Students learn how the diversity of Texas is reflected in a variety of cultural activities, celebrations, and performances. They research a festival that celebrates an immigrant group’s native culture. Then they define assimilation and give an example. Finally, they write a letter to a friend in the “old country” explaining how they preserve their cultural heritage in Texas.
Students view an image of Ballet Folklorico at the Texas Folklife Festival and read background text about Texas as a land of many cultures, including information about languages spoken at home. They predict the third most common language spoken in Texas homes (after English and Spanish) using a word cloud prompt, then read about the importance of both working together across groups and maintaining family cultural heritage through festivals, celebrations, and performances.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience overview and objective, explain that students will work in small groups for upcoming scenes, and form at least five groups, each assigned or allowed to choose a Texas ethnic festival to research. After students submit word cloud responses, share that Vietnamese is the third most common language, followed by Chinese and Tagalog, and connect this to Texas’s diversity. Invite students to share holidays or celebrations that express their family’s heritage or experiences with other cultural celebrations, allowing time for discussion before unlocking the next scene.
In small groups, students research a Texas ethnic festival (such as Charro Days Fiesta in Brownsville, Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Westfest in West, or Bayou City Cajun Festival) using Internet sources, including the links provided in the student pack, to learn about its origins, location, and cultural features like food, clothing, music, and dance. They create a report that may include background information, maps of Texas and the country of origin, and images or media, then post their report or a link to it on a discussion wall using a digital presentation tool if desired. Groups then review other groups’ reports and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesRemind students of the available festival links and encourage them to extend their research beyond the provided resources. Support groups as they gather information, create visuals, and choose appropriate digital tools for presenting their findings. Monitor the discussion wall to ensure all groups post a report, prompt students to ask substantive questions or offer constructive feedback on others’ work, and manage timing before unlocking the next scene.
Students read an explanation of how immigrants bring their culture and traditions to a new country while adapting to a new culture, and are introduced to the term assimilation. Using a dictionary, they look up the definition of assimilation and, in small groups, collaboratively write their own definition and provide an example of assimilation in a shared table.
Teacher MovesClarify the concept of assimilation by sharing a formal definition and common examples, such as adopting the language, foods, or holidays of a new country. Circulate among groups to check that students’ definitions are accurate and that their examples clearly show how people adapt to a new culture while maintaining aspects of their original culture. Prepare students to transition from group work to individual work in the next scene before unlocking it.
Working individually, students imagine themselves as immigrants to Texas (or draw on their own experiences if applicable) and write a letter to a friend in their country of origin describing how they and their family celebrate their old culture and traditions in their new home. After posting their letters to a shared wall, they read classmates’ letters and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to use what they have learned about cultural heritage and assimilation to create detailed, reflective letters that show how traditions can be preserved in a new setting. Encourage respectful reading and commenting on peers’ letters, guiding students to ask thoughtful questions and make connections between different cultural experiences. Provide feedback on students’ understanding of how diverse cultures influence life in Texas as demonstrated in their writing and responses.
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