Global Connections, a Study of World Cultures
Silver level
Published on 7/2/2012
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Learning objectives
- Raise student level of cultural awareness
- Develop research and presentation skills
- Provide authentic learning experiences
Created for
Ages 8 - 10
Subject
Citizenship
Digital/Media Literacy
Geography
Language arts and literacy
Religious Education
Social Studies
Technology/ICT
Twenty-first century skills
World Languages
21st Century Skills
Collaboration
Communication
Knowledge building & critical thinking
Global awareness & civic literacy
ICT for learning
Problem solving & innovation (creativity)
Student self-assessment
Required hardware
PC
Instructional approach
Project based learning (PBL)
Personalized learning
Independent study
Learning activity details
The Culture Studies project in fourth grade serves to give students a sense of the world around them, an understanding of cultures around the globe. The students develop a framework which helps them research, compare and contrast cultures. Using books and online resources, the students gather information, create poster presentations and digital presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint. The students then blog about the countries they have studies. Students receive authentic feedback from people living around the world. They develop a global voice, experience a positive digital footprint, and contribute to the learning of others. Students learn to create blog posts that inspire and educate readers. They learn to ask questions and gather information from others. This year their blogging project was translated into 14 languages, had over 1,000 visits, over 300 comments and visitors from 49 countries. The culminating events are individual presentations at the annual Multicultural Festival.