1. Let’s create a culture together!!
Can you DIG it???
Let’s create a culture together!!

2. Sharing and voting on a culture
1 You can’t vote for your own project, unless your ideas are combined with another, and then one of you can vote for your idea.
2 You must chose a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place idea from your table
3 1st=10 points, 2nd=5 points and 3rd=3 points (Most points=culture)
4 Your idea must be approved by Mr. Gershuny or Ms. Brown after vote, or things may need be be revised

3. Day 1....Personal Creation of a Culture
Today we begin the DIG project
As a class we will create from scratch, a culture all our own
As we learned any culture can be examined with the 10 Cultural Universals
Today we will do our very own creative thinking to create a culture, and begin thinking of the 10 Cultural Universals that help define them

4. Shhhhh!!!! It is a secret!
Only students from our class can know about your idea for the culture
Protect the integrity of the project by not giving any hints
It will be more fun for everyone

5. Let’s become Archeologists, and study these artifacts
Take out a separate piece of scratch paper, you will need a full sheet today
I will pass around delicate artifacts from cultures from the past (daVinci past), please be very gentle
You will silently write down anything you can tell anything about that culture from looking at the artifact
Mask )Sticks string
Metal and Wood )Cloth and wood
5) Paper )Sticks and Twine
7)Circle art

6. In groups of 3
Compare your answers, and let’s see if your observations match.
Once all groups have their ideas, we will compare answers with the class
Each group will report to the class what they thought the artifacts represented

7. Mysterious Artifacts Unearthed
You get to play the role of a time traveler who comes back to 2016, and finds a variety of artifacts
There is no one around to help you figure out what these artifacts are for
Do your best to determine what these items are used for
(without using your previous knowledge to spoil the fun)

8. Motel of the Mysteries
Macaulay.pdf

9. Specibian Mural Investigation
On the overhead we will look at a student created wall mural for the Specibian Culture
Write 1-10 on a separate piece of paper
Focus on each numbered section of the mural, and write the details of what you saw.

10. Now let’s begin to create your OWN CULTURE
On the back of your scratch paper, you will begin to brainstorm your own culture
Think first of THEMES, VALUES, TIMEFRAME and GEOGRAPHY
These 3 Cultural Universals will influence the others

11. Design a Culture
What time period does this culture take place?
Where does this culture live? (Geography)
What is important to them? (Themes)
What symbols represent their culture?
What is this culture called?
If yours is chosen we go deeper by examining it using the 10 Cultural Universals

12. DIG PROJECT OVERVIEW
Full Project Overview: Teams will create cultures based on the concept that there are basic elements that all human societies share. Their culture will be expressed through student made artifacts that use the 10 Cultural Universals to reflect these unique cultures. Each class will create a student created language, Rosetta Stone, and wall mural as well.
Once the artifacts, mural and language is complete, each class “buries” its artifacts for another team to excavate and reconstruct.
There are 4 sections to this project; Individual Culture Creation, Small group culture, Full class culture, and archaeologist exploration which will guide the segments of this project.
AS stands for assignment sheet – Each team member completes AS 1-5, 8 individually to contribute ideas to their group’s project. The packets are worksheets to help guide you through this process.
PLEASE WRITE ALL FINAL ANSWERS ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER. YOU CAN TYPE OR HAND WRITE AS LONG AS IT IS LEGIBLE.

13. INDIVIDUAL CULTURE CREATION
Cultural Creation Guidelines
Your theme should be ORIGINAL and show how your chosen geography influences your created culture, considering all universals.
Every universal (cultural part) MUST relate to the theme (what it values).
Don’t take whole parts of another culture (i.e.: Star Trek/Star Wars, or video game themes). BEWARE of being too far-fetched or random. Originality can be functional and believable at the same time as being creative. Once in groups don’t squelch kids’ ideas, particularly in the beginning; be inclusive.
DO NOT BASE YOUR CULTURE ON VIOLENCE, please.
Assignment Sheet # 1 BACKGROUND & THEMES - This is a classwork/homework assignment to be brought back to school for discussion with your group THE DAY AFTER IT IS GIVEN TO YOU. After brainstorming ideas, decide on the geographic setting, historical time, and major themes for your culture. Remember to think about how geography influences your culture.

14. SMALL GROUP CULTURE
After the individual cultures are created, we will form groups of 5 students to determine the best ideas of each class. After hearing each idea, and discussing them with the group you will vote in that group to select one of the small group’s ideas.
Each group will develop a detailed cultural mural, symbolic language and Rosetta Stone for translating their language
Once complete each of the groups will make a presentation of their chosen culture to the full class, and based on the class wide vote, we will finalize the culture for the entire class.

15. GROUP ROLES (Volunteers have first choice)
1)Crew Chief-Organizes the team, keeps group on task, makes sure each aspect of the required segments are complete. Works with entire group, and reports the group progress to Mr. Gershuny
2)Mural Chief Designer-Is in charge of the layout and design of the mural. Needs to get ideas and feedback from each member of the group. Focuses in 2D artistic display of the culture. Must include Universals and language in art
3)Language Creator-Will design a unique language of symbols that can be translated by a “Rosetta Stone” tablet.
4)Rosetta Stone Creator-Will work with the language creator to create the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone is an artistic creation that needs to contain phrases important to the culture in both the student created language and in English.
5)Cultural Universal Guide-Will be in charge of including and organizing the Cultural Universal ideas of the culture. You will talk to each team member, and write down the big ideas of the culture.

16. Volunteers have preference

17. ASSIGNMENT SHEET #2
CULTURAL UNIVERSAL (First Ideas) - Individual team members create initial ideas for their assigned culture universal (government, religion, economics, etc.) and present to full team. Try not to get too complicated. Keep ideas simple at first.

