A New Kind of Quest: CultureQuest

Dr. Sheila Offman GershCity College of New York

sgersh@ccny.cuny.edu

http://www.culturequest.us

http://www.schoollink.org/twin

CultureQuest projects are:

inquiry-based investigations of other peoples and cultures that are rooted in student questions and based upon student interests

CultureQuest Projects may: Focus on foreign cultures Focus on American culture and/or

American subcultures Focus on the diverse cultural

heritages of the students Compare and contrast any of the

above.

literature art music history government

religion language everyday life customs & traditions Values, beliefs and

behavior

WHAT APECTS OF CULTURE ARE EXAMINED?

One Way of Structuring a CultureQuest Project

Entire class find core information about the country (geography, history, demographics, etc). Students begin conversations with their peers in the country via e-mail and the class begins to explore areas of culture.

Students select specific areas of culture to focus on and work in small groups to obtain information in those areas.

Teacher and Students develop an “educational” Web site and present their work to the world.

How does a CultureQuest Project fit into the Curriculum?

It is linked to the geographic focus of the social studies curriculum (e.g., Asia, the Middle East, etc)

It is integrated with work students do in other subjects (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, history, art, etc)

It is linked to specific NYS Learning Standards (e.g., ELA, Social Studies, NETS)

ELA STANDARDS Learning Standards Link to Standards PDF File Standard 1 - Language for Information and

Understanding Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding

- As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information. Standard 2 - Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary expression - Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation .

ELA STANDARDS Standard 3 - Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and

evaluation - As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.Standard 4 - Language for Social Interaction

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction - Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

NETS STANDARDSSocial, ethical, and human issues

Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.

Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

 Technology productivity tools

Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

 

NETS STANDARDSTechnology communications tools

Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.

Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

 Technology research tools Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from

a variety of sources. Students use technology tools to process data and report results. Students evaluate and select new information resources and

technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

 Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools Students use technology resources for solving problems and making

informed decisions. Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

CULTUREQUEST PROJECTS MAY RELATE TO OTHER DISCIPLINES Social Studies Music, Dance, Performing Arts Art Science Math Economics Geography

Traditional Model of Education

T S

21ST Century Model of Education

L L E L L

E L L L

E L P L L

L L EL

Support teachers may need in doing a CultureQuest project

Assistance in understanding what culture is and how to study culture & avoid key pitfalls.

Assistance in leading their class in developing more sophisticated and accomplished work.

Assistance with specific uses of technology (e-mail, Internet, creating Web sites, etc.)

Assistance with the pedagogy that supports inquiry-based projects

Technology Skills

Access Internet resources for the study of culture. Promote communication with students and experts in the

target country (ePals). Internet Basics --searching, evaluating Web sites, use of

proper citation, appropriate and ethical use policies, etc. Teaching with the Internet Inspiration for graphical mapping of project Creation of an educational Web site. Assist students in using multimedia to support projects

(e.g., digital photography, video, graphics and other applications, desktop videoconferencing (NetMeeting).

Related CultureQuest Skills Academic

Reading

Technology

Internet Use

Learning Styles

Problem

Solving

Culture

Appreciation of Diversity and Multi-culturalism

Writing Computer Skills

Research

Skills

Acting as Cultural Informant

Music, Art, Literature

Web Site Design

Creativity Knowledge of Another Culture

History, geography

Presentation & Graphics

Collaboration Knowledge of American and own Culture

CultureQuest Pedagogy Student-Centered

Constructivist Project-Based Authentic

Ownership Interdisciplinary Inquiry-Based Collaborative

Teacher as Facilitator

Multicultural Standards-Based

Real Audiences for Work

Multiple Intelligences

Humanistic and Caring

Students as Workers

Product/Action

The CultureQuest Process Decide on target culture Brainstorm what students know about the

culture Brainstorm what students want to know

about the culture Cover the core areas with whole class

The CultureQuest Process (cont’d) Use ePals.com to find classrooms Students communicate with counterparts

using e-mail on ePals.com Divide students into small groups by

interest area Students prepare and send “Welcome

Packages”—videos, artifacts, postal cards, coins, etc.

In Gathering Information about the Culture:

Use books and library resources Use Internet resources Explore resources in own city/community

Museums People (oral history) Visit neighborhoods (shops, restaurants, etc.) Cultural Centers

E-mail to students and/or adult experts

Teach Student Technology Skills Graphic Organizers (Inspiration) Internet Basics (searching, evaluation,

citation) Web Page creation Web Editing Uploading/managing website

Final Products Class creates Web site with general

information and links to group projects Other multimedia products:

PowerPoint HyperStudio Digital stories with stills and videos