In every state's standards and objectives for first grade, there is a component to teach students about culture. Culture is a very broad term that can encompass everything from a people's form of dress, food, holidays, child-rearing beliefs and values to shared past experiences. Various classroom activities can teach first graders about culture.

First Grade Standards and Objectives

Always determine your objectives before planning your activities.
First, it is crucial to determine the objectives for your lesson. Are you teaching a lesson on culture to cover the social studies curriculum, or are you doing a culture lesson as part of a school event such as a multicultural day? Determine your objectives and then decide how you will assess the students.

Books

Reading multicultural books.
Read books with your students that show different cultures around the world. Have students note the similarities and differences they see between their own cultures and the cultures portrayed in the books. If you have a multicultural class, try to find some books that match the cultures of your students. While reading, give students the opportunity to share their own personal cultural experiences. You could also have students create a book about their own or someone else's culture with magazine clippings and pictures.

Food

Invite students to bring food from different cultures.
Have a food party. Invite students to bring in different foods from around the world. If you have a multicultural class, invite students to bring in their own traditional foods. Compare different flavors and ingredients. Make sure to get permission from school administration for students to bring in food and follow all district guidelines about food safety. Be aware of any food allergies your students may have.

Passports

Your students will become cultured travelers after visiting your learning centers.
Make paper passports for all of your students. Create learning centers around your classroom about different cultures. Include information about each culture and a hands-on activity that is culture-specific such as a traditional art project or game. As students visit each learning center they receive a stamp in their passport.

Stereotypes and Generalizations

Make sure students understand stereotypes.
It is important for your students to understand that even though we can group a population of people together by their culture, not everyone in that culture is the same. For example, not all Latinos like spicy food; not all people from Israel practice Hannukuh; not all Native American speak the same language. Make an example by asking all of your students if they like hamburgers or pizza, or enjoy baseball; explain that just as they are different, people in other cultures are different too. Also make it a point to make the connection that people from different cultures can like or practice the same things as your students.