18. FULL CLASS CULTURE/ARTIFACT CREATION
Now that the entire class has chosen its culture, we can begin working on our individual artifacts that reflect the Cultural Universals of that culture. Make sure each artifact includes some of the language of the culture.
ARTIFACT GUIDE:
Picture the actions that might take place between people when you think of your universal (culture part). If you are in charge of the alphabet or numbering system, try not to make them too intricate or complex.
Remember that part of your evaluation will be based on your writing about the significance your artifact has to your culture based on geography, themes and values.
Think of parts of objects. For instance, a doorknob might be a clue to shelters. Think HARD about what the function, purpose and value is of each object.
Remember that your whole artifact can be represented on the team mural. So, even if you only make a partial artifact, class “archaeologists” can analyze what its purpose is from the mural.
You can create artifacts out of things from home, but they should be altered in some way. For example, don’t bring in an old Winnie the Pooh bear and say it represents food, clothing, and shelter. Be thoughtful about objects from home and alter them.
It is OK to make artifacts out of one material to simulate another. For example, you might use clay to simulate stone. Remember symbolism. Your artifact can be a symbolic representation of your universal.
Explore thrift stores (The bins at Goodwill are great & cheap), junkyards, SCRAP (recycled goods), and found objects from around your house to alter into artifacts - this is much more fun and far more original. You need not spend a fortune.

19. FULL CLASS CULTURE/ARTIFACT CREATION (CONTINUED)
This is a challenging and (hopefully) fun assignment! You are attempting to create an object that gives a valid clue to your universal.
Most students find this assignment to be very difficult. It is supposed to be A CHALLENGE. You are attempting to create an object that gives a VALID clue to your chosen universal. Make plenty of sketches of your drawing. When listing materials, also think of where you can get them.
Assignment Sheet# 3 CULTURAL UNIVERSAL (Final Ideas) - Write up final ideas for assigned universal. This sheet can contain ideas entirely different from those on AS # 2.
Assignment Sheet #5 ARTIFACT REFLECTION Use this worksheet to guide you through the creation and as a tool to help you look at the artifact you created.

20. 10 Cultural Universals
Theme: which indicate what is valued in a society, what the peoples’ code of ethics is, what symbols represent their ideas (e.g., Statue of Liberty in the U.S.A.).
Political Organization: which covers a society’s government, law enforcement and its war and peace strategies/tendencies.
Communications:which cover the language and number system of the people.
Food, Clothing and Shelter: which incorporate the types of food, clothing and adornment and home/shelter styles.
Attitude toward the Unknown:which includes the peoples’ religious beliefs and practices and their death rituals.
Background:which involves a time during which the culture existed, a geographic setting and a group of people for whom one can provide a physical description.
Arts and Esthetic Values:which are seen in its art, music, dance, drama and literature.
Recreation: which is enjoyed by all peoples as seen through their games and sports and their use of leisure time.
Economics:A culture’s technology, transportation, mode of trade and/or money and its division of labor are considered items in the category of “economics.”
Family and Kin: includes the culture’s child training, rites of passage, education, marriage traditions and family grouping styles.

21. Now in groups of 5 Share your Culture
Explain all of the details and Universals you thought of
You will be choosing as a group the best 0ne to present to the class
Each of you can vote for 2 cultures
Whichever gets the most votes wins
In case of a tie, everyone gets 1 vote...3 votes wins

22. In those groups of 5
You will create the language and mural for this culture
Remember that it is your goal to convince the rest of the class that your culture is the one they should vote for

23. Rosetta Stone Creator
The time has come for you to create the key
clue for others to understand your culture.
Please create a 3-d artistic creation that
includes at least 4 key sayings and phrases of
your culture, as well as images of importance.
The sayings should be in your created
language, as well as English. Please be creative
in creating your medium, and try to be
culturally specific with your choice of
materials. +

24. Claim and Evidence
A major goal for 6th graders is to develop the skills to make a CLAIM, and support it with EVIDENCE
For these presentations I want to use this opportunity to practice these skills.
Before each presentation the mural will be placed on the projector
Without any information from that team, see if you can figure out what the culture
Make a CLAIM as to the nature of the culture, and then give at least 2 pieces of EVIDENCE to back up your ideas.

25. Theme Music

26. Mural Cultural Universal Investigation
Please take out your Cultural Universal Assignment Sheet Packet.
You will silently look at your partner class’s Mural. See what Cultural Universal clues you find to this culture’s Background and Theme.
Once you begin to have an idea of what this culture believes in, circle and make note of any EVIDENCE you find
Once done with the Mural Investigation, write a formal CLAIM (Big idea) and 3 examples of EVIDENCE on that worksheet.
Your final creation will be a detailed paragraph, with a well defined TOPIC SENTENCE, and 3 sentences of supporting EVIDENCE. Include the “WHY’S”

27. Now turn to a chair partner
Compare your results
Were your claims similar? If so did you use the same evidence to come to your claim?
Were they different? What different evidence did you use to come to different conclusions
A few volunteer groups will share out their results to the class

28. Language Hunt
On the back side of the mural is a translation of the partner class’s Rosetta Stone
I will hand out a new worksheet that is meant to be your tool toward translation
Write out each letter you find on the Rosetta Stone, and see what letters you still need to find.
Use your new tool to see

29. DIG Notebook Reflection
-What was your favorite part of this project?
-What part of the project was the most difficult?
-Did you enjoy creating your own culture, or investigating another culture more?
Why?
-What part of this project are you most proud of?