• Another way of thinking of culture is to consider our world as a symbol for life.  We each construct our own world based on what we ‘let in’ (sorry, that which we choose to ‘force out’ is still a part of our constructed world). I like to think of culture as defined by science as a medium that is conducive to growth. As such ‘culture’ is that part of the world, that we identity as our own.

AIM: Understand that art reveals cultural identity. We live with others whose worlds and cultures overlap.

LINE OF INQUIRY: How does the environment that we grow up in effect the way we experience the world? 
OBJECTIVE: Students will create an interdisciplinary cultural identity research profile that includes 3 photos, songs, food, designs and personal items.
EDUCATION: LINE OF INQUIRY
How does the diverse environment that we grow up in effect the way we experience the world? How does this shared experience affect the way we learn?
How can teachers explore the arts to address the individual learning styles of their students? How can we use technology to frame this experience through electronic portfolios? How will we use the understanding gained through portfolios to refine how we teach the arts?

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ACTIVITY: IDEA
Your parents also influenced the way you shaped and molded yourself, whether or not these were your biological parents, step parents or guardians.  The culture that you grow up in often accounts for a large degree in how you view and feel about the world you live in. You may agree or disagree with the standards and values that you grew up with and act accordingly. However, some of you may have no idea were you came from and may not see the effects of the kind of framing that the culture that you grew up in had on your beliefs. 

As educators we are called upon to experience a diverse variety of learners that come to us from all corners of the world.  My own father came from Kostice, Czechoslovakia and my mother’s father (and seven generations) came from a village in Germany .  Each of us is a foreigner in a strange new land; the Lenapi were the ancient inhabitants of North Eastern America and honored their elders because they carry the wisdom of a lifetime.

Native countries are not always true indicators of people’s sense of culture. Cultures are borrowed and appropriated.  One way of thinking of this question, what is culture, is to think about who your neighbor is.  We literally live besides all neighbors of the world in NYC and absorb or reject many cultures. Some of us identify with the music, dance, arts, food, images and yes, being with, our neighbors.   

Within the patterns, shapes, colors and lines of artworks, clothing, architecture each culture carves and shapes distinctly unique marks that signify habits, customs, beliefs and the imagining  of  families (villages, cities, counties, states, countries, continents and worlds.)

We are all the same, uniquely the same
Urban Peace Academy, Mural title, 1994

ACTIVITY:  Choose at least one of these methods to reveal your cultural identity.
You may consider these methods for sensing a culture.

1.       Interview members of your family on your cultural heritage. Interview a family member, elder, guardian, friend of the family or neighbor. Write a one page transcript of the interview.

Possible questions
What country and/ or part of the world did they come from?
Under what circumstances---What made them leave their home?
Why you and/or your family choose New York, the United States ?
What were the specific culture and religions of your ancestors?

2.       Look at old photo’s for clues.
Draw shapes, lines and symbols of these details. Ask questions about these details?

3.    The type of foods your family eats may be a clue to your cultural identity, as well as the stories you were told when you were a child.  (Sketch details, draw maps, Take photographs of food, bring in wrappers of your favorite food. etc.)

4.       Look at documents, records, archives (www.ElisIland.com)
What were the professions of your parents and their relatives?
Find out about name origins, customs around birth, death, marriage, coming of age, clothing and religious celebrations.  (databases and archives) Write a one page description or take photographs of heirlooms and present them on a page.

5.       As many of us, if you come from various cultures: Which one is dominant? Why?
Bring in some item from home that may help us understand your cultural identity---statures, clothing, crafts, pictures, a memento and so forth. (sociological issues)

6.       Make a sketch (it may include words, notes, diagrams) of your IDEAL cultural hero.
(Paul Bunyan, Mighty Mouse, Magarac, Marco Polo,)

7.       Research OBJECTS in your family history: draw, sketch or take digital photos of things of interest. Look at  clothing, jewelry, symbols, emblems, patterns, music, logic, poetry, style, tools, weapons, attitude, movies books, DVD’s, surveys, religions, health records, marriage licenses, birth records, maps, logs, journals archives, toys, homes, travel habits, inventions, paintings, modes of transpiration, and all conceivable signifiers.

This activity should have at least one symbol, one shape, one natural element, one pattern, one color and one X.(unknown) Take photographs and present on a page.

The materials and ideas you generate for this activity will be used in the next activity. 

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