Video Series 
Teacher Materials Broadcast Schedule
Program Segments Chart Companion CD-ROM
| Video Series |
The cast of Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin with host Baron Kelly (upper right).
Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin videos are set against a backdrop of a warehouse turned classroom. There, a diverse group of boys and girls ages 9 to 12 explore culture as something everyone has. With the help of adult hosts Mr. (Baron) Kelly and Miss (Martha) White, the children realize that each of us has a unique cultural identity that continually changes and evolves. They also learn that they are part of many cultures at once. Each program explores one aspect of culture among diverse groups of people. Through these vignettes, students will come to understand that culture is about more than race, ethnicity, or nationality.
The 10-program, closed-caption Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin video series airs
on public TV in Wisconsin. View the broadcast schedule and be sure to tune in or record it for future viewing. The videos are complemented by a teacher guide, CD-ROM, and this Web site.
Instructional Goals Getting Started
Instructional Goals By viewing the Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin video series and exploring ideas presented in supplemental materials, students will:
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Getting Started The links below connect to a draft outline for each Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin program, which provides a synopsis, a list of learning objectives, and pre-viewing focus questions. |
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Program 1 "Everywhere, Everyone" (series introduction) |
Program 5 "Many Voices" (cultural expression) |
Program 9 "From Melting Pot to Mosaic" (cultural identity) |
Program 2 "Family Kaleidoscope" (family culture) |
Program 6 "Embracing Tradition" (rituals and celebrations) |
Program 10 "Beyond Borders" (global community) |
Program 3 "Places with Faces" (relationships with place) |
Program 7 "Look Again" (addressing stereotyping) |
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Program 4 "Growing New Roots" (cultural adaptation) |
Program 8 "The Journey" (coming to Wisconsin) |
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| Program 1: "Everywhere, Everyone" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis This program introduces the concept of culture and gives examples of the range of cultures that exist. The best way to learn about a particular culture is to spend time with a person from that culture. This point is illustrated in a segment featuring Miguel, a Brazilian exchange student living with a host family in the United States. Family culture doesn't depend on where people live, it involves doing things together and sharing family traditions; this concept is driven home by a mother with three children, all of whom live in a shelter for homeless people. A segment featuring two African-American women who belong to a troupe of hearing-impaired dancers shows that they belong to three cultural groups: the dance culture, the deaf culture, and the African-American culture. Members of a girls basketball league in Milwaukee discuss the values inherent to their sports team culture, including working together, sharing experiences, hard work and dedication, and sportsmanship. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| What is culture? |
| What is diversity? |
| Why is it important to think about all of this? |
| Where do I fit in? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand that culture involves more than race and ethnicity. |
| begin to explore their own cultural identities. | |
| begin to consider how culture affects their daily lives. | |
Program 2: "Family Kaleidoscope" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis Since one's home is the primary place where culture is learned and absorbed, this program focuses on family culture. Members of a Wisconsin family that operates a small, century-old cheese factory discuss the roles a common philosophy and tradition play in their family life. A visit with a Jewish family reveals how their religious faith is passed along and the ways it is infused in their daily life. On a Menominee reservation, extended family relationships are crucial as tribal traditions and knowledge are passed from one generation to the next. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| What role does the family play in establishing and sharing culture? |
| How does culture affect gender roles? |
| How does culture manifest itself in games, hobbies, and family recreation? |
| What other common, informal cultural elements (such as food traditions) emerge within families' everyday lives? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand that family is the primary place where culture is learned and absorbed. |
| understand that family culture is not static. | |
| understand that conflict and cooperation are part of all families. | |
| begin to explore their own family culture. | |
Program 3: "Places with Faces" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis Program 3 illustrates the connection between culture and place, be it natural or human-made. At the Bad River Indian Reservation during "ricing" -- the annual harvest of wild rice -- young people express their feelings for the rice sloughs. Gardeners of the Eagle Heights community garden, many of whom are University of Wisconsin-Madison scholars from abroad, share the ways in which the garden connects them with their homeland and their culture. When a nonprofit Hispanic service agency in Milwaukee enlisted the help of neighborhood children to create a mural for its building, it gives the young people an opportunity to express their culture in a way that benefits the entire community. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| How does the environment influence culture? |
| How do people in rural and urban situations interact with the environment? |
| How does moving to a new place impact cultural expressions? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand that people interact with their environment every day and in many ways. |
| consider ways that Wisconsin’s climate and geography have contributed to the evolution of cultures and lifestyles in Wisconsin. | |
| explore ways that people living in certain geographic areas can create their own culture. | |
Program 4: Growing New Roots (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis This program explores the cultural adaptations people make when they move to a new place. Children of Tibetan exiles now living in Madison attend a culture school to learn Tibetan language and music, and their families practice religion and celebrate holidays in the Tibetan tradition. A nomadic life presents many obstacles for families of Mexican-American migrant workers, but they cope by having strong family ties and placing an emphasis on education and spiritual faith. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| Who are the most recent immigrants to Wisconsin? |
