Activity 01
Mapping Activity: Spread of Poutine
Provide maps of Canada; small groups research poutine's origins in Quebec and trace its relocation via migration and expansion through chains like fast food outlets. Mark diffusion types with colors and add evidence from online sources. Groups present one finding to the class.
Explain the difference between relocation and expansion diffusion.
Facilitation TipBefore starting Mapping Activity: Spread of Poutine, ask students to brainstorm three foods in their lunch that contain immigrant ingredients to prime prior knowledge.
What to look forPresent students with three scenarios: 1) A family moves from India to Vancouver, bringing their cuisine. 2) A new dance craze spreads rapidly through TikTok videos. 3) A fast-food chain adapts its menu to local tastes in Quebec. Ask students to identify the type of diffusion for each scenario and briefly explain their reasoning.
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Activity 02
Simulation Game: Diffusion Relay
Assign cultural traits to cards; students in lines pass traits contagiously by touch, or hierarchically through a leader. Use string on floor maps to visualize spread patterns. Debrief differences between relocation scenarios using props like suitcases.
Analyze how modern communication technologies accelerate cultural diffusion.
Facilitation TipDuring Simulation Game: Diffusion Relay, pause after each round to have groups record the exact path of the cultural trait and the reasons for each stop.
What to look forFacilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'How might the increasing popularity of global