Bringing Culture to Life: Helping Students Find Their Voice Through Cultural Exploration

When I introduced the cultural appreciation unit in language arts, I wanted more than just a typical assignment. I aimed to create a project in which students could actively explore their own cultural backgrounds, connect with their heritage, and express what culture means to them. The results were inspiring. Through research, note-taking, and creative expression, students not only learned about their cultures but also developed strong explanatory writing skills. They found ownership of their own culture. This post shares how the project unfolded, the learning outcomes, and resources for teachers who want to bring this culture research starter project to life in their own classrooms.

Designing the Culture Project

The project began with a clear goal: students would investigate their own culture by researching information, identifying meaningful symbols or artifacts, and then presenting their findings in a creative way. I encouraged them to think beyond basic facts. Instead, I encourage them to focus on what makes their culture unique and meaningful to them personally.

Students started by taking detailed notes about their cultural background. This included family traditions, holidays, food, and language passed down through generations. The note-taking phase was crucial because it helped students organize their thoughts and prepare for the next steps.

Next, each student selected symbols or artifacts that represented their culture. These could be anything from a traditional piece of clothing, a recipe, a musical instrument, or even a phrase in their native language. The goal was to create a “starter pack” — a small collection of items (similar to an action figure/doll box) that would introduce someone unfamiliar with their culture.

Finally, students wrote an explanatory research paper. This writing piece explained the significance of their chosen symbols and shared insights about their culture. The explanatory writing helped students practice clear communication, connecting their research with personal reflection. In order to help strengthen the students' explanatory writing, I provided graphic organizers, exemplars, and sentence frames.

Student Engagement and Learning

One of the most rewarding parts of this project was seeing how engaged the students became. Many shared stories they had never told before, and some discovered new aspects of their culture through research. The project gave them a chance to take pride in their heritage and express it creatively. They were also interested in my own culture and wanted to learn more about it.

During the gallery walkthrough, students displayed their starter packs on their desks. Students had access to the visual starter pack on the front and the explanatory writing on the back. This event turned the classroom into a vibrant space of cultural exchange. Students walked around, read each other’s work, and gave feedback. The feedback sessions were rich with questions and compliments, showing genuine curiosity and respect.

Students reported several learning points from the project:

• They learned how to conduct research on personal and cultural topics.

• They practiced organizing information clearly in their explanatory writing.

• They gained confidence in sharing their culture with others.

• They developed empathy by learning about classmates’ diverse backgrounds.

  
  

Practical Tips for Teachers

If you want to try a similar culture project, here are some tips based on my experience:

• Set clear expectations for each phase of the project: note-taking, artifact selection, and writing. Provide examples and models to guide students.

• Encourage creativity in the starter pack. Allow students to incorporate drawings, family photos, recipes, or small physical objects that connect to their heritage.

• Build in time for peer feedback. The gallery walkthrough was a highlight for my students and deepened their understanding of one another.

• Support explanatory writing by teaching students how to blend factual research with personal meaning.

• Share personal teacher model: These can make the project easier to launch and more engaging for students.

  
  

Teacher Resources

• Culture Research Starter Pack Project (TPT): Includes slides, all resources above, template, and more!

• Supply List:

  Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no extra cost to you. I am recommending products that I use in my classroom or may be useful for this project.

  2-D Starter Pack Model: Here are the resources I used to make the 2-D model. The cultural starter pack was drawn on the front of the cardboard, and the printed writing went on the back.

  • 11x14 Cardboard Backing: What I used as the base https://amzn.to/4iulS3p

  • Uni Posca Paint Markers: https://amzn.to/4ohZRpI

  • Shading Colored Pencils: https://amzn.to/4puHI9a

  • Elmer's Glue All: https://amzn.to/4puLJuo

  3-D Starter Pack Model: A cool idea would be for students to create their own physical doll box. For the purpose of time and resources, I chose the 2-D model idea.

  • 12 x 8 x 2.5 Window box: Function as doll box: https://amzn.to/3XUIlgp

  • Foam Clay: https://amzn.to/483HDni

  • Clay Glaze: https://amzn.to/4iksBwR

  • Shuttle Art Acrylic Paint: https://amzn.to/4ofpZBK