Grade 3s Share Their Cultures with Their Peers

As part of their IB PYP Unit of Inquiry “Where we are in place and time,” Grade 3 students have been exploring the central idea that “Cultural Knowledge shapes a society and its future” by conducting research about their personal cultural identities. To mark the conclusion of this unit, each student created a culture box that incorporated three important personal items that they would like to pass down to future generations, and then shared the boxes with their peers.

Grace included her Irish, Scottish and Canadian cultures in her box. She decorated it with multiple flags and included three unique items: a photo of her mother and friends highland dancing, a small cake tin her grandmother used to make Christmas Day pudding and a drawing of a pair of moccasins.

“I really liked doing this project because we got to use our creativity and we got to learn more about our cultures,” she said. “My favourite part was decorating the box and finding the items.”

Grace hopes that by passing her culture box down to future generations, that they would learn about their culture, too.

“I would like to tell them stories of when I was learning my culture so they can learn about their culture,” she said.

Milo shared his Jewish culture with his box. He included a menorah he made, a photo of items used in a Shabbat dinner and a dreidel.

“I liked putting the box together, it was fun,” he remarked. “My favourite part was making the flag that I used to decorate the box.”

He added that he wanted to pass down his box to future generations so they would know about him and his family.

Lillian included a jewellery holder, a Chinese New Year decoration and Chinese tea bags to represent her Chinese culture.

“I enjoyed this project because it was really fun to make, and I was able to learn more about my culture,” she said. “I hope people can learn about my family through my box.”

Lillian is hoping that future recipients of her box will make a contribution and keep the transfer of knowledge going.

“I want them to have it so they can put one item that’s important to them, and put it in to pass it down again,” she said.

India was the focus of Arnaz’s box as he included a steel bracelet called a Kada, a Dastar turban and a tabla drum.

“My favourite object that I included is the Kada, because I wear it at home and it means that you are kind and have a permanent bond to God,” he said.

He said he wanted future generations to remember where he and his family came from so they will know their culture and beliefs.

“My dad teaches me stuff every morning about our culture, so I was able to use that information he has given me, and my mom also helped me with sharing our culture,” he said.