Minilesson- Culture

What is culture? I asked my students to define it and this is what they said:

Culture is your set of beliefs,
your background,
the food you eat,
the language you speak,
what you celebrate,
how you celebrate,
when you celebrate,
your traditions,
your family,
your ethnicity ,
your faith,
and what makes you unique.

This thorough, complex, thought-provoking response came from my seventh graders! I was so impressed with their detail and insights, but then we shared about our own cultures and how we celebrate them, and I was entirely blown away.

We discussed the Chinese New Year,
Christmas,
Quinceañera,
Halloween,
Catholic Mass,
gifts,
Ramadan,
food,
4th of July,
Thanksgiving,
birthdays,
fasting,
and Nowruz.

Not surprisingly, my 5 minute minilesson blossomed into a 15 minute discussion, 15 minutes longer than any other discussion we'd had in class before. They were asking each other questions, and they were eager to share. It was a beautifully open and honest discussion about where we came from and what traditions we brought with us. I was sorry to have to end it but brief as it was, it was very telling.

I have known from the start that I am in an accepting school. There is a high tolerance of different races, ethnicities, abilities, and genders. Is it perfect, no. Is there occasional conflict, yes. But, when we can have an engaging discussion about our own culture without hate, dislike, distrust, or even dishonesty, we are setting an example of acceptance that I hope my students will continue to follow throughout their education, their careers, and their lives.