Culture Fair! A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!

Welcome to EXTREME CULTURE FAIR.

 Although I have taught 20 years, I am at a new school this year. The school is very diverse and the willingness of the families to share their culture and traditions is unbelievable. Another great thing is that there is an acceptance of differences. We celebrate holidays and traditions from around the world and no one complains.  The students, teachers, and parents learn so much from one another. This sharing of cultures can not be found in a textbook or on the internet. It is authentic. Each year the 5th and 6th grade students team up to do a Culture Fair.  I had heard about the school's Culture Fair but this was my first year to experience it and Oh My Word.  Two students pair up to present a country complete with items from their country, clothing, books, food, drinks, food and more food. Students also prepare a Powerpoint presentation for their country. Students set up a table in the gym, decorate it, show maps, artifacts, foods, and even dress in the traditional clothing of the country. The parents play such an important role because they cook or provide the food and drink for our ENTIRE school to sample. Parents assist other families by sharing their artifacts and clothing. Each class comes to visit and learns about the country through the displays and the explanations from the 5th and 6th students.  Students are allowed to sample foods from every country. Most countries had 3 or 4 traditional foods to share and many had the country's popular drinks to sample.  My first grade class loved this as much as I did. There were foods I had never heard of, and the 5th and 6th graders could tell me all about them. It was an amazing day.  I have never seen anything like this to this extent. Bravo for the parental support, the students hard work, and the 5th and 6th grade teachers for providing a day that is truly an experience that will last a lifetime.

Check out some of the pictures below.