Day 2

Grade:
3rd grade
Subject:
Social Studies
Lesson Topic:
United States: Culture Day
Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will identify cultural characteristics about themselves.
2. Students will collaborate with classmates about the finished product of their passports.
Standards:
5.1.3.F - Identify state symbols, national symbols, and national holidays.
8.4.3.A - Identify the elements of culture and ethnicity.
NCSS Themes: Culture; Individual Development and Identity
Anticipatory Set:
To begin this lesson, the teacher will ask the students to turn and talk to the person sitting next to
them about if they have ever been out of the country and to discuss where they went. The teacher
will than ask three students to share their experiences outside of the country. The teacher will
present a slideshow of different pictures from her journey out of the country and explain what the
pictures are of. The teacher will tell the students that in order to enter other countries they will
need a passport. The teacher will explain to the class what a passport is; a passport is a small
book that lets citizens travel to and from foreign countries.
Procedures:
1. On the interactive whiteboard, the teacher will ask the students what are some things
Americans do for fun and then write the responses on a blank canvas.
a. Possible student responses:
i. Play/watch sports
ii. Go to the movies/see a play
iii. Go to the playground
2. The teacher will explain to the class that every culture is different in ways and similar in
ways. Teacher will explain what culture is; culture is based on different humans
knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors.
3. The teacher will have the students pull out their classroom supply of iPads to use the app
Padlet.

4. The teacher will then ask the students to do a turn and talk with their table groups to
brainstorm what makes the American culture different from other cultures. The students
will each write words or sentences about the question they were talking about in their
groups. The teacher will go over the possible responses on the interactive whiteboard.
a. Possible student responses:
i. Different sports
ii.Different activities
iii.Different religions
iv.Different clothes/style
v.Different foods
5. After one student from each group explains why they chose a word or sentence to put on
Padlet, the teacher will transition into the next project.
6. The teacher will ask the students to put their iPads away and explain to the students that
they will be making their own American culture passports. The teacher will explain that
whenever you enter a country, your passport will be stamped specifically notifying that
you were in a particular country.
7. The teacher will have the instructions written on the board. Ex: Each passport needs to
include a stamp of an American holiday, food, dance, art, currency, and fashion. The
students will use the black construction paper to create the cover of the passport and
place the white construction paper on the inside of the cover.
a. At each table group there will be a variety of stamp options for the students
to be unique and creative.
Differentiation:
Groups are randomized so students work with different types of learners.
Visual learners will have Padlet and the interactive whiteboard to look at in order to help
them learn.
Auditory learners will listen to the teacher and the class discuss verbally what culture is,
what a passport is, and different ways the American culture is different from other
cultures.
Kinesthetic learners will use Padlet to type ideas about differences in the American
culture. They will also be creating a passport craft to take home.
Closure:
Students will travel around to each table group and look at their peers passports that reflect their
American culture. Once students are done going around to each table group they will return to
their seats. I will go around to each group and briefly ask one person what they learned about
their passports and one place they want to travel using their passport.

Assessment:
1. The teacher will ask the groups questions about what they learned from
creating their passports. This will summarize the content the students learned about
culture and passports.
Materials:
Padlet (an app)
Black colored construction paper
White colored construction paper
Variety of stamps (football stamp, American clothes stamp, different holiday stamps,
American foods stamp, dancer stamp, dollar sign stamp, and other related stamps)
Variety of markers (colors)
Technology:
Interactive whiteboard

Classroom supply of iPads