United States and Canada
Session 1: Historical Cultural Characteristics

Materials

• Exploration and Settlement maps in the National Atlas of the United States of America. <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histus.html#exploration.html>

Instructional Activities

1. Review the content of the previous session.
   
   
2. NOTE: This may take more than one session. Provide a brief background of the settlement of the United States and Canada. Explain that the early explorers contributed to the present-day culture of the region in which they settled. Provide examples of this by explaining the different aspects of the following cultural characteristics of the U.S. and Canada, providing pictures and videos when appropriate:
   •    Multicultural societies
   •    Increasingly diverse populations
   •    Democratic forms of government
   •    Arts that reflect the cultural heritage of multicultural societies
   •    Consumer mentality
   
   
3. Assign a teacher-selected reading, worksheet, or other reinforcement activity, using available teacher resources.