TeachersFirst's China and Cross-Cultural Resources
Every culture tends to focus on its own way of thinking and doing. In order to prepare our students for life, twenty-first century classrooms must foster cross-cultural understanding as a vital aspect of learning in today's global society. This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students build a better understanding of other cultures, especially China, through related projects and classroom activities. We welcome suggestions of additional free teaching resources for our team to review. Please mention "cross-cultural" in your message. View all of our resources related to cross-cultural understanding.
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World History Encyclopedia - World History Foundation
Grades
6 to 12
tag(s): china (62), climate change (87), colonial america (95), egypt (45), explorers (64), greeks (31), japan (56), maps (209), medieval (31), primary sources (115), religions (75), romans (33), slavery (75), vikings (10), women (137)
In the Classroom
This site is a must-have for any history teacher. First, bookmark the site for students to use as a multimedia encyclopedia and media resource. Then, include it with your other teaching resources to find engaging classroom lessons. Have students use the images on this site when creating presentations (using proper attribution, of course). Enhance student learning by having them use Genially, reviewed here, an excellent tool for students to use to create interactive and multimedia presentations. Have students add images to presentations, then create "hotspots" that link to outside resources such as videos, articles, or student-created texts.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Global Citizenship Resources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (87), cross cultural understanding (157)
In the Classroom
Help your students to become global citizens using these engaging resources. Find ways to connect with other schools around the country or even around the world. Share these resources with your colleagues and school parents by emailing the page or sharing the link from your school web page and in your school newsletter.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Children and Youth in History - Center for History and New Media
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): africa (137), china (62), england (50), japan (56), primary sources (115), Research (83), slavery (75), south america (36)
In the Classroom
Save time with the ready-to-go, free resources found on this site during your studies of geography and cultures. Compare and contrast life in your area to those around the world. Modify classroom technology use by having students create maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose various locations on a map as they learn about children around the world.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diversity Toolkit - USC School of Social Work
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (157), cultures (132), difficult conversations (58), diversity (38), identity (28)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the activities shared within the guide to use as part of community building in your classroom or to teach diversity and encourage self identity. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Before and after activities have students or groups collect ideas and thoughts about diversity using Dotstorming, reviewed here. The Dotstorming application creates free online bulletin boards. Embed Dotstorming on your class website for students to access at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Global Virtual Classroom - AT&T and Give Something Back International Foundation
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): collaboration (87), communication (136), competitions (10), cross cultural understanding (157), cultures (132), wikis (15)
In the Classroom
Take students to another place; encourage them to understand other cultures and create global citizens by signing up to join GVC. After introducing GVC on an interactive whiteboard or projector, create a quick poll (with no membership required) using SurveyRock, reviewed here, to vote for which country or region to communicate with and share information. Begin a blog for each student to share reflections using a blog tool like edublogs, reviewed here. Consider asking the partner teacher to have their students blog, too, and encourage students to respond to each others' blogs. Students' writing improves when they have an authentic audience. Haven't started blogging yet? Check out TeachersFirst's Blog Basics.Another idea would be to use a projector and Padlet, reviewed here, and use the columns feature on Padlet to discuss and informally assess prior knowledge about the culture with whom students will be working. Padlet creates virtual bulletin boards. Once the project is underway, go back to Padlet occasionally, and add what students learned and whether it coincides with their original ideas. Before culminating the project, ask the partner class if they will fill in the areas and ideas missed on your Padlet. Consider starting a lunch time or after school club for students to have more time to participate in the Clubhouse.
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OmniLibros - Carthage College Center for Children's Literature
Grades
K to 12tag(s): book lists (161), cross cultural understanding (157), literacy (107), maps (209)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for finding reading material with settings from all over the world. Encourage students to choose a place that interests them, and then find books set in that location. Use this tool as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard about setting or geography. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class website or blog for students to use at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kid World Citizen - Becky Morales
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): back to school (63), chinese new year (5), christmas (37), cross cultural understanding (157), earth day (60), hanukkah (13), hispanic (28), holidays (162), italy (16), Juneteenth (22), mexico (29), native americans (91), ramadan (10), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year when teaching about countries, holidays, and for cross-cultural literature resources. Choose a country to explore each month using resources found on the site. Learn about your students' backgrounds to find countries and regions to explore using activities on the site. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast your culture with that of a different country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Great Human Odyssey - A World of Extremes - CBC
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (157), deserts (15), oceans (146), tundra (14)
In the Classroom
The Great Human Odyssey is perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard or projector. View the different sections together to learn more about life in extreme climates. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about one of the nomads. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast student lifestyles with those on this site. Compare the three nomadic lifestyles presented with the Venn Diagram - 3 Circles, reviewed here. Have students collaborate and create maps using MapHub, reviewed here, to locate places found on this site and explore areas close by. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Wonderment - Kidnected World
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): communication (136), cross cultural understanding (157), enrichment (9), gifted (65), listening (68), Problem Based Learning (13), problem solving (226), social media (53), social networking (68), social skills (22), speaking (22), sustainability (44)
In the Classroom
The Wonderment is a problem based learning adventure for each student around the world to communicate and collaborate with other students. This venue allows great lesson ideas for digital citizenship and digital footprints. Begin by choosing a path for the entire class and feature on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Have students work in small groups to choose their best response. Discussions can focus on creativity, problem solving, and collaboration between the group and others from around the world. In a gifted class, use as a way to challenge kids to break through the "right answer" and find the "best answer." Use this as a model for finding authentic needs in your community. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class blog, website, or learning management system (LMS). Use this tool as the answer for the parents who always want more challenge and enrichment for their students at home. Be sure to share at a staff meeting to spread the wonder for other students and adults.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Ducksters - Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI)
