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Overview:
In this lesson, students will visit the Culture Goggles exhibit in Xpedition Hall, where students select a religion to see how a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim might view the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel. Students will also look at how people with different beliefs celebrate winter holidays. This lesson uses two-minute digital sound clips to describe cultural celebrations.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 6: "How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions"
Time:
Two hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access and audio software
- World map
- Drawing paper
- Crayons
Objectives:
Students will
- explore the perceptions of Jerusalem by people of different religions;
- compare and contrast holiday celebrations; and
- create a greeting card for a religious holiday that they do not normally celebrate.
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:
Ask students if they know what it means to practice a religion. Create a class list of ways a person can practice a religion. Add all of the rituals to one list. Some responses may include fasting, praying using beads, eating certain foods, lighting candles, singing particular songs, taking a special trip, or playing games. For the purpose of this exercise, it is not helpful to state which religions participate in which specific practice.
Ask students if there are any places that are special to them, such as a grandparent's house, a favorite vacation spot, or a park that they love to go to. Ask students to explain why that place is special. Explain to the students that in certain religions, there are places that are very special too. The city of Jerusalem, in Israel, is special to Muslims, Jews, and Christians, but for different reasons. Point out Israel on the map. Emphasize the distance between Israel and their home, but explain that if you ask people of these religions in their own town if Jerusalem is special, they would probably agree that it is.
Have students click through the Culture Goggles exhibit in Xpedition Hall to find out why. New readers may need assistance with some of the longer words on the site, but students should be sure to click through each of the three views.
Development:
To help students understand some of the differences between the cultures of people who practice these religions, explain that people of all three religions celebrate at least one of their more significant holidays in the winter. Christians celebrate Christmas in late December, Jews celebrate Chanukah in the middle of December, and Muslims celebrate Ramadan at different times throughout the year.
Closing:
Suggested Student Assessment:
Ask students what they have learned through a group discussion. If the students in the class are from diverse backgrounds, encourage them to focus on what was new to them today, as opposed to what they already new about their own religion or culture. Ask the group if they have anything else to share about their own family traditions, particularly those that are tied to their own culture. Remind students that they are teaching someone else about their culture and learning about new ones at the same time, so it is important to be clear and to take turns when someone else wants to share. Ask students to create a holiday card celebrating a holiday that is new to them or emphasizing a different way to celebrate a winter holiday they already keep.
Extending the Lesson:
As a class or in small groups, ask students to research new holidays that occur at other times of the year. One resource is the Multicultural Calendar. Students may also find other winter holidays in their research, such as the winter solstice.
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