Week Three: Main goal for this week: Students will be shown how different cultures exist within

the same areas and what different components of our lives make up our cultures. Monday Description of activities
As a class we will read ch. 16-17. Then students will do a crime investigation activity.

Tuesday
Class will read A Neighbors Garden in small groups and discuss similarities between this short story and Our America.

Wednesday
We will continue discussing as a class topics from previous day. Then students will make their own gardens using magazine clippings that I will provide.

Thursday
Project work day. Class will have the entire period to work on their projects and ask any questions to clarify anything.

Friday
Class will read ch. 1820 together. Then pairs will present their crime investigations.

What students will be doing

Students will participate in shared reading. Then in pairs students will research a provided crime on computers.

I will put students in groups and have them read the short story. Students are then to discuss in their groups the significance of the story and compare it to Our America.

Students will create gardens that are to resemble themselves in some way. Students will then write a short explanation about how their garden describes them. Some students may share with the class.

Students will plan out their projects and begin working on them. Students will also be able to finish their crime investigations if they need to.

Students will participate in shared reading. Then they will share with the class what they have found about their assigned crime. Presentations will include a brief summary and an analysis of how this crime effected everyday people.

What/how youll teach

I will explain the activity and provide a handout with guidelines and also what crime they are to research.

I will check on the progress of each group and be available to any questions. I will give a handout to each group with topics to be discussed after reading. Students are to recognize similarities between cultures. Groups will share with the rest of the class what they discussed.

I will be showing students how they can express their cultures and personalities through their gardens.

I will be available for questions and will be checking on progress of students to make sure they are on track and using time wisely.

Students will be teaching each other about their findings. At the end, as a class we will discuss how these crimes effect the rest of society and the culture.

What will be learned (and how will you know?)

Purpose of this activity is for students to mimic the actions of the main characters in Our America and get a better grasp on their everyday life and culture.

Students will see differences and similarities between cultures show by how each student chooses to express themselves. We will discuss these similarities and differences at the end of class.

Students will be learning more about the significance of culture and recognize the effect their culture has on their lives.

Students will get a better grasp on the dangerous culture in which our main characters live and see how culture is made up of more than ethnicity.