Exploring the Concept of Culture
Culture and Values
Goal:
Exploring what students consider to be typical U.S. cultural values while comparing them to their perceptions.
- Become aware of what are considered typical U.S. cultural values
- Develop critical thinking when comparing them to their own perception of U.S. culture
- Board or flip-chart ready with the take-home assignment guidelines (see below)
- Copies of Exercise Chart – PDF: 1 for each student
- Copies of Contrasting Values Chart – PDF : 1 for each student
Instructions:
1. Give each student an Exercise Chart and ask them to fill out the chart as indicated.
2. Once they are done, go through each row and ask your students what they answered. This process should ideally start a class discussion. Be sure to touch on all items of the list.
3. Once you’ve covered all the points, hand out the Contrasting Values Chart.
4. Ask your students to prepare a short essay in which they discuss the differences and similarities between their responses and the chart.
Take-home assignment guidelines (to be written on the flip-chart)
Item per Item, please describe:
1. The difference (if any) between what you wrote in the Exercise Chart and what the Contrasting Values Chart shows.
2. The similarity (if any) between what you wrote in the Exercise Chart and what the Contrasting Values Chart shows.
3. Which one of the two, if any, you consider the right one.
4. Explain why you consider that the right one: please do this giving a real life example to support your statement.