Students are introduced to American culture by watching a movie trailer in Spanish. They consider the global influence of American culture. Then they learn about various aspects of American culture, choosing one aspect and researching it to create a presentation. Finally, students predict the future cultural impacts of technology in the United States.

Objectives:

• Identify and explain major elements of contemporary American culture.
• Describe the influence of American culture throughout the world.
• Describe multiculturalism in the United States.

Scene 1 — Engage

Student Activity

Students read an introduction to the experience and its objectives, then watch the trailer for Frozen 2 in Spanish. They first record observations about the trailer and then post responses explaining what the translation into another language suggests about the movie’s audience and the global reach of American films.

Teacher Moves

Present the lesson overview and objectives. Highlight that the trailer has Spanish subtitles and lead a discussion of student responses, guiding them to recognize that American movies appeal to audiences beyond English speakers and that many viewers in the United States speak Spanish. Prompt students to consider the worldwide influence of American movies by asking how films like Frozen might shape culture around the globe.

Scene 2 — Explore

Student Activity

Students read American Culture: Traditions and Customs of the United States to explore the diversity of U.S. society and key cultural elements such as language, religion, style, food, arts, sports, and holidays. As they read, they complete a graphic organizer with notes on each cultural category. Afterward, they view an image of a WNBA game and post to a discussion wall about which aspect of American culture interests them most and why.

Teacher Moves

Ensure students understand the purpose of the reading and how to use the graphic organizer to capture key details. Monitor note-taking and clarify unfamiliar cultural terms or examples. Facilitate pair or whole-class discussion of students’ chosen cultural aspects, encouraging them to share reasons for their interests and to connect these elements to the broader diversity of American culture.

Scene 3 — Explain

Student Activity

Students select one cultural element (such as language, religion, style, food, arts, sports, holidays, or beliefs) and conduct additional research on that topic. They create a presentation that includes explanatory text and images and explicitly explains how multicultural diversity in the United States influences their chosen cultural element. Students post their presentations to a discussion wall or share links created with digital tools (e.g., Prezi, online timelines, slide presentations, or other approved formats). They then review classmates’ presentations and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.

Teacher Moves

Clarify expectations for the research project and presentation, including the requirement to address the impact of multicultural diversity. Suggest appropriate digital tools and resources, and support students in locating reliable information and images. Monitor posts on the discussion wall, prompting students to ask thoughtful questions and give constructive feedback. If time allows, invite students to present their work orally and facilitate a brief Q&A for each presentation.

Scene 4 — Elaborate

Student Activity

Students reflect on the role of technology in their own lives and in American society. They write a short blog-style post predicting future cultural impacts of technological innovations in the United States, explaining how these changes might shape everyday life, communication, or cultural practices.

Teacher Moves

Prompt students to connect their personal experiences with technology to broader cultural patterns before they write. After students submit their posts, select and share one or more insightful or exemplary predictions with the class, using them to spark discussion about possible future cultural changes driven by technology.

Scene 5 — Evaluate

Student Activity

Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.

Teacher Moves

Facilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.

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