Ritual has been an integral part of human life in every civilization and every historical era, and the rituals of all cultures have common characteristics.

In this lesson, students will identify characteristics of traditional and modern rituals found in different cultures. Through reading articles and watching videos of several rituals, students will identify some of their characteristics. Finally, students will apply their understanding to modern rituals in their own lives.

Geography, history (world and/or American), social studies

Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics"

Two hours

• Computer with Internet access

Students will

• list characteristics of rituals;
• identify examples of these characteristics in the rituals of various cultures and traditions; and
• identify examples of rituals in modern American life.

Some consider rituals to be archaic or quaint traditional cultural events which are no longer meaningfully present in modern experience. On the contrary, rituals remain an important and enduring aspect of our daily life. Modern society has both retained traditional rituals and accepted new ones. In this lesson, students will explore some traditional rituals and their modern counterparts.

Ask students what they think of when they hear the word "ritual." Accept all responses. Ask if anyone has attended a ritual. Again, accept all responses. Then, explain that they will be examining rituals from traditional cultures, and both modern and traditional rituals from their own.

As a class, explore the National Geographic Pulse of the Planet feature "Cajun Mardi Gras: Tickling Society". This webpage provides an overview of the rituals and customs associated with Mardi Gras through text, photographs, audio files and video files.

Then, discuss the following with your class:

• What are some of the customs associated with Mardi Gras? [parades, runs, collecting coins, costumes, etc.]
• In what traditions is Mardi Gras rooted? [Christian, pagan, French]

Explain that Mardi Gras is an example of a ritual. Explain that a ritual is something that people of a common culture do repeatedly for a particular reason. Tell them that another example of a ritual is a wedding. Ask them to think about what a wedding and Mardi Gras have in common. Write the answers on the board.

Then, explain that there are many characteristics that rituals share, and that they will be exploring several of those today. Be sure to emphasize that not all rituals contain each of these characteristics, nor are these the only characteristics rituals share, but that they are common themes.

Many rituals contain:

• Ceremony (or pageantry)
• Religious devotion (prayer, expressions of faith, etc.)
• Arts (music, visual arts, dance)

Divide the students into groups of three. Have students list ways in which ceremony, religious devotion, and the arts are reflected in Mardi Gras and in a wedding by using an interactive chart.

Have students print their charts and discuss their findings as a whole class.

Then, tell the students that you will be describing a ritual that happens in Mongolia, and that it is called the Weeping Camel ritual. Teachers can learn about the ritual through the following articles and websites:

The Story of the Weeping Camel Film Website
National Geographic: The Story of the Weeping Camel
National Geographic News: Weeping Camel—A Real Mongolian Tear-Jerker

Depending upon your students' reading levels, you may choose to have the students read the information about the ritual directly on the film website, or you may choose to share it with the whole class, read it to them or paraphrase the text. Alternatively, if you have access to the film, you can show the segment of the film with the Weeping Camel ritual. (Note that the film is rated PG and should be previewed by the teacher prior to showing the film in the classroom.)

Finally, have students describe how the three characteristics of ritual which they have discussed are reflected in the Story of the Weeping Camel.

Ask students to list as many modern rituals as possible, such as marriages, funerals, and birthday parties. Then, in groups of four, have students discuss the answer to this question: Is Thanksgiving dinner a ritual? Then, reconvene as a class for students to share their ideas.

Have students write a fictional story about "The Ritual of the _____." If your students need assistance with thinking of a fictional ritual, share the following possibilities with them:

• The Ritual of the Nesting Bird
• The Ritual of the Singing Whale
• The Ritual of the See-Saw
• The Ritual of Raking Leaves
• The Ritual of the Birthday Party

Have students watch The Story of the Weeping Camel to find at least four instances of ritual in the film. For example:

• The grandmother's early morning ritual of sprinkling milk in the four directions
• The adorning and anointing of the first-born calf
• The sacrifice of food during the whole-village ritual
• The ritual of the weeping camel

Note that the film is rated PG and should be previewed by the teacher prior to showing in the classroom. You may wish to show only portions of the film as it contains some mature content (characters smoking, a camel giving birth, a child being bathed, etc.).

"The Story of the Weeping Camel" Film Website
National Geographic News: Weeping Camel—A Real Mongolian Tear-Jerker
National Geographic: Pulse of the Planet—Cajun Mardi Gras: "Tickling Society"
National Geographic: The Story of the Weeping Camel