1. CULTURE BOX Using authentic resources in the classroom

2. What is a culture box? A random collection or deliberate selection of items objects, documents and images

3. Can you find? 2 words related to sport that are similar in English or Irish and the ML 2 words related to sport that are different in English or Irish and the ML

4. Look at the map Find the words for 4 buildings you may find in a map. Now you have 3 minutes to learn them. Tell your partner what your chosen words are and how you went about learning them

5. Mira este objeto y responde a las preguntas: ¿Dónde se usa? cocina dormitorio clase ¿Es antiguo o moderno? ¿Es grande o pequeño? ¿Es pesado o ligero?

7. Why use a culture box The purpose of a culture box is to help making the general specific, make the strange familiar and the familiar strange There are cultural and intercultural dimensions to all topics covered in a language class A culture box can help stress similarities as well as dealing with stereotypes Items in the culture box support different learning styles Items in a culture box can be used as guided exploration of a topic or as reflection A culture box should be an integral part of teaching rather than an “add on”

8. Now it is your turn Design a language activity using an item from your culture box You have 5 minutes to complete this task Share your task with your partner Use your creativity!

9. Some suggestions for activities Create a town trail using tourist brochures, menus, postcards, receipts etc. Use some of the materials from the culture box as props for role plays Do simple map reading activities using town maps from the target country With wrappers from food and drink items, design a collage from the produce of the target country Collect artefacts from the target country – let your students guess their use Students fill in speech bubbles or create captions for a number of selected photos from newspapers/sports magazines/teenage, magazines/cartoons etc.

10. Some suggestions for activities Place postcards on a map of target country and find out more about the places in groups Do a cultural audit comparing and contrasting photos from your country and those from the target country Collect supermarket advertising /mail order catalogues and create your own shopping list Listen and respond to music from the target country Create a typical school bag from the target country – compare and contrast items between this and your own school bag Ask your pupils to choose their favourite item from the culture box and give their reason for doing so