Grades
2 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (128), african american (109), american revolution (81), animal homes (56), animals (280), artists (77), biographies (93), china (62), civil rights (194), civil war (134), cold war (30), continents (32), countries (69), data (147), division (98), egypt (45), elements (32), energy (130), environment (240), explorers (64), fractions (159), friction (9), geometric shapes (136), greece (26), habitats (87), human body (93), inventors and inventions (71), keyboarding (28), mean (19), median (16), mode (13), multiplication (122), planets (111), presidents (121), puzzles (143), recycling (46), renaissance (32), rome (20), solar system (108), sound (74), sports (77), subtraction (109), sun (69), world war 1 (72), world war 2 (149)
In the Classroom
This site is a perfect addition for use with a biography unit. Explore and share information categorized by topics such as Civil Rights, the Cold War, Ancient Greece, and WWII. Extend student learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president, famous scientist, or nearly any other real or fictitious person. Be sure to create a link to the site on your class webpage or newsletter for students to explore at home. Create a link on classroom computers for students to use the interactives during center time.Comments
Very safe and reliable. Everyone else is my school thinks ducksters is stupid but I love ducksters.Ry, CA, Grades: 6 - 12
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Visualizing Cultures - MIT
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): asia (68), china (62), cross cultural understanding (157), japan (56), perspective (11), visualizations (11)
In the Classroom
Perspective taking is an important skill in learning about other cultures and other time periods. To Western eyes, these images will provide a fresh look at historical events. It is important to note, and to help students understand, that the images are uncensored and may depict a way of seeing others that, to us, may seem racist or disrespectful. Screen the images to determine how they might be best used to help students see the world through others' eyes, and how to manage a discussion of these themes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Asian Art Museum Educator Resources - Asian Art Museum
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): art history (86), artists (77), asia (68), china (62), chinese new year (5), cross cultural understanding (157), japan (56), korea (19)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Allow students to explore on their own or in collaborative groups. Replace more traditional tools for brainstorming and have students or groups collect ideas and findings using Padlet, reviewed here. The Padlet application creates free online sticky note boards. Bookmark and use this site to find resources for Chinese New Year activities. Expand learning by having students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Image Atlas - Taryn Simon and Aaron Swartz
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (157), images (270), photography (131)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to compare images that portray words you have searched and hypothesize about cultural differences. GO beyond the images to compare the articles that contain the images. This tool would be especially relevant in social studies, health, and other subjects where a difference in meaning across the world can be discussed. This tool may be useful if doing reports on countries. If you are allowing older students to search on their own, be sure to set firm guidelines/rules ahead of time! As with ANY image search, it all depends on the terms you enter!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Historical Photographs of China 1850-1950 - University of Bristol
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Share with students on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to view actual images taken in China from 1850-1950. Allow students to explore keywords such as fashion, specific cities or locations, or schooling to view images taken over the 100 year time span. Challenge your students to use a site such as Timetoast reviewed here to create timelines of images found using keyword searches. (Most images offer a version available under a Creative Commons Share-alike license.) Be sure they include image credits!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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All About China - EnchantedLearning.com
Grades
1 to 5In the Classroom
Use the mapping activities from this site as a classroom activity during a unit on Chinese geography or history. Print out the mapping worksheets, and have student pairs or cooperative learning groups complete the activity. This would be a great way to review Chinese geography, or bring in contextual information about the geography during a unit on Ancient or modern China.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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China - Mr. Donn - Mrdonn.org
Grades
1 to 12In the Classroom
Save this site as a favorite and use it as a resource to find supplementary materials or lesson plans for a lesson or unit on China. Several of the activities would make great learning centers or stations as a review tool before an assessment or after immediate instruction. Be sure to save the sites as favorite on classroom computers, making it easier for students to navigate there.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ancient China Online Games and Activities - Mr. Donn
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): china (62)
In the Classroom
Browse through this site to find activities to fit your specific class during a unit on Ancient China. After you've found games that can work, save them as favorites on classroom computers and use them as learning centers or stations. This would be a great way to review before an assessment or immediately after a lecture introducing the topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Tank Man - PBS Frontline
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Use the documentary on this site as an in-class activity during a lesson or unit on Modern China. Introduce the circumstances of Tiananmen Square to the class before playing the video on the interactive whiteboard or projector. Make sure to give students sufficient contextual information before playing the video. After the video, have a class discussion about the video, using your own prompts or those derived from the teachers guide! Challenge students to create fictitious blog posts from those living near the area, or from family members living far away.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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China From the Inside - PBS
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): china (62)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans in the "Educators" section! The lesson plans connect the content to geography and economics, and are aligned with national standards. The U.S. China quiz may be a bit challenging, but teachers can easily use it as a formative assessment to see what students already know about modern China before entering a new lesson or unit on it. Make sure to save the site as a favorite to allow for easy reference later on!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Tibet Question - Mark La Porte
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): china (62)
In the Classroom
This is a great activity to use in a World History or Government classroom. This would be a great way to show how the media and globalization impacts public policy and opinion of events. Be sure to save the site as a favorite on classroom computers to make it easier for student groups to navigate there.For an alternative to the traditional paper or PowerPoint as the end product, consider using Google Docs Presentation reviewed here, or one of many creative collaborative web 2.0 tools reviewed in the TeachersFirst Edge. Your students can work collaboratively without even being in the same place, and their projects can be shared easily on the web.
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