As human beings, we express ourselves and connect through language. Language embodies culture and values that shape and define us and, together, help us to form diversely rich intercultural communities. Through the fun of a Treasure Hunt, engage your students in the spirit of Mother-Language Day, and come together as a school community to celebrate diversity and foster intercultural understanding.
This learning sequence explores Mother Language Day. Students participate in an activity students to explore their respective school environments through the eyes of their classmates’ heritage.
Lesson Plan
This activity is designed for Primary School and Middle School aged students, but any year level is welcome to participate.
Set Up
- Objects of culture
- Have students bring in an item that represents the culture of their mother-tongue, or that of their family’s heritage
- Send information home, explaining the nature of the day and asking for items to be brought from home. Advise parents/guardians not to send precious items.
- Suggestions for items: clothing, ornaments, figurines, musical instruments, books, etc
- Have students bring the items in the day before.
3. On the morning of the Treasure Hunt, hide the items and label places/items
- For single class year levels, you can hide the treasures for the students to find.
- For multi-class year levels, have the students in your class hide the items and write up the clue sheet. Then get a different class to find the treasures.
2. Same room, different name!
- Research the names used by different cultures for rooms/places/items around the school. Eg: the German name for staffroom is Personalraum or Gym in Chinese is Jiànshēnfáng or
健身房 - Buildings: classroom, office, bathroom, library, hall, in-door basketball court (gym), music room, kitchen, staff room, art room, science labs, swimming pool, etc.
- Items (general): desk, chair, laptop/computer, etc.
- Prepare labels for the rooms/places that can be stuck up on the day.
Introduction
- Open the activity with a discussion about language and culture. Depending on the age of your students, discuss the significance of International Mother-Language Day, along with the cultural, social and psychological benefits of being bilingual or multilingual.
- Discuss the importance of maintaining languages and cultures, as well as offering facts about the extinction of languages.
- Help your students realise the significance of their languages and how languages are an essential part of identity in culture.
- See resources below, to support the development of the introductory session.
Go hunt!
Send the students out in groups to find the items and rooms/places, using the clues to help them discover the list of treasures.
Proof is in the picture
- Once a treasure has been found, students take a photo of it, using an iPad or other electronic device.
- Instruct them to leave the item and sign where they found them, so that others can find them too.
- To share their discovery, they can create a ‘presentation’ for the class or upload their photos on social media, under teacher supervision, using the hashtag (#AEFtreasurehunt) and share on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram
Celebrate!
To celebrate all of a day full of cultural treasure, have a feast made up of national food
- Students bring along a dish from their mother language culture
Reflect and share
- Whilst enjoying delicious food, students talk about the item that they brought in for the Treasure Hunt and teach their class a little about their culture.
- Invite volunteers or select students to write up a report for the school newsletter, sharing stories of the hunt (and pictures!) and talking about the value of celebrating all of the cultures that make up your school community. Refer to the resources below, to help students develop this reflection.
Acknowledgements
Images: AEF