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Overview:
Students will use the Internet or the library to research the cultures of four other countries. They will compile their research results into a plan for a fast-food restaurant in each of the countries, tailoring the restaurant to the cultural tastes of people in those countries.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, social studies, and current events
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics"
Time:
Four to five hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Writing and drawing materials
Objectives:
Students will
- read and view pictures of modern culture in other countries;
- research the cultures of four countries;
- write plans for fast-food restaurants in four countries, taking into consideration how the restaurants can be adapted to the countries' unique cultures; and
- draw pictures of their restaurants.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Write the word "culture" on the board, and ask students to contribute examples of features of their own culture (e.g., movies, sports, food, and clothing).
Development:
Have students read the text and look at the pictures at National Geographic's Globalization site. Hold a brief class discussion on the things students read and see.
Divide the class into small groups, and ask groups to pretend that they are going to open fast-food restaurants in four different countries: Russia, Japan, India, and Mexico (or other countries of your choice).
Have students use the Internet or the library to research these countries' cultures to find out what food their restaurants should serve, what customs their employees would be expected to observe, and how they might want to decorate the restaurants. Ask them to consider the things they would need to do to make sure the restaurants were acceptable to the local culture.
As they conduct their research, have students take notes on their ideas.
Closing:
Discuss as a class what students think people in the other countries might think of their restaurants. Can they think of any reasons why people in those countries might not be happy with an American fast-food restaurant, even if it were created to blend in with their culture?
Suggested Student Assessment:
Ask groups to compile their ideas into written plans for each of the four restaurants. Each plan should include sections on food, decor, and customs.
Have students choose one of the cultures they have studied and draw pictures of what their restaurant will look like.
Extending the Lesson:
Have students read a classic fairy tale, or read the story to the class. Some fairy tales can be found through the links at the New Takes on Old Tales activity. As students go through the tale, ask them to list the examples of culture they notice. For example, they might list foods, clothing, superstitions, or religious behavior.
Have students write modern versions of the fairy tales they have read. Their versions should retain the overall themes and lessons of the story but modernize it by incorporating a modern setting and modern cultural behavior and objects.
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