| What has their experience been? |
| What happens when people from another culture settle in Wisconsin among long-established residents? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand the distinction between surface culture and deep culture. |
| explore the push/pull factors that brought some of Wisconsin’s recent arrivals to their new homes. | |
| consider the challenges and opportunities that arise when new arrivals settle among people from other cultures. | |
Program 5: "Many Voices" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis Segments in Program 5 show the various ways in which people express their culture with one another, both verbally and nonverbally. A visit with a family of Oneida Indians that is learning to speak their ancestral language demonstrates the importance the language and the value of preserving it. Music and dance can be gateways to understanding the culture of others, as is shown in a segment featuring young Serbian dancers. Composers of the theme song for Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin -- ages 9, 10, and 11 -- discuss how culture influenced their creative process. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| How do people express themselves? |
| How are cultural elements shared verbally and nonverbally? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand that language is an important part of keeping a culture alive. |
| understand that, in addition to spoken and written language, there are many ways to communicate. | |
Program 6: "Embracing Tradition" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis The children at the Exploratorium see three family events involving a variety of traditions: a birthday celebrated by an extended family, a Quinceanera celebration marking the 15th birthday of a Mexican-American girl, and an adoptive family’s observance of Coming Home Day, commemorating the day their son arrived from Russia. Then, a visit to a family’s hunting camp illustrates how Wisconsin’s landscape, geography, and climate influences significant regional rituals. Finally, an example of a public celebration features African Americans, people from many African nations, and other guests who gather at African World Festival in Milwaukee. Note: Miss White serves as series host for programs 6 through 10. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| How do groups choose to present their culture to the public? |
| What traditions are perpetuated in private? |
| How are celebrations different, and the same, among ethnic groups? |
| What annual rituals and traditions are important in families, communities, and Wisconsin? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand the difference between public and private manifestations of culture. |
| compare and contrast rituals and traditions among groups. | |
| understand that annual rituals are important to families, communities, and other groups. | |
Program 7: "Look Again" (Free teacher materials available.) |
Synopsis |
| What is a stereotype? |
| Where do stereotypes come from? |
| How do stereotypes affect people? |
| What can be done to change stereotypical thinking? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand what a stereotype is. |
| realize the impact of holding positive or negative stereotypes about groups of people. | |
| develop skills to help identify stereotypes that are presented by other people or the media. | |
| identify strategies for combating stereotypes. | |
Program 8: "The Journey" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis This program explores some of the many different reasons people have for coming to Wisconsin and making it their home. Students learn about the journeys that immigrants, exiles, migrants, refugees, and slaves made as they traveled to the United States and Wisconsin. Each journey is unique, yet all the travelers have some attributes in common, such as the importance of family, culture, and homeland memories, as well as retelling experiences on their journey from there to here. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| What factors have caused different groups of people to come to Wisconsin throughout history? |
| What was their journey like? |
| What have their experiences been like? |
| What was different about their experiences? What was the same? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand that people have had, and continue to have, many different reasons for leaving their original homes and coming to Wisconsin. |
| consider the diverse experiences people have had on the journey to Wisconsin. | |
| explore what different groups of people, arriving under very different circumstances, have in common. | |
Program 9: "From Melting Pot to Mosaic" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis Program 9 investigates the ways in which culture changes, including how people decide which aspects of their culture to keep, modify, or discard. Students come to realize that each individual makes choices about her or his cultural identity. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| Why do cultures strive to keep their traditions and beliefs alive? |
| How do elements of surface culture and deep culture change over time? |
| How do groups perpetuate cultural traits, especially if theirs is not the dominant culture? |
| What choices do people make about their cultural identity? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | understand that everyone makes choices about their cultural identity. |
| understand that, although cultural traits can change over time, continuity also is important. | |
| distinguish between elements of surface culture and elements of deep culture. | |
| consider their own cultural identity and the choices they have made and can make. | |
Program 10: "Beyond Borders" (Free teacher materials available.) |
| Synopsis In reviewing the series' themes, this final program considers the ties Wisconsin has with the global community and gives students ideas on how they can make the world a better place. Broadcast Schedule. Focus Questions |
| How do immigrants maintain cultural ties with their former homelands? |
| How do those ties change over time? |
| How are all Wisconsin kids connected with people in other countries? |
Learning Objectives |
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| Students will ... | explore how immigrants maintain connections with their former home and how those connections evolve. |
| identify a variety of global connections that touch their lives. | |
| brainstorm other aspects of Wisconsin culture for self-exploration. |
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| For more information about the Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin CD-ROM, email our Director of School Services or call 608/264-9733. To obtain companion materials for the Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin video series, see the order form. |
