Cultivating Cultural Awareness In The Classroom: Travel Etiquette Activity
- Michelle McDonald
- Dec 30, 2023
- 2 min read
If your students embark on any of my virtual field trips, I encourage you to delve into this free bonus lesson all about travel etiquette and cultural norms. Before taking a virtual field trip to let's say, Japan, Mexico City, or China, this activity is designed to create additional cultural context and awareness.
This lesson idea was born out of my own travel experiences around the world. Too often I've watched visitors to a country make embarrassing and often offensive social faux pas. We all have blind spots, but doing research and being sensitive to different cultural norms is an important part of good global citizenship skills.
In this lesson, your students will have an opportunity to research the place they are going to travel. They will research the currency and exchange rate, learn how to say "hello," research dining and clothing etiquette, and learn other important cultural norms. Adding in this additional travel component is not only a great anticipatory lesson but will make your students' virtual field trip even more of an immersive experience.
I've created this lesson so that it can easily be conducted before you take a virtual field trip. You can use the research graphic organizer with any country or place, and it can be used over and over again.
The other components of this lesson provide helpful context for students about cultural norms and basic travel etiquette. Whether you have students in your class who are frequent travelers or those who are just dreaming of a trip around the world, this lesson is designed to foster cultural sensitivity and awareness.
In this lesson, students will analyze travel etiquette, learn about cultural norms around the world, and will be provided with a quick travel etiquette guidelines sheet. As well, students will have an opportunity to analyze real-life travel scenarios so that they can apply global citizenship skills in a meaningful way.
I've created the travel scenarios in two formats. You can either have your students fill in the response to each scenario on their own worksheet, or use the scenario cut-apart cards provided. The cards can be used with partners or in a station setting. The scenarios are meant to display common social faux paxs and provide students an opportunity to either explain what the person should do in the situation, or explain what went wrong and why. I've included an answer key for each scenario.
This lesson plan is set up for easy printing and would make great sub plans as well. You could easily have students choose a place in the world to research, and complete the graphic organizer. You don't have to take a virtual field trip to utilize this activity, but it's a great addition to any of the virtual field trips around the world that I provide.
You can download this free bonus Travel Etiquette Lesson in my shop.
"Cultivating Cultural Awareness In The Classroom: Travel Etiquette Activity" is an excellent and thought-provoking article that highlights the importance of fostering global understanding among students. The activity is both engaging and educational, encouraging learners to appreciate diverse customs, perspectives, and social norms. The practical approach makes complex cultural concepts accessible and memorable for classroom settings. Much like the phrase track my flight reflects a desire to stay informed while navigating new destinations, this activity equips students with the awareness needed to navigate different cultures respectfully. Overall, it is a valuable resource that promotes empathy, inclusivity, and meaningful cross-cultural learning experiences.
Promoting cultural awareness in classrooms through travel etiquette activities is a meaningful approach that helps students understand respect, diversity, and global behavior standards. It encourages practical learning beyond textbooks and builds empathy through real-life scenarios. The idea even reminds me of how systems like Dayton Freight Tracking follow movement step by step, similarly students can track their own learning progress and cultural understanding as they grow in awareness and responsibility.