Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Lesson 5E Lesson
Cover Image

Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?

Cultural Diversity

Susan McHale, Kristen Sublett, Gage Jeter | Published: October 17th, 2024 by K20 Center

  • Grade Level Grade Level 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th
  • Subject Subject Social Studies
  • Course Course World Human Geography
  • Time Frame Time Frame 2–3 class periods
  • Duration More 80–100 minutes

Summary

In this lesson, students will identify aspects of their own cultural identity and how they contribute to cultural diversity within society. Students use their knowledge of geographical concepts including acculturation, assimilation, and cultural diffusion to determine how culture impacts human life. Students will evaluate the extent to which cultural diversity contributes to or divides communities.

Essential Question(s)

How does culture shape our identity? In what ways can cultural diversity enhance or complicate our lives?

Snapshot

Engage

Students watch brief videos to make observations and inferences about different cultures.

Explore

Students discuss how different indicators such as religion, language, gender, and ethnicity impact one’s culture.

Explain

Students expand their vocabulary regarding culture then consider whether the United States is more of a melting pot or salad bowl.

Extend

Students contribute to a class or school cultural diversity quilt.

Evaluate

Students reflect on their learning using the 3-2-1 strategy.

Materials

  • Lesson Slides (attached)

  • Cultural Insights handout (attached; one per student; printed front only)

  • Quilt Squares handout (attached; one per three students; printed front only)

  • Coloring utensils

  • Glue or tape

  • Construction paper (optional)

Engage

10 Minute(s)

Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Transition through slides 3-4 to review the essential questions and learning objectives.

Display slide 5 and tell the class that they are going to look at various cultures. Preview the activity with the students and explain that they are going to watch a video about Japanese culture. Encourage students to think about the following questions while they watch the video:

  • What do you notice about this culture?

  • What information does this video tell you about the culture?

  • Are there any images that might seem offensive or not representative of this culture?

Move to slide 6 and play the “Where Tradition Meets the Future” video about Japanese culture. After the video ends, move to slide 7 and facilitate a brief discussion regarding the above questions.

Repeat this procedure using slides 8-10, showing the “Mexico, A World of Its Own” video about Mexican culture.

Repeat this procedure once more using slides 11-13, showing the “Black Renaissance: What is Black Culture?” video about Black culture.

Explore

20 Minute(s)

Show slide 14 and introduce students to the Think-Pair-Share strategy. Share with students what culture is, then ask them to think quietly for a moment about the following question: What evidence of different cultures do you see within your school or community? Have students find a partner to share their responses. Then ask for volunteers to share their responses in a whole-class discussion.

Move to slide 15 and use the same strategy again. Begin by asking students first to think quietly about the following questions: Do our cultural differences (diversity) enrich or complicate our lives? Why do you think that?

Have students continue using the Think-Pair-Share strategy as you transition through slides 16-19, giving students time to discuss each of the following questions from the slides:

  • How might gender impact your culture? Are roles dependent on gender?

  • How would you describe your ethnicity? How might ethnicity impact your culture?

  • What languages are spoken at home? How might language impact your culture?

  • How might religion impact your culture? What traditions do you have that are based on your religion?

After pairs have had time to discuss each question, ask for volunteers to share with the class. Emphasize that commonalities are ways we have a shared cultural identity and differences are our diversity.

Show slide 20 and facilitate a class discussion asking students whether they think their culture influences what food (or dishes) they eat, how they dress, and/or what music they listen to. Encourage students to share their reasoning.

As time allows, use slide 21 to facilitate a whole-class discussion asking students if they have ever experienced prejudice because of their culture and what they think can be done to prevent racism and prejudice.

Explain

30 Minute(s)

Display slide 22 and ask students how they would define American culture, using the elements (from earlier): traditions or rituals, religion, race, gender, dress or clothing, music, food, and language. This could be a wide-open discussion with varying answers.

Show slide 23-24 and give each student a copy of the attached Cultural Insights handout. Use the slide to introduce the vocabulary: cultural identity, cultural diversity, cultural diffusion, assimilation, and acculturation.

Move to slide 25 and pose the question: Is the United States a melting pot or salad bowl? Use the slide to share with students the two metaphors for describing culture: “melting pot” and “salad bowl.” Introduce students to the Walking Vote strategy. Have students who believe that the U.S. is a melting pot move to one side of the room and those who believe the U.S. is a salad bowl move to the other side of the room.

Show slide 26. Use the following questions to facilitate a class discussion, having students identify the type of culture the United States currently is.

  • Are we a country that has assimilated immigrants into a melting pot?

  • Are all Americans expected to act in a certain way?

  • Are we a culturally diverse country where cultures have their own communities?

  • To what extent are we (the United States) a mixture of the two? Is there some assimilation but not all?

Ask students to return to their desks. Transition to slide 27 and introduce the metaphor for a third option: “mixed salad.” Explain that "mixed salad" is a mixture of the two—that some ideas of American culture are non-negotiable but cultural identity is not fully assimilated either. Consider sharing that a “mixed salad” is more like a stew, having one flavor, but varying textures.

Display slide 28. Have students get out notebook paper and write one paragraph about whether they believe the U.S. is more a melting pot, mixed salad, or salad bowl. Ask them to write a second paragraph addressing the following question: In what ways can cultural diversity enhance or complicate our lives?

Extend

15 Minute(s)

Revisit the elements of culture with students: food, language, traditions or rituals, religion, race, gender, dress or clothing, music, and so on. Then show slide 29. Ask students to reflect upon their personal culture and the larger "American" culture to create a class "community" quilt.

Give each student two squares. Have students design and label one square as an example of cultural diversity and the other square as an example of cultural diffusion. Have students attach their squares with glue or tape to chart paper to create their community quilt.

Evaluate

5 Minute(s)

Display slide 30 and introduce the 3-2-1 strategy. On a piece of notebook paper, have students demonstrate their understanding by responding to each of the following prompts:

  • What are 3 ways that culture shapes our identity?

  • Give 2 examples of how cultural diversity can enhance or complicate life.

  • What is 1 question you still have about culture?

Resources

Publisher

K20 Center

View »

Downloads

Download PDF

Standards

ACT College and Career Readiness Standards (6-12)
WME201: Understand the implication of a familiar word or phrase and of simple descriptive language
Oklahoma Academic Standards (Social Studies Practices (7th Grade))
7.5.2: Describe how cultural diffusion, both voluntary and forced, impacts society.
Oklahoma Academic Standards (Social Studies: World Human Geography (9th through 12th grade))
WG.3.3: Explain the processes of cultural diffusion, acculturation, assimilation, and globalization regarding their impact on defining a region.
WG.3.5: Explain how cultural characteristics, such as language, ethnicity, and religion impact different regions.
act.org (6-12)
I&A  301: Understanding the task and writing with purpose. A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to: -Generate a somewhat clear thesis that establishes a perspective on a contemporary issue -Respond to other perspectives on the issue
D&S 201: Building and strengthening the argument. A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to: - Arrive at a weak understanding of the issue and differing perspectives on it through inadequate reasoning and examples - Offer a rationale that fails to clarify the argument - Provide elaboration of ideas and analysis that is illogical, disjointed, or circular

Facilitator Resources

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • Lesson Slides—Melting Pot or Salad Bowl

Learner Handouts

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • Cultural Insights—Melting Pot or Salad Bowl
  • Quilt Squares—Melting Pot or Salad Bowl

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 License.

Report copyright infringement »