Go Deeper Than The Catchy Music and Fun Games

W08: Deep Culture in the Elementary Classroom

Surface studies of culture can be a lot of fun. There’s fun stuff out there for every interest, like KPOP music videos, Japanese video games, Bollywood movies, International soccer teams, and Italian desserts. Elementary kids might enjoy learning about some of the playground games kids play in other cultures, too. Showing kids more options lets them see that there’s more to choose from out there in the world.

My latest KPOP albums with my Japanese gaming console

There are also deeper differences between cultures, too. In an article I read for school by John and Nathaniel Ivers, they applied a psychological formula for counseling to cultural perceptions ("Teaching Deeper Culture in Elementary School Foreign Language Classes", Learning Languages Spring 2010.). When an event or circumstance happens, we filter it through our beliefs and culture and then react. Reactions can vary greatly because of cultural paradigms. They gave an example of tossing a marker to someone. In the US, we just catch it, say, “Thanks,” and move on. In some Latin American cultures, it would be seen as extremely rude and the receiver would take offense.

Some of these concepts might seem tricky to convey to elementary students, but making an effort to teach them how perspectives can shift will serve them well. (Some concepts are more age appropriate than others, too, like gestures, manners, and expressivity.) Learning about deeper differences between cultures opens up the mind to different kinds of possibilities. They start finding options in the way they approach problems or life in general. That’s where we really start unlocking potential in the mind. Just knowing there are options opens us up to evaluating what we’re doing and seeing if we can do it better. The founders of the United States of America had studied many foreign philosophies and ideas and used them in creating our government.

Deep culture instruction can also help children develop more tolerance and love for those who behave or respond differently from them, too. Young children can be taught to understand that what someone’s doing might be coming from cultural difference and not malice or stupidity. Everyone benefits when there’s more understanding and patience in the world.