1. My Culture Project (due Monday, September 23rd
)
Welsh/Spedding Grade 5 PYP The International School of Monterey
Assignment
Over the past several weeks we have been exploring the meaning of culture.
Now it is time to look more closely at your family culture.
The purpose of this project is to explore the following guiding questions:
What is my culture? How is it expressed in the things I do, think, and value?
How did I acquire that that culture? Where did it come from?
Using the Elements of Culture (see below), describe your culture. You are encouraged to seek your
parents’ assistance and insight, though you must remain the center of gravity for the project.
You may present your project in whatever form you like, whether as a Prezi, PowerPoint, movie, slide
show, poster, written narrative, sculpture, mixed media, or in another creative way. Ask yourself:
What is the most effective way I might respond to the guiding questions?
All projects must include the following organization:
1. Thesis statement
The thesis statement is a brief statement of your culture, as you see it, based upon the data you collect. By example, you
might write:
I am 100% American.
I am 85% Chinese, and 15% American.
I am a mix of German and American.
2. Supporting details
Support your thesis statement with specific evidence.
Let the Elements of Culture list guide your inquiry.
3. Conclusions
Summarize your project in a brief statement, limited to a paragraph or two.
Include the following:
Restate your thesis statement.
Discuss how you acquired your culture, and where it came from. (This is a place to refer to the sponge and glasses comparison
we’re so often used in class.) Connect it to your parents’ culture, and the culture of the country in which you were raised.

2. Assessment
The Project will be assessed using the following rubric:
1
unacceptable
or incomplete
2
well-below
expectations
3
clear room for
improvement
4
minor room
for
improvement
5
excellent:
completed at
a high level of
quality; it’s
all there
6
exceptional:
well-beyond
teacher
expectations
for the
assignment
The final project is
completed with a
high level of
thought, inquiry,
depth & detail
The final project is
neat and well-
organized
The final project is
well-edited.
EXTRA CREDIT
Explore how your
culture is connected
to the geography
and history of your
country.
EXTRA CREDIT
Innovative &
creative forms
Final Thoughts
Students are encouraged to consult with us about their ideas at any time, whether in person or by
email. We would be happy to meet with you during any or all breaks. We will discuss progress every
day over the next few weeks. Projects will be presented in-class only, though parents will be welcome
to sit-in.
You may find it helpful to see samples of projects completed in the past two years. See ’12 and ’11.
There are some terrific ideas and models posted there.

3. The Elements of Culture ’13
FOOD & CULTURE
What you eat
What side dishes & sauces you eat
Where you eat
Where members of your family sit
How you eat
Who cooks the food
Who serves the food
How food is served
How food tastes
Who cuts the food
Who eats first
Rules of manners
Who cleans up
Who shops for food
What you drink
What spices you use
Where food comes from
How food is collected
How you pay for food
ART & CULTURE
Music & musical instruments
Painting
Crafts
Theater
Fashion
Decorations in the home
Architecture
Style of furniture
Dance
Sculpture
Statues
Cultural stories: myths, legends, fairy tales, heroes
What is considered beautiful
RELIGION & CULTURE
Who/what is worshipped
Sacred places
Sacred texts
Religious leaders/teachers
Religious training (for children)
Where worship takes place
Sacred songs/art/dance
Beliefs about God
Beliefs about where humans came from
Beliefs about birth, death, and the afterlife
Customs about birth, death, marriage
Religious ceremonies
Gender differences and worship
Religion & animals
Beliefs about Creation
Beliefs about the purpose of life
Customs about worship/prayer
Religious celebrations/festivals/holidays
How religious people dress
What religious people carry
Beliefs about supernatural beings/creatures
Beliefs toward the supernatural

4. CLOTHING & CULTURE
Traditional dress: what people wear (men/women)
The material that people wear
*The decoration/color and design of clothing (textures/patterns)
Rules of modesty & clothing
How climate affects what people wear
Rules for dressing
Accessories: jewelry, handbags
What people wear on their feet/head: hats & shoes
The use of make-up
What people think is attractive/beautiful
How people change their bodies to seem more attractive (tattoos, piercings)
What you swim in
What you sleep in
THE HOME
Where people sit
Where people eat
Where/how people go to the bathroom
Where people gather
Roles of the father, mother, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other extended family
Education of children
Discipline of children
Differences between men & women, father & mother
Customs about child rearing
Customs about naming children
Customs about marriage
Customs about pregnancy & giving birth (who, what, where, why, how)
Etiquette & rules of behavior in the home
OTHER ASPECTS OF CULTURE
How communities are organized
Greetings
Non-verbal communication: touch, eye contact, gestures, personal space (men versus women)
Language
Currency
Treatment of animals
Attitudes toward money & wealth
Festivals & Celebrations
Forms of government
Differences in social classes
What people make
The tools people use
The jokes people tell
The symbols people make/use
The games/sports people play
What causes disease
Who do you see when you’re sick
How you’re treated when your sick
Technology