In Class Field Trips

Some fail to realize that you don't necessarily have to leave the classroom, travel more than an hour, or spend a lot of money to experience something new that will benefit the class. Although hands on experience has its place, learning about it in the classroom can sometimes be just as impactful. Because Cultural Diversity is becoming more and more prevalent, especially in the United States, it is important to introduce children to different cultures and world views. Obviously, it is not realistic to take your Third Grade class on a trip to India to "experience the culture", but one can get a small taste of indian living in the classroom with a little bit of creativity. How does one go about doing that you ask? Well, allow me to show you.


First, you will need to decide on a culture in which to educate your students. For this demonstration, I have chosen India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsQHAGluOO4 Is just one of the options I found. You can search for different lengths, specific cultural details, or whatever your preference is by simply weeding through the options available on youtube.

ACTIVITIES:
To make this experience more interactive, I would suggest incorporating one of man kinds favorite things.. Food. You can choose to make the food yourself or assign the children different foods to bring in. I chose to make a small recipe book for the children to take home after this "field trip". If they enjoyed a particular dish, they could then ask their mom or dad to make it for them, opening the door for at-home discussion!

It would also be fun to purchase some colorful fabric to place in the dramatic play area so that the children could drape it on themselves and pretend to live in India, or place books in the reading corner relating to the culture.

As you can see, the options are endless when you open the door to different cultures in your classroom.

Technologies Used:
- Camera
- Laminator
- Book Binder
- Video

References:

1. Naan Bread. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.sitar.com.au/content_common/pg-indian-naan-bread-recipe.seo

Pictures:

1. Indian Fashion – Saris, Lehengas, Salwar Kameez, Kurtas, Indian Jewelry: Didi's Wardrobe. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.didiswardrobe.com/traditional-indian-clothing-by-regions-in-india.php