Purpose: One way students can explore different cultures is by examining various aspects of people's daily life. By studying the architecture, flora and fauna, religion, crafts, festivals, etc., students can achieve a greater understanding and appreciation for what is important to a particular country's people.

Grade level: adaptable to any grade level

Time Frame: a few days to a few weeks

Objectives: The students will be able to:

1. select a country of their choice that they would like to explore
2. acquire information about the people's lifestyle
3. decide upon an aspect they would like to focus on
4. create a model out of clay to represent their particular focus
5. write up an explanation of their "artifact" to display next to their piece

Standards:

1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

4. The physical and human characteristics of places

6. How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions

10. The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics

14. How human actions modify the physical environment

15. How physical systems affect human systems

Skills:

1. asking geographic questions
2. acquiring geographic information
3. organizing geographic information
4. analyzing geographic information
5. answering geographic questions

Materials:

• clay or anything to replicate artifacts
• Art Action Plan (82K)
  

Procedure:

1. Students respond to the question, "If you could explore some place that you would like to visit, where would you go and why do you want to go there?" Share responses with group.
2. Students begin by drafting questions that they would like to learn about their country. As they research, students may add to or clarify their questions.
3. As students research they should be on the lookout for a distinguishing feature, unique characteristic of their special place that they would like to replicate in the form of a clay sculpture.
4. Students will need to make a sketch of their artifact and be able to provide background information.
5. Students will construct their artifact and use the rubric as a guideline for assessment of their project.
6. Students will display their finished piece along with a card explaining their artifact.

Resources:

• Academy of Arts Lending Collection
• Videos
• Magazines

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