What does culture mean to you? This was a question put to our twelve year olds last term, in preparation for a scheme of work on poetry from different cultures. This is an interesting section of the syllabus and exposes the students to themes ranging from local dialects to racial inequality, human rights and migration.
The students were encouraged to think about things that make them feel British – does it depend on where they live or the families they are growing up in. Are there particular traditions within their family – for example, at Christmas time? They became engaged with this topic fairly quickly and were soon comparing the merits of opening all their presents before breakfast, watching lots of television and having a big turkey dinner.
It took a while to get them to come up with random choices of Britishness. To get them started, I jotted down a list of items which I think makes me intrinsically British. We turned it into a poem and two of the students performed it in a “rap” style.
Here it is:
Britishness
What makes us British as a nation -
A big red bus, Victoria Station,
The Union Jack or wearing a Mac,
Forming a queue or Winnie the Pooh?
Henley Regatta, fish in batter,
Wedgwood pottery, the national lottery;
Wembley Stadium, the London Palladium
A Sunday roast or Marmite toast?
Socks with sandals, mindless vandals
The Stratford Bard, changing the guard,
Ascot hats or cricket bats?
To Cowes for a sail - the Royal Mail
Yorkshire pud or Robin Hood
The BBC; afternoon tea –
All these things make me…ME!
We had fun with this, as you might imagine. What makes you essentially British, American, French, Canadian, I wonder…
Love it!
Love of the land; love of the sea;
family and friends; a place that is free
:>)
Great stuff, Maurice, thanks for joining in!
Brilliant! Love it!
Terrific post, Jenny. Thanks for getting us thinking … and appreciating.
Thanks, Jane, for your appreciation.
Summer rain, Virgin trains
Cheddar cheese, ‘New balls please’
Lovely, Helena – shall we go for a second verse…?
This week we went to see THE QUARTET, set in the English countryside and rich with British conversations, musicians, attitudes. It’s a delightful, hopeful movie. As an English major, many years ago I spent part of one summer in London, and all the writers I would be teaching to American high school students became alive and real.
Lovely post.
Thank you for dropping in on my blog and your kind words. The Quartet is on my list of must see’s!
This is the unit I most enjoyed teaching – and I often felt the most rewarding for students. It opened their eyes to the notion of other cultures which were as valid as their own.
Enjoyed your rap. Great stuff!
I’m with the other comments – loved this and as a non-teacher – what a great topic to get the students discussing and thinking about such an important question.
Thank you – poetry is also a great way to get reluctant readers started – especially if it’s fun, which is why I push Spike Milligan and Roger McGough at every opportunity!
Great post!
Thanks!
Loved your post too & you got me thinking of American memories….Amish Quilts, a horse and carriage, ‘stadium mustard’ and watermelons, Thanksgiving dinners, the 4th of July, a cool Mint Julep as the lightening bugs fly.
Thank you Nancy, that’s lovely – what is stadium mustard – is it an equivalent to our Marmite? I’m intrigued!
Stadium mustard – was a type of mustard squeezed onto hot dogs at Baseball games. Many of us had ‘French’s’ American mustard at home & then when we went to see the Cleveland Indians play the treat was having a hot dog with this very delicious but distinctly flavoured mustard…….not, I must add, as distinct as Marmite! (I do eat Marmite now though – see what 43 years over this side of the pond will do!)
spot on.