### Lesson Plan: Cultural Awareness for Kindergarten
**Grade Level:**
Kindergarten
**Subject:**
Social Studies
**Duration:**
45 minutes
**Topic:**
Cultural Awareness – Understanding Different Cultures
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#### **Objectives:**
1. Students will be able to identify and appreciate different cultures.
2. Students will recognize that people from diverse backgrounds contribute to the world.
3. Students will engage in activities that promote understanding and acceptance of cultural differences.
#### **Materials Needed:**
- World map or globe
- Pictures/objects from different cultures (e.g., clothing, food, music instruments)
- Storybooks about different cultures
- Crayons/markers
- Large paper or poster board
- Stickers
- Music from various cultures
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#### **Common Core Standards:**
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners.
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### **Lesson Procedure:**
#### **Introduction (10 minutes):**
1. **Greeting and Warm-Up:**
- Begin with a circle time. Greet the students and sing a welcome song.
- Show the world map or globe and discuss how the world is made up of many different countries.
2. **Discussion Starter:**
- Ask students if they know anyone from a different country or culture.
- Show pictures or objects from different cultures and ask if they can guess where they are from.
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#### **Direct Instruction (15 minutes):**
1. **Read Aloud:**
- Choose a storybook that represents a culture different from the majority culture in your classroom. Suggestions include:
- "This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World" by Matt Lamothe.
- "All Are Welcome" by Alexandra Penfold.
2. **Interactive Discussion:**
- After reading, discuss key details from the story. Ask students what they noticed about the way children in the story live, what they eat, wear, etc.
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#### **Guided Practice (10 minutes):**
1. **Cultural Collage:**
- Divide students into small groups.
- Give each group a large paper or poster board and provide pictures of cultural aspects (e.g., traditional clothing, food, festivals).
- Have students work together to create a cultural collage and decorate it with crayons, markers, and stickers.
2. **Discussion:**
- Once collages are done, each group shares what they created and learned about the culture they represented.
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#### **Independent Practice (5 minutes):**
1. **Show-and-Tell Preparation:**
- Ask students to think about a cultural item they have at home that they would like to share in a future “Show-and-Tell” session.
2. **Wrap-Up Activity:**
- Play music from different cultures and encourage students to dance or move to the rhythm.
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#### **Closure (5 minutes):**
1. **Reflection:**
- Gather students back for circle time.
- Ask them to share one new thing they learned about a culture different from their own.
2. **Goodbye Song:**
- Sing a goodbye song that emphasizes unity and appreciation of diversity, such as “We Are the World” (Kindergarten version).
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#### **Assessment:**
- **Participation:**
- Observe student engagement during discussions and activities.
- **Output:**
- Review cultural collages to ensure understanding and representation of diverse cultures.
- **Reflection:**
- Listen to students' reflections during the closure to assess their comprehension and appreciation of cultural awareness.
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#### **Extension Activity:**
- **Cultural Show-and-Tell:**
- Schedule a "Cultural Show-and-Tell" day where each student brings an item or shares a story relevant to their culture or a culture they've learned about.
- **Family Involvement:**
- Send home a letter or email inviting families to share their cultural heritage through stories, recipes, pictures, or clothing.
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By the end of this lesson, kindergarten students will have a better understanding of cultural diversity and the importance of respecting and appreciating different ways of life.