Emily Gerdes
Grade Level – 9th Grade
Subject – AP Human Geography
Context of Lesson:
This lesson will serve as the culmination of the students’ unit on language as a part of
culture. Students already understand the historical piece, now we want to put it more in
perspective. By showing the students a more current (1956) piece about culture and
language as a whole, they will not necessarily realize the impact their thinking can have
and the judgments they are making. By showing them that even the English language can
create barriers, they might be able to understand cross-cultural barriers.
Overview of Text: (The Body Ritual of the Nacirema)
In the paper, Miner describes the Nacirema, a little-known tribe living in North America.
The way in which he writes about the curious practices that this group performs distances
readers from the fact that the North American group described actually corresponds to
modern-day Americans of the mid-1950s. Miner's article became a popular work, reprinted
in many introductory anthropology and sociology textbooks. The article itself received the
most reprint permission requests of any article in American Anthropologist, but has
become part of the public domain.
Reading Strategy: Focused Freewriting (writing to learn)
Objectives:
 The student will apply geography to interpret the past, understand the present, and
plan for the future by using geographic knowledge, skills, and perspectives to
analyze problems and make decisions. (WG.12)
 The student will read The Body Ritual of the Nacirema by Horace Miner and make
observations about the culture described in the article versus what they believe
American culture to be.
o Understand how language and perception can hinder academic thought.
 What if this was written by a high school student, not an
anthropologist? (writing to learn)
 The student will analyze the document and explain its content as it pertains to these
topics:
o Ethnocentricity
 The student will answer guided reading questions while reading the document. The
questions are designed to help the students to think more critically about what they
have read.
 The student will engage in discussion about the Nacirema and how this information
can change their outlook on certain cultures, especially American.
 Students will create an extension of the text based on their own prior knowledge of
American culture. They will use what they have learned in their discussion to
further the creative process and draw on what they have read. The students will
learn more about what they already know based on their readings and their prior
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knowledge. The writing process will also allow them to think more about
characteristics of language and culture they may have not thought about (writing to
learn).
Materials:
 Copies of document for every student
 Copies of reading questions for every student
Structure of Lesson:
1. Teacher will pass out copies of the document to each student along with
corresponding reading questions.
2. Students will take time to read the document and make any annotations they deem
necessary.
a. Teacher will instruct to students to ask questions about any words they do
not know.
3. Students will answer five short answer questions about what they have just read.
(writing to learn)
a. Questions must be answered in complete sentences and must involve critical
thinking.
b. Questions are mostly opinion-based, requiring students to think about WHY
they are choosing a certain answer. (writing to learn)
4. As a class, we will discuss students’ answers to these reading questions.
a. Teacher will go through each question, one by one.
i. Student volunteers will be asked to share their answers.
b. Teacher will constantly interject during the discussion, including the point in
which we reveal who are the Nacirema.
5. Collect students’ answers for classwork or participation grade.
a. Any students with incomplete work will receive a grade fitting of what has
been completed. If no work has been completed, the student will not receive
any credit.
6. With the remaining time in class, the teacher will explain to the students their next
assignment.
a. Students will be asked to create their version of the text, using any language
they see fit, though must be written academically.
b. Shows that students understand the point of what they read. (writing to
learn)
Assessment:
 The students will turn in their reading questions to be assessed by the teacher for
completion. (summative)
 The students’ participation in the classroom discussion will serve as a form of
assessment as well, as a way to show that the students were engaged in the lesson
and willing participants. (formative)
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Differentiation:
This lesson differentiates for students with varied disabilities by allowing students to be
creative. The students first answer the questions about the reading and then prove they
understand the concepts by allowing students to write down what they are thinking
(writing to learn). By giving students freedom to be as creative as they want (or do not
want) they are more likely to have fun with the assignment. For those students that need
more structure, the teacher can give those students some particular topics to write about
that are not mentioned in the text, like holidays for example.
Adaptations/Accommodations:
 There are no students with any adaptations or accommodations in any of the 9th
grade AP Human Geography classes. There are no students with registered IEP’s or
504 plans that need to be accommodated.
Bibliography
"Body Ritual among the Nacirema," American Anthropologist. 58 (1956): 503-507.
[Sourcetext as PDF: <http://tinyurl.com/792mf5g>.]
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NAME ______________________________
“Body Ritual of the Nacirema” – Horace Miner
Please read through the document and answer these questions in complete sentences. Use
information that you have read to support your answers. These questions will be collected
at the end of class.
1. What are some key similarities you notice about the Nacirema culture and your own
culture?
2. Would you rather be a male or female citizen of the Nacirema? For what reasons?
3. Describe four of the “rites” mentioned in the text. What is their purpose and why are
they important?
4. Would you consider this group of people to be more civilized than we are today or
less civilized? Explain your answer.
5. Would you want to become a member of the Nacirema people? Why or why not?
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RUBRIC
Student: _____________________________
Comments:
Completed classwork
YES
NO
Comments:
Participation in class
discussion
YES
NO
Comments:
Started homework
YES
NO
Teacher: ___________________________________________________
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