SPECIAL TOPICS IN
ASEAN INTEGRATION
VALUING IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY
In this chapter, learners will explore diversity across ASEAN and investigate how diversity
contributes to making communities, environments, societies, and political systems more resilient.
Equally important, this chapter will prompt learners to examine their own community, livelihood,
and beliefs for aspects that are distinctive and valuable.
This Theme is framed by the following Enduring Concepts:
The peoples of ASEAN have multifaceted identities, which can be influenced by many
things, including geography, nationality, language, ethnicity, socio-economic standing,
education, religion, age, gender, and professional interests and pursuits.
Valuing diversity can deepen one’s own sense of identity as well as belonging, and also
plays an important role in the well-being of individuals, societies, and ecosystems across
the region.
History, and the way it is commemorated, remembered, and interpreted, contributes to
individual as well as shared identities of people in the ASEAN region.
In History and Social Studies, students may investigate diverse celebrations across ASEAN and
examine their common functions, such as bringing people together and passing on traditions. In
Science, they can learn about biodiversity on small and large scales, and its importance in
maintaining healthy ecosystems. In Civic and Moral Education, they can explore how groups can
be both distinct and interconnected. Languages and Literature, meanwhile, can look at how
different cultures adapted writing systems to suit their spoken languages. In the Arts, students
can analyze how art helps transmit, and transform, culture. In doing so, learners will appreciate
the multiplicity that contributes to the shared character of themselves, and their community,
culture, nation, and region.
Sample Plan
NOTE: This plan does not follow the 4A’s or any other method.
Celebrating Tradition and Togetherness
Grade Level/Subject Area:
Upper Primary/History & Social Studies
Overview:
Families transmit beliefs, values, customs, and traditions through celebrations and rituals, which,
in turn, help strengthen people’s ties to one another and to their common culture or history.
Through this series of lessons, students will recognize family traditions and understand why they
are important. Students will see that people of different cultures celebrate differently, but all hold
cultural universals (commonalities like music, foods, clothing, etc.) The goal is for students to see
what families of diverse cultures have in common. This activity is designed to help students
understand the importance of tradition and culture.
Desired Understanding:
Celebrations and rituals bring people together.
Lesson Objectives:
Students interview older family members about traditions and rituals
Students chart traditions and rituals according to cultural universals (cultural patters known
in every society)
Students chart traditions and rituals of other cultures
Students look for cultural universals
Essential Questions:
Why is tradition important when celebrating holidays? (People, Places, Ideas)
How do foods, clothing, songs, artifacts, play a special part in your family/community
traditions? (Materials, Ideas)
What are the cultural universals for holidays and celebrations? (People, ideas)
How are holidays around the world alike and different? (People, Ideas)
Materials/Handouts Needed:
Chart of Cultural Universals
Birthday Celebration Graphic Organizer
Holiday Comparison Chart
Family Celebrations Interview Worksheet
Several Picture Books on the following topics: Birthday celebrations around the world and
New Year’s Day celebrations
New Years’ Day noise makers, hats, songs, lucky money envelope, lantern, traditional
clothing, etc.
Glossary of Terms:
Traditions: Customs or beliefs that are transmitted from one generation to the next
Celebrations: The acts marking an important event through a social or enjoyable activity
Rituals: Ceremony with a set series of actions
Artifacts: Object made by a person, usually an item of historical or social interest
Cultural universals: Culture patterns known in every society
In this lesson, you may apply the following suggested activities:
Activity 1
Get students thinking and talking about things their families share when it comes to beliefs,
customs, and traditions. Ask:
What are some special things that your family does year after year to celebrate religious
holidays, birthdays, or public holidays? (Give example of public holiday.)
Are there special foods your family eats to celebrate? Special songs you sing? Special
clothes you wear? Special things (artifacts) you use? Explain that these are part of one’s
family traditions.
Many traditions grow out of celebrations that occur year after year. List some family
celebrations. Be sure to guide the students to include all types of celebrations, not only
religious holidays.
Input: Teacher will provide specific examples that show universals in celebrations.
Model: Teacher will describe a family tradition and model how to put the elements of that tradition
into a category on a Cultural Universals Chart.
Chart of Cultural Universals
Activity 2
Show Cultural Universals Chart and introduce some “universals” that are part of how
people around the world celebrate. They are:
º Music
º Special Foods
º Artifacts
º Clothes
º Lights
If appropriate, ask the students how they celebrate their birthday. Have them fill in the
Birthday Graphic Organizer. If students do not celebrate birthdays, go to the next step (of
reading about birthday celebrations) and then have them fill in the Graphic Organizer.
Read a book about birthday celebrations around the world. Discuss the common things
people around the world do/use to celebrate birthdays (music, clothes, food, and artifacts).
Record student responses on the Chart of Cultural Universals. (Keep the chart displayed
after the lesson so that students may refer to it.)
Birthday Celebration Graphic Organizer
Families across the world participate in celebrations. The celebrations may be different, but
commonalities can be found across cultures in the ways we celebrate. Celebrating birthdays is
becoming more common in ASEAN countries, especially in cities and popular among children
and young people. Let’s think about how birthdays are celebrated across ASEAN.
In my country/culture, to celebrate birthdays, we:
Music:
____________________________________________________________________________
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Special Clothes:
____________________________________________________________________________
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Special Foods:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Artifact:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Activity 3
Holidays
º Compare and contrast New Year’s Day celebrations in different countries using a new Chart of
Cultural Universals.
º Example: New Year’s Day (January 1) and Lunar New Year (such as Tet in Vietnam).
Read books about New Year’s Day as it is celebrated on January 1 in various countries.
Ask students why they think people all over the world celebrate the New Year. What do
people hope for in the New Year?
Play a New Years’ song, such as Auld Lang Syne, for the class. (If Internet access is
available, the class can view/hear this YouTube version of the song with lyrics and English
translation at: [Link]/watch?v=wPnhaGWBnys).
Ask: What is the big idea of the song? Why do they think that?
Show students such items as New Year hats and noise-makers (artifacts).
Have students fill out the Chart of Cultural Universals with a partner. Allow students refer
to the books about New Year’s Day (January 1).
Holiday Comparison Chart
Families across the world participate in celebrations. Compare two holidays (such as the New
Year’s Day on January 1 and the Lunar New Year). Complete the chart and discuss what they
have in common.
Celebration Music Food Clothing Lights Artifacts
Activity 4
Read books about how some countries in ASEAN celebrate the Lunar New Year.
If available, play a Lunar New Year song. Ask: What is the big idea of the song? Why do
they think that?
What do people wish each other on Lunar New Year? Why?
Show the students a lantern, a lucky money envelope, traditional clothing, and other
artifacts important in celebrating Lunar New Year.
Ask the class to fill out the Lunar New Year section of the chart together, allowing students
to look in the books about Lunar New Year.
Compare New Year’s Day as celebrated on January 1 to the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Make note of which elements or aspects of the two celebrations are the same or very
similar.
*Refer to Holiday Comparison Chart in Activity 3.
Summary Questions:
How do families and communities follow tradition in their celebrations?
How do different elements (lights, food, clothing, music) work together in a celebration?
What universals do rituals and celebrations share?
What are some different ways holidays are celebrated across ASEAN?
How do rituals and celebrations bring people together?
Connecting across the Curriculum:
The curriculum connections are embedded through the reading, writing, and social learning
experiences included in the lesson plan.
*This material is for ASEAN Integration subject only. Do not share or post any part of this material.
