A New Kind of Quest: CultureQuest Dr. Sheila Offman Gersh City College of New York sgersh@ccny.cuny.edu http://www.culturequest.us http://www.schoollink.org/twin

CultureQuest projects are: inquiry-based investigations of other peoples and cultures that are rooted in student questions and based upon student interests

CultureQuest Projects may: Focus on foreign cultures Focus on American culture and/or American subcultures Focus on the diverse cultural heritages of the students Compare and contrast any of the above.

WHAT APECTS OF CULTURE ARE EXAMINED? literature art music history government religion language everyday life customs & traditions Values, beliefs and behavior

One Way of Structuring a CultureQuest Project Entire class find core information about the country (geography, history, demographics, etc). Students begin conversations with their peers in the country via e-mail and the class begins to explore areas of culture. Students select specific areas of culture to focus on and work in small groups to obtain information in those areas. Teacher and Students develop an “educational” Web site and present their work to the world.

How does a CultureQuest Project fit into the Curriculum? It is linked to the geographic focus of the social studies curriculum (e.g., Asia, the Middle East, etc) It is integrated with work students do in other subjects (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, history, art, etc) It is linked to specific NYS Learning Standards (e.g., ELA, Social Studies, NETS)

ELA STANDARDS Learning Standards Link to Standards PDF File Standard 1 - Language for Information and Understanding Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding - As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information. Standard 2 - Language for Literary Response and Expression Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary expression - Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.

ELA STANDARDS Standard 3 - Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation - As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues. Standard 4 - Language for Social Interaction Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction - Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

NETS STANDARDS Social, ethical, and human issues Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology. Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.   Technology productivity tools Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

NETS STANDARDS Technology communications tools Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences. Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.  Technology research tools Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. Students use technology tools to process data and report results. Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.  Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions. Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

CULTUREQUEST PROJECTS MAY RELATE TO OTHER DISCIPLINES Social Studies Music, Dance, Performing Arts Art Science Math Economics Geography

Traditional Model of Education T S

21ST Century Model of Education L L E L L E L L L E L P L L L L E L

Support teachers may need in doing a CultureQuest project Assistance in understanding what culture is and how to study culture & avoid key pitfalls. Assistance in leading their class in developing more sophisticated and accomplished work. Assistance with specific uses of technology (e-mail, Internet, creating Web sites, etc.) Assistance with the pedagogy that supports inquiry-based projects

Technology Skills Access Internet resources for the study of culture. Promote communication with students and experts in the target country (ePals). Internet Basics --searching, evaluating Web sites, use of proper citation, appropriate and ethical use policies, etc. Teaching with the Internet Inspiration for graphical mapping of project Creation of an educational Web site. Assist students in using multimedia to support projects (e.g., digital photography, video, graphics and other applications, desktop videoconferencing (NetMeeting).

Related CultureQuest Skills Academic Reading Technology Internet Use Learning Styles Problem Solving Culture Appreciation of Diversity and Multi-culturalism Writing Computer Skills Research Skills Acting as Cultural Informant Music, Art, Literature Web Site Design Creativity Knowledge of Another Culture History, geography Presentation & Graphics Collaboration Knowledge of American and own Culture

CultureQuest Pedagogy Student-Centered Constructivist Project-Based Authentic Ownership Interdisciplinary Inquiry-Based Collaborative Teacher as Facilitator Multicultural Standards-Based Real Audiences for Work Multiple Intelligences Humanistic and Caring Students as Workers Product/Action

The CultureQuest Process Decide on target culture Brainstorm what students know about the culture Brainstorm what students want to know about the culture Cover the core areas with whole class

The CultureQuest Process (cont’d) Use ePals.com to find classrooms Students communicate with counterparts using e-mail on ePals.com Divide students into small groups by interest area Students prepare and send “Welcome Packages”—videos, artifacts, postal cards, coins, etc.

In Gathering Information about the Culture: Use books and library resources Use Internet resources Explore resources in own city/community Museums People (oral history) Visit neighborhoods (shops, restaurants, etc.) Cultural Centers E-mail to students and/or adult experts

Teach Student Technology Skills Graphic Organizers (Inspiration) Internet Basics (searching, evaluation, citation) Web Page creation Web Editing Uploading/managing website

Final Products Class creates Web site with general information and links to group projects Other multimedia products: PowerPoint HyperStudio Digital stories with stills and videos