Cereal Box Project: My Heritage

Cereal Box Project: “My Heritage”

DUE DATE: Monday, May 2

Students will use a cereal box to display information about a country from which their ancestors immigrated to the United States. (A large, “family size” cereal box works best.) For a student whose heritage represents several countries, he or she needs to choose just ONE country for the project. Students will give an oral presentation to the class about their project on the day that the project is due. (Some students may present their projects the following day if we run out of time. Students who bring in perishable foods to share will be the first to present their projects.)

OUTSIDE OF THE CEREAL BOX:

·  Cover in paper or cloth

·  Include your name somewhere on the box

·  Display the country’s name

·  Display relevant facts (see below for what to include) and pictures on all sides of the box.

-  Facts should be typed and then should be glued on to the box.

(Your name and the name of the country may be handwritten.)

-  Pictures can be drawn, printed from the internet, or photocopied from books.

-  Your box should be informative and creative!

These are the facts that must be included on your box:

·  Where in the world is the country located? (What continent is it on?) You might want to put a small map on your box, or bring a bigger map with you to show the class.

·  When did it become a country?

·  What is the name of the top government leader?

·  What kind of government do they have? (Democracy, communism, etc.)

·  What language(s) do the people speak?

·  What kind of currency (money) do they use?

·  What is the most dominant religion?

·  What is an important event in the history of the country? (You can include more than one, but must have AT LEAST ONE on the box.)

These are some additional facts you might choose to include on your box or in your presentation:

·  What major wars have been fought in that country?

·  Does the country have an “official name” that is different than the name we usually call it? Example: Italy’s official name is Italian Republic.

·  Did the country ever go by a different name? Example: Iran used to be called Persia.

·  What kinds of goods are produced and manufactured there?

·  What is the country best known for?

·  What kinds of foods are popular in that country?

·  What do tourists enjoy about visiting the country?

·  Are there any famous people who have come from that country?

You can include other information as well that you think is interesting or important. You should include as much information as you can on your cereal box and BE PREPARED to present the information to the class.

INSIDE OF THE CEREAL BOX (minimum two items):

·  Create at least one small item to be placed inside the box, such as a miniature version of the country flag, a “popsicle stick person” representing a significant figure from that country, a sample of the country’s written language, etc. BE CREATIVE!

·  Gather small items from the country (if possible), such as currency, postcards, jewelry pieces, tourist items, etc. You can also include photographs of relatives who immigrated from that country, or photos of the country itself if you or a relative have visited there. (If you don’t have any money from that country, you could print a picture of the country’s paper money from the internet and then cut it out!)

PRESENTATION:

·  Your presentation must include all of the information on the box PLUS:

-  Explanation of what family member(s) immigrated from that country and why they came to America

-  At least two interesting facts about the country that were not on the box (think about famous people, popular food/drinks, common slang terms, popular sports, and myths related to that country)

·  You must show the flag of your country in some way - either by putting a picture of it on the box, making a small replica to put inside the box, or bringing one (picture or real) to show AND you must explain the meaning of the colors and/or symbols that are on the flag.

·  **You must use notecards for your presentation. You may not read information off of the box while you are presenting it. If you need 3x5 cards, you may get some from me.

IN ADDITION TO THE CEREAL BOX:

·  Students may bring clothing that represents their country to either wear during the presentation or just show to the class

·  Students may bring food that represents their country to share with the class

·  Students may bring large items that will not fit in the cereal box that represent their country, such as clothing, decorative items, blankets or other cloth items, musical instruments, books, etc.

·  Students may perform a dance or song that represents their country.