Culture Teacher's Guide
People with heritages from all over the world call Iowa home. Over time, people from different places have contributed a variety of new things to Iowa culture. These unique contributions highlight both what makes each Iowan unique and what common bonds Iowans share. You may be surprised how the activities you do or things you enjoy have been shaped by different cultures. Dive in and see what you find.
Iowa Core Standards
Social Studies
- SS.3.27 Explain the cultural contributions that different groups have made in Iowa.
- SS.3.28 Analyze the impact of technological changes in Iowa, across time and place.
Discussion Questions
- What variety of cultures are represented in your neighborhood or in your classroom?
- What is your favorite food? What culture might this have originated from?
- What traditions does your family have? How might these traditions have developed?
- How do the things that others do and say impact your behavior and viewpoints?
- How do the things that you do and say impact others’ behavior and viewpoints?
- What are some things that we can learn from talking and listening to others with different backgrounds?
- Besides food and music, what other aspects may vary from culture to culture?
Suggested Activities
- Cultural Commotion With Arthur (PBS LearningMedia): Providing exposure to various cultures through this activity will enrich your children’s or students’ experiences and enable them to appreciate their own heritage.
- The Power of Listening (PBS): All of our family customs and traditions come from somewhere. Use the questions in this blog post to have a student interview a family member.
- Celebrate Your Heritage: These three lessons from Scholastic move students to discover their ancestry, immerse themselves in learning about what cultures they have come from, and to explore how their heritage continues to shape them today. With a class of students doing this, students are then moved to appreciate the differences and similarities among their respective family heritages.
Additional Resources
- World Cultures Collection (PBS LearningMedia): This collection focuses on food, folktales and other aspects of cultural heritage.
- eHRAF Ethnographic Collection: eHRAF from Yale University is an ethnographic collection that contains indexed information about a wide range of aspects of culture from all around the world.
- Google Arts & Culture: Google Arts & Culture provides a vast array of street view walkthroughs of some of the most renowned museums and exhibits in the world. Learn about different cultures by exploring different museums across the world.
- Explore History and Culture: The Smithsonian Institution is a network of museums, education and research complex, and even a zoo! Check out their history and culture resources to learn more about a wide variety of cultures from around the world.
- Native American History and Heritage (Edsitement): This teacher’s guide provides resources for teaching about the heritage of Native Americans, including information, visuals, discussion questions and additional resources.
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