ESL-plans

Cultural Appropriation

Level	Category	Format	Duration
B1	General English	Audio	60-90 min

What's the "Cultural Appropriation" ESL Lesson About?

B1 · General English

Main Objectives

• Distinguish between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation through definition and visual analysis;
• Identify specific examples of appropriated symbols (e.g., war bonnets, henna, Cyrillic script) and understand their original cultural significance;
• Practice using modals of obligation, prohibition, and permission to discuss ethical responsibilities regarding cultural heritage.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, students begin by defining the difference between taking from a culture for profit or fashion (appropriation) versus learning with respect and giving credit (appreciation). They examine images of commonly appropriated items — such as Native American war bonnets, Indian mehendi, and Chinese feng shui — and listen to a podcast to uncover the deep historical meanings often ignored by modern users. Students then analyze sentences from the listening text to categorize grammar structures expressing moral duty (ought to, obligated to), strict rules (forbidden from, not allowed to), and past necessities (had to). The lesson culminates in a critical discussion on whether movies should hire cultural experts, if sacred symbols belong in high fashion, and how stereotypes like the "Gopnik" image affect real communities.

This lesson runs 60-90 min and can be split across two shorter sessions if needed. The audio component works well for pre-class listening practice.

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