidays, etc.) What does the word culture mean? Make a web of their ideas. Some ideas include language, clothing, tools, music, sports, arts, customs, beliefs, climate, natural resources, and religion.

Then, show the short clip from YouTube about Celebrating Cultures Around the World.

Explain that the more we understand about each other’s cultures, the more we understand each other.

Ask what did they learn from the video and add some more ideas to the graphic web.

2. Learning NY state’s culture- Read the book: New York by Jim Mezzanotte and New York, A guide to American States, published by AV2. Choose parts of the book and read aloud. Students will help fill out the graphic organizer together as a group. In addition, show them the site on New York. Explain to the students they will be researching their own state’s culture and will be writing the information in this graphic organizer. They may add additional topics in the blank boxes given.

3. Children will choose which state they are interested in researching the culture. Show the USA states YouTube video: 50 States Song. Then, students will label the USA map with the state names and abbreviations.

4. Each student will choose their own state. They will go to the library to get a book on their state. They can also use National Geographic Kids: U.S. states and territories. They will each receive a graphic organizer to fill out (see below).

5. After they fill out their graphic organizers, students will share their research with a partner: State Graphic Organizers

6. Gather the students on the carpet. Show them the Buncee created on New York state (see attached). Explain that they will log into their accounts and create a Buncee on their state. They can use the template and may alter it to best fit their needs. Share.

Resources and Other Materials

Reflection

The students absolutely loved this project. They knew a lot more about culture than I anticipated! They really enjoyed each part of the project. Their favorite part, however was doing the Buncee. They enjoyed working in groups and creating their own states. What a great way to get the kids motivated to learn and create! I would do this again for another topic such as learning about a new country.

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