TeachersFirst's China and Cross-Cultural Resources
Other TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
Every culture tends to focus on its own way of thinking and doing. In order to prepare our students for life, twenty-first century classrooms must foster cross-cultural understanding as a vital aspect of learning in today's global society. This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students build a better understanding of other cultures, especially China, through related projects and classroom activities. We welcome suggestions of additional free teaching resources for our team to review. Please mention "cross-cultural" in your message. View all of our resources related to cross-cultural understanding.
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Our Africa - SOS Children
Grades
5 to 12
tag(s): africa (168), agriculture (60), climate (95), cross cultural understanding (123), cultures (109), south africa (12), sports (99), women (94)
In the Classroom
Introduce Our Africa to students using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Have groups research information about the country of their choice and present their findings in a brochure or interactive poster using Sway, reviewed here. Compare and contrast student's living conditions in their country vs. an African child's country using an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Children and Youth in History - Center for History and New Media
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): africa (168), china (63), england (56), japan (60), slavery (67), south america (40)
In the Classroom
Save time with the ready-to-go, free resources found on this site during your studies of geography and cultures. Compare and contrast life in your area to those around the world. Have students create maps using Animaps, reviewed here, as they learn about children around the world. Students can add text, images, and location stops!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diversity Workshop - USC School of Social Work
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (123), cultures (109), diversity (33)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the activities shared within the guide to use as part of community building in your classroom or to teach diversity. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Before and after activities have students or groups collect ideas and thoughts about diversity using Dotstorming, reviewed here. The Dotstorming application creates free online bulletin boards. Embed Dotstorming on your class website for students to access at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Oneness Projects - Global Oneness Project
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (123)
In the Classroom
Promote global awareness by sharing the videos, articles or photos and using the accompanying lesson plans to enhance the learning experience. Explore how other cultures are different from your own using the artifacts found on the site. Have the students watch the videos on their own and complete a discussion about the video on a discussion board or in class. Starting a new study of a different culture? Use one of the videos as an anticipatory set. Share the video on your projector or interactive whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Virtual Classroom - AT&T and Give Something Back International Foundation
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): competitions (14), cross cultural understanding (123), cultures (109), wikis (21)
In the Classroom
Take students to another place, encourage them to understand other cultures and create global citizens by signing up to join GVC. After introducing GVC on an interactive whiteboard or projector, create a quick poll (with no membership required) using SurveyRock, reviewed here, to vote for which country or region to communicate with and share information. Begin a blog for each student to share reflections. Consider asking the partner teacher to have their students blog, too, and encourage students to respond to each others' blogs. Students' writing improves when they have an authentic audience. Haven't started blogging yet? Check out TeachersFirst's Blog Basics.Another idea would be to use a projector and Lino, reviewed here, (no membership required) to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge about the culture with whom students will be working. Lino creates virtual sticky notes on a bulletin board. Once the project is underway, go back to Lino occasionally, and add what they learned and whether it coincides with the students' original ideas. Before culminating the project, ask the partner class if they will fill in the areas and ideas missed on your Lino. Consider starting a lunch time or after school club for students to have more time to participate in the Clubhouse.
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OmniLibros - Carthage College Center for Children's Literature
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (131), cross cultural understanding (123), literacy (106), maps (298)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for finding reading material with settings from all over the world. Encourage students to choose a place that interests them, and then find books set in that location. Use this tool as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard about setting or geography. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class website or blog for students to use at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kid World Citizen - Becky Morales
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): back to school (62), chinese new year (3), christmas (55), cross cultural understanding (123), earth day (105), hanukkah (14), holidays (142), italy (15), mexico (33), ramadan (9), thanksgiving (33)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year when teaching about countries, holidays, and for cross-cultural literature resources. Choose a country to explore each month using resources found on the site. Learn about your students' backgrounds to find countries and regions to explore using activities on the site. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast your culture with that of a different country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Great Human Odyssey - A World of Extremes - CBC
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (123), deserts (18), oceans (165), tundra (20)
In the Classroom
The Great Human Odyssey is perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard or projector. View the different sections together to learn more about life in extreme climates. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the nomads. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast student lifestyles with those on this site. Compare the three nomadic lifestyles presented with the Venn Diagram - 3 Circles, reviewed here. Have students create maps using Animaps, reviewed here, to locate places found on this site and explore areas close by. Students can add text, images, and location stops!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Wonderment - Kidnected World
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): cross cultural understanding (123), enrichment (12), gifted (88), listening (87), problem solving (294), social media (24), social networking (112), social skills (21), speaking (25)
In the Classroom
Wonderment is a problem based learning adventure for each student around the world to communicate and collaborate with other students. This venue allows great lesson ideas for digital citizenship and digital footprints. Begin by choosing a path for the entire class and feature on an interactive whiteboard. Have students work in small groups to choose their best response. Discussions after can focus on creativity, problem solving, and collaboration between the group and others from around the world. In a gifted class, use as a way to challenge kids to break through the "right answer" and find the "best answer." Use this as a model for finding authentic needs in your community. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class blog, website, or Edmodo account. Use this tool as the answer for the parents who always want more challenge and enrichment for their students at home. Be sure to share at a staff meeting to spread the wonder for other students and adults.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Ducksters - Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI)
