TITLE:  Cultural Spaces

AUTHOR:  Ray McCarter, Marlow Public Schools, Marlow, OK

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 7-12

OVERVIEW:  Many students assume only their cultural and
traditional practices are worldly accepted and practiced.   

PURPOSE:  The primary purpose of this activity is to place
the student in a cultural reversed situation in order to
process expanded tolerance and acceptance of other cultures
and traditional practices.   

OBJECTIVES:   As a result of this activity, the students
will:
1.   Identify cultural differences in relationship to
     personal "space". 
2.   Experience discomfort with alien cultural practices.

This activity works best with no prior discussion.  Used
at the first class meeting it is an effective tool for
impacting teacher's expectations of student tolerance for
new and untried experiences in the Foreign Language, or
English As A Second Language classroom. 

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  None are required, but teacher may
provide additional reading sources for cross cultural
learning.   

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:   
1.   After introductions or roll is called at the beginning
     of the class period divide students into couples. Any
     combination of gender is acceptable.
2.   Have students rearrange the room to provide a large
     floor space area.
3.   Ask students to face each other by standing toe to toe.
     Peruse the room to make sure that students are
     maintaining the required posture.
4.   Instruct students to remain standing toe-to-toe and
     converse with their partner for three minutes.
5.   Time the exercise while documenting a list of student
     names and behavior. Videotaping the activity is also
     helpful.
6.   When the time has expired, ask students to be seated
     and ask them their reactions and feeling about their
     three minutes of close "space". List these responses on
     the blackboard.
7.   Ask students to analyze their discomfort of speaking in
     such a small personal space.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  All cultures have special rules and
limitations to what is acceptable for personal space or
area. Explain to students that the Spanish or Latin student
may be very comfortable speaking with a friend in the same
area of space that they just experienced, while
the Caucasian student may have been uncomfortable without
at least an arms length of personal area. List
several traditional cultural differences and explain the
importance of tolerance with cultural practices and
traditional differences.