American cultures merit badge bsa

Boy Scouts Of America Merit Badge presentation for American Cultures

1. Presented by Timothy P. Ingram

2. Out of Many, One
•Nation of Immigrants
•All of us came here from somewhere else –or our ancestors did
(new research has theorized that Aztecs started in North America)
•All bring parts of their home Culture with them:
•Customs & Traditions
•Native Languages
•Foods
•Styles of dress
•Art
•Music
•Beliefs
•Holidays

3. Coming to America
Various “immigrant groups” have had different reasons for making the journey:
Wanted to escape unbearable situations
Hoping for abundant food
Freedom
Work
Adventure
Riches
Place to call their own
Forced to come to America
Ethnic –having a common national or cultural tradition, or a shared origin

4. Choose THREE (3) Groups
That have different racial, cultural, national, or ethnic backgrounds,
one of which comes from your own background.Use these groups
to meet requirements 1, 2, and 3
Ethnic –having a common national or cultural tradition, or a shared origin

6. Example of different Groups

7. Example of different Groups

8. Example of
different
Groups
The Pilgrims traveled to America on a
ship called the Mayflower in 1620.
When they arrived at Plymouth
Plantation, they signed the Mayflower
Contract, which was the first kind of self-
government in America.

9. Examples of different Groups

10. Example of different Groups

12. Example
of
different
Groups

13. Example of different Groups

14. Requirement 1
Do TWO (2) of the following,
choosing a different group for each, then report on what you see & learn:
a)Goto a festival, celebration, or other event identified with one of the groups
b)Go to a place of worship, school, or other institution identified…
c)Talk with a person from one of the groups about the heritage & traditions…
d)Learn a song, dance, poem, or story that is traditional to one group, & teach it
e)Go to a library or museum to see a program or exhibit featuring one groups’
traditions

15. Requirement 2
Imagine that one of the groups had always lived alone in a city or
country to which no other groups ever came.
1.Tell what you think the city or country might be like today.
2.Now tell what you think it might be like if the three groups you
choose lived there at the same time.
i.e.: If all 3 groups settled at Jamestown, how then would it be different?

16. Requirement 3
Tell about some differences between the religious and social
customs of the three groups.
Tell about some ideas or ways of doing things that are similar in
the three groups.
i.e.: What are the differences between the Indians & Pilgrims once the British came to America?
How did the religions & social customs differ?
How were the Indians & Pilgrims similar?

17. Requirement 4
Tell about a contribution made to our country by three different
people, each from a different racial, ethnic, or religious
background.
Person 1: Napoleon Bonaparte: French General that made a deal with President Thomas Jefferson for the L.P.
Person 2: Dr. MLK Jr.: African American who pushed for peaceful protest against segregation
Person 3: Henry Ford: English origins, inventor; created Ford Motor Company & Ford Foundation

18. Requirement 5
Give a talk to your Scout unit or class at school on how people
from different groups have gotten along together.
Lead a discussion on what can be done to help various groups
understand one another better.
i.e.: Indians taught the Pilgrims how to plant and be successful.

20. Questions….???