Sixth grade - Culture Shock
Welcome to Culture Shock! Culture Shock is a sixth grade interdisciplinary social science course. Culture Shock explores tourism as a historical, social, and cultural practice. This course is a modified Texas Performance Standards Project and is aligned with sixth grade Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
Culture Shock begins by defining tourism as a historical practice. Students will examine connections between tourism, discovery, cultural exchange, and social custom. The class will gain a nuanced understanding of travel by studying in depth dominant types of tourism, such as recreational, historical, sustainable, cultural, educational, among many others. During this learning phase of our work, students will take on the roles of Austin, Texas cultural ambassadors, charged with receiving different groups of exchange students. What will they see? Why? In addition, students will chose a country of interest and write a brief research paper from a touristic angle. To enhance our study, a range of guest speakers representing local travel agencies will join us to discuss the business of tourism.
With a firm command of modern travel, students will choose an international destination and design a travel agency based around their country of interest. Students will craft a mission statement for their agency, provide historical context, geographic and cultural information, design three major genre packages (historical, cultural, and educational, for example), and craft a fictional travel blog available on a website of the student's making. Students are expected to account for rates of currency exchange, seasonality, cultural sensitivity, and mode of travel.
Some examples of past projects include:
Sustainable sports tourism in Costa Rica
Historical culinary tourism in Turkey
Fantasy literature immersion tourism in Japan
Sustainable culinary tourism in France
Historical sports tourism in Brazil
The following plan, subject to change, details our daily and weekly work.
September 8-11
Greetings!
Icebreakers and procedures!
Discussion of GT!
Activity: Destination HSE, Austin. Students recount world travels in group game.
September 14-18
What is Tourism?
Webquest: What is the connection between technology and travel?
Encyclopedia Brittanica, "Tourism"
Wikipedia, "Tourism"
Homework: Students research how an invention opened up a particular type of tourism.
September 21-25
Sense of Place!
Discussion: What makes a place unique?
Students illustrate distinctive factors from their own travels.
Homework: Students interview parents about their favorite travel destination. What makes the destination special?
September 28 - October 2
Culture!
Mini-lesson on culture as an anthropologic concept.
Field Study: Mapping culture at HSE, Austin
Homework: Students choose an item and write a short show and tell presentation to share with the class. What culture does the item represent? How? Why? What is the item's history?
October 5-9
Connecting culture with a sense of place
Case study, Austin, TX
Mini project: You are charged with receiving a group of exchange students from a modern country. How could you use tourism to teach the students about Austin culture?
Homework: Write one to two pages about a country you would like to visit. Focusing on culture, explain your choice.
October 12-16
Mini lesson: cultural tourism
Cultural tourism slideshow
Continue working on mini project.
Students brainstorm country for research
Homework: Search the web for an article about cultural tourism. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
October 19 - 23
Mini lesson: Historical tourism
Making sense (of place) with monuments, museums, and markers slideshow
Continue work on mini project.
Students decide upon country for research
Homework: Search the web for an article about historical tourism. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
October 26-30
Mini-lesson: Ecotourism
Geography and a sense of natural place: slideshow
Center for Sustainable Destinations
Continue work on mini project
Students research their country's history
Homework: Search the web for an article about ecotourism. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 2-6
Mini lesson: Adventure tourism
Reading, TBA
Globetrotting in search of adventure: slideshow
Continue mini project
Student's research their country's main cultural groups
Homework: Search the web for a news article about country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 9-13
Mini lesson: Culinary tourism
Culture, history, and food: slideshow
Complete mini project!
Student's research their country's geography
Homework: Search the web for a news article about country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 16-20
Popular Tourism: Amusements and theme parks
Webquest, discover major amusement parks in your country. Share with class. How does culture shape the type of amusement park?
World Fact Book: Students continue researching their country, comparing rates of wealth and finance for U.S. dollars.
Homework: Search the web for a news article about your country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 30 - December 4
Mini Lesson: Service Tourism
Comparing various types of service tourism
Research climate, weather, and special considerations of your country.
Homework: Search the web for a news article about your country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
December 7 - 11
Complete background research for your country
Mini lesson on presenting research
Draft research PowerPoints
Homework: Search the web for a news article about your country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
December 14 - 18
Cultural Fair Presentations
Students Present Background Research of their Country
Brainstorm Project Proposals, Including destination and tourism genres.
Second Semester:
Independent Work Phase: Class Flips for Duration of Year and Students Work on Individual Projects.