Grades
2 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (227), african american (109), american revolution (85), animal homes (61), animals (322), artists (77), biographies (91), china (63), civil rights (119), civil war (144), cold war (30), continents (51), countries (81), data (161), division (161), egypt (67), elements (34), energy (207), environment (325), explorers (65), fractions (228), friction (14), geometric shapes (173), greece (27), habitats (106), human body (132), inventors and inventions (92), keyboarding (40), mean (26), median (23), mode (16), multiplication (211), planets (128), presidents (123), puzzles (203), recycling (60), renaissance (31), rome (26), solar system (119), sound (105), sports (99), subtraction (187), sun (69), world war 1 (55), world war 2 (142)
In the Classroom
This site is a perfect addition for use with a biography unit. Explore and share information categorized by topics such as Civil Rights, the Cold War, and Ancient Greece. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president, famous scientist, or nearly any other real or fictitious person. Be sure to create a link to the site on your class webpage or newsletter for students to explore at home. Create a link on classroom computers for students to use the interactives during center time.Comments
Very safe and reliable. Everyone else is my school thinks ducksters is stupid but I love ducksters.Ry, CA, Grades: 6 - 12
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Visualizing Cultures - MIT
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): asia (72), china (63), cross cultural understanding (123), japan (60), perspective (10), visualizations (13)
In the Classroom
Perspective taking is an important skill in learning about other cultures and other time periods. To Western eyes, these images will provide a fresh look at historical events. It is important to note, and to help students understand, that the images are uncensored and may depict a way of seeing others that, to us, may seem racist or disrespectful. Screen the images to determine how they might be best used to help students see the world through others' eyes, and how to manage a discussion of these themes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Asian Art Museum Educator Resources - Asian Art Museum
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): art history (77), artists (77), asia (72), china (63), chinese new year (3), cross cultural understanding (123), japan (60), korea (18)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Allow students to explore on their own or in collaborative groups. Have students or groups collect ideas and findings using Padlet, reviewed here. The Padlet application creates free online sticky note boards. Bookmark and use this site to find resources for Chinese New Year activities. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Image Atlas - Taryn Simon and Aaron Swartz
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (123), images (278), photography (156)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to compare images that portray words you have searched and hypothesize about cultural differences. GO beyond the images to compare the articles that contain the images. This tool would be especially relevant in social studies, health, and other subjects where a difference in meaning across the world can be discussed. This tool may be useful if doing reports on countries. If you are allowing older students to search on their own, be sure to set firm guidelines/rules ahead of time! As with ANY image search, it all depends on the terms you enter!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The China Game - Asia Society
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): china (63)
In the Classroom
The China Game would make a great addition to classroom centers as part of your Chinese New Year celebration or study of countries and cultures. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. If individual computers are available, have pairs of students explore on their own. Have students create an annotated image of China including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Historical Photographs of China 1850-1950 - University of Bristol
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Share with students on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to view actual images taken in China from 1850-1950. Allow students to explore keywords such as fashion, specific cities or locations, or schooling to view images taken over the 100 year time span. Challenge your students to use a site such as Timetoast reviewed here to create timelines of images found using keyword searches. (Most images offer a version available under a Creative Commons Share-alike license.) Be sure they include image credits!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Sacred Stories - The British Library Board
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (123), cultures (109), hanukkah (14), holidays (142), religions (68)
In the Classroom
Ancient History and World history teachers will delight in this site! Use this site at a learning station (headphones would be a good idea) and allow students to talk about what they think they know about the religion before viewing the text. Follow up after with what know after viewing the content and completing the student activities. This site would also be an excellent extension for the gifted students in your classroom. Consider having the gifted students explore the three religions that have the "contrasts and crossovers." Language arts teachers can use this site to meet the goals of Common Core State Standards (cross curricular studies and nonfiction reading). Challenge students to find other myths and legends from other cultures that "crossover" with these or other well-known tales.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lalo.li - Franz Enzenhofer
Grades
K to 12tag(s): text to speech (18)
In the Classroom
This would be great for ESL/ELL learners; have them type a short sentence and listen to the playback to verify that the sentence is correct. It would also be a great practice for beginning readers. Use your interactive whiteboard and have the class tell a very brief story or say a sentence. After typing the sentence into the program, user a pointer for each word as the synthesizer reads it, or have students take turns pointing out the words. Share tonight's homework on your class web page as a link to an audio reminder simply by typing or pasting in the assignment and copying the link to place it on your web page.Comments
When I tried to use it with Safari on a new Mac in 10.7, it said I needed to use only Firefox or Chrome Too bad.Constance, RI, Grades: 0 - 12
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Yong's China Quest - Lotherton Hall, Leeds Museums and Galleries
Grades
K to 7tag(s): china (63), cross cultural understanding (123), cultures (109), game based learning (139)
In the Classroom
Use the activity in a center as part of your Chinese New Year lesson activities. Allow students to try the quest on your interactive whiteboard as a center activity. Keep a list of items found while solving puzzles, and have students research more information on them.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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China: People and Places - Discovery Education
Grades
3 to 5In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plan on this site! Be sure to save the site as a favorite to allow for easy reference later on.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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All About China - EnchantedLearning.com
Grades
1 to 5In the Classroom
Use the mapping activities from this site as a classroom activity during a unit on Chinese geography or history. Print out the mapping worksheets, and have student pairs or cooperative learning groups complete the activity. This would be a great way to review Chinese geography, or bring in contextual information about the geography during a unit on Ancient or modern China.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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