Cultural Enrichment

Cultural Enrichment is a program designed to immerse students in various cultures as well as global events in history through present times. The topic selected by each grade is woven into most aspects of the curriculum for a period of time. The enrichment comes alive through the teachers use of many tools: novel studies, art projects, service, movies, performers, music, field trips, Web studies, educational boxes, Powerpoints Presentations, debates, protests, dancing, food, and games; all the way to culminating events.

The belief behind the program is encapsulated by this quote, "Tell me and I will forget; show me, and I may remember; involve me, and I will understand."

First Grade: Folk Tales

Studying one folk tale per week, our youngest Cultural Enrichment students learn the origins of these wonderful tales, incorporating references to geography and highlighting the distinctive vocabulary used. Covering cultural tales ranging from Chinese to Native American to Hawaiian, they learn the beauty of language and stories. During the course of the year, a professional storyteller shares this unique talent with the students. Craft activities supplement the focus on folk tales, the most notable being a diorama created by each student, reflecting his or her favorite tale.

Second Grade: Immigrants

The second graders’ focus on immigration includes activities such a creating their own books detailing their family heritage, studying Ellis Island, and reading aloud several books about other people and their immigration experiences. A recent book studied is The Long Way to a New Land. They use maps to identify where they come from in relation to where they live now, make their own passports, create their own Statue of Liberty, and pack a suitcase of must-haves as if they were immigrants. Finally, the second graders learn ethnic dances and songs from other countries.

Third Grade: Illinois

An in-depth focus on our home state is what the third graders experience in Cultural Enrichment. They visit a local farm and weave stories such as Sarah, Plain and Tall into their Reading and Social Studies curriculum. The students enjoy a performance that reflects their focus, such as one on Laura Ingalls Wilder. As a culmination, they step back in time to life on the prairie for a morning, wearing period-specific clothing, enjoying a picnic with authentic foods, and playing games that were played by children of their age back in the early days of Illinois.

Fourth Grade: Native Americans

Reading novels and studying poetry by Native American authors, learning about the many Native American tribes, and visiting local museum exhibits offers our fourth graders a comprehensive view of Native Americans. The students learn even more about specific Native Americans through becoming pen pals with a selected tribe. A Native American speaker visits the school to share the culture through dance, music, and history. They create their own totem poles in art and select a tribe for special study. Finally, at the end of the year, they present what they have learned about their selected tribe at a special event.

Fifth Grade: Civil War

From experiencing an Abe Lincoln performer to exploring “Learning Boxes” from the Cantigny First Division Museum, the fifth grade students have had a hands-on Civil War education. The Learning Boxes contain the items soldiers would carry on their person, such as books, rations, containers, and notes of prayers. Supplementing their Social Studies and Language Arts curriculum, the culmination of this focus is students’ reports on a notable person from the Civil War era. In Art, they create a figure that represents their person of study and display this figure while presenting their reports.

Sixth Grade: China

This new area of Cultural Enrichment is currently under development. Planned is a learning experience for our Sixth grade students that incorporates the fascinating culture of China, supplemented by the Language Arts, Reading, Art and Social Studies curriculum.

Seventh Grade: Black History

Art, Music, and core classes are woven together in a study of the people of Africa. Both in the classroom and during selected field trips, the seventh graders build their knowledge and appreciation of the talents of Africans and, towards the end of the year, learn about the plight and poverty faced by many African people. As a culmination to this study, the seventh graders conduct a peaceful protest in their own way—prayers, posters, speeches, and so on. Their focus has been on protesting slavery, partnering with Chicago-area African non-profits that support those who are rebuilding their lives after fleeing oppression in Africa.

Eighth Grade: Holocaust and Genocide

This topic is comprehensively covered in many of the eighth grade subjects. For example, in Religion they are introduced to anti-Semitism and racism, with a focus on the moral responsibility of bystanders in Genocide. In Social Studies they study Nazi Germany with discussion on the “pyramid of hate”.  In Literature the students read books on the topic that spark lively discussion, building their own ability to critically evaluate this weighty subject and state an informed position on the reading material. The culmination of their focus on the Holocaust and Genocide is a student debate. During the debate the students develop and support a position on controversial topics within the area of Genocide.

For more information, please contact the Committee Chair(s).