Show Case: May, 17th, 2016 - Students present their projects.
Culture Shock begins by defining tourism as a historical practice. Students will examine connections between tourism, discovery, cultural exchange, and social custom. The class will gain a nuanced understanding of travel by studying in depth dominant types of tourism, such as recreational, historical, sustainable, cultural, educational, among many others. During this learning phase of our work, students will take on the roles of Austin, Texas cultural ambassadors, charged with receiving different groups of exchange students. What will they see? Why? In addition, students will chose a country of interest and write a brief research paper from a touristic angle. To enhance our study, a range of guest speakers representing local travel agencies will join us to discuss the business of tourism.
With a firm command of modern travel, students will choose an international destination and design a travel agency based around their country of interest. Students will craft a mission statement for their agency, provide historical context, geographic and cultural information, design three major genre packages (historical, cultural, and educational, for example), and craft a fictional travel blog available on a website of the student's making. Students are expected to account for rates of currency exchange, seasonality, cultural sensitivity, and mode of travel.
Some examples of past projects include:
Sustainable sports tourism in Costa Rica
Historical culinary tourism in Turkey
Fantasy literature immersion tourism in Japan
Sustainable culinary tourism in France
Historical sports tourism in Brazil
The following plan, subject to change, details our daily and weekly work.
September 8-11
Greetings!
Icebreakers and procedures!
Discussion of GT!
Activity: Destination HSE, Austin. Students recount world travels in group game.
September 14-18
What is Tourism?
Webquest: What is the connection between technology and travel?
Encyclopedia Brittanica, "Tourism"
Wikipedia, "Tourism"
Homework: Students research how an invention opened up a particular type of tourism.
September 21-25
Sense of Place!
Discussion: What makes a place unique?
Students illustrate distinctive factors from their own travels.
Homework: Students interview parents about their favorite travel destination. What makes the destination special?
September 28 - October 2
Culture!
Mini-lesson on culture as an anthropologic concept.
Field Study: Mapping culture at HSE, Austin
Homework: Students choose an item and write a short show and tell presentation to share with the class. What culture does the item represent? How? Why? What is the item's history?
October 5-9
Connecting culture with a sense of place
Case study, Austin, TX
Mini project: You are charged with receiving a group of exchange students from a modern country. How could you use tourism to teach the students about Austin culture?
Homework: Write one to two pages about a country you would like to visit. Focusing on culture, explain your choice.
October 12-16
Mini lesson: cultural tourism
Cultural tourism slideshow
Continue working on mini project.
Students brainstorm country for research
Homework: Search the web for an article about cultural tourism. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
October 19 - 23
Mini lesson: Historical tourism
Making sense (of place) with monuments, museums, and markers slideshow
Continue work on mini project.
Students decide upon country for research
Homework: Search the web for an article about historical tourism. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
October 26-30
Mini-lesson: Ecotourism
Geography and a sense of natural place: slideshow
Center for Sustainable Destinations
Continue work on mini project
Students research their country's history
Homework: Search the web for an article about ecotourism. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 2-6
Mini lesson: Adventure tourism
Reading, TBA
Globetrotting in search of adventure: slideshow
Continue mini project
Student's research their country's main cultural groups
Homework: Search the web for a news article about country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 9-13
Mini lesson: Culinary tourism
Culture, history, and food: slideshow
Complete mini project!
Student's research their country's geography
Homework: Search the web for a news article about country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 16-20
Popular Tourism: Amusements and theme parks
Webquest, discover major amusement parks in your country. Share with class. How does culture shape the type of amusement park?
World Fact Book: Students continue researching their country, comparing rates of wealth and finance for U.S. dollars.
Homework: Search the web for a news article about your country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
November 30 - December 4
Mini Lesson: Service Tourism
Comparing various types of service tourism
Research climate, weather, and special considerations of your country.
Homework: Search the web for a news article about your country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
December 7 - 11
Complete background research for your country
Mini lesson on presenting research
Draft research PowerPoints
Homework: Search the web for a news article about your country. Summarize the article in no more than one paragraph. Reflect on the article in two to three paragraphs.
December 14 - 18
Cultural Fair Presentations
Students Present Background Research of their Country
Brainstorm Project Proposals, Including destination and tourism genres.
Second Semester:
Independent Work Phase: Class Flips for Duration of Year and Students Work on Individual Projects.
Show Case: May, 17th, 2016 - Students present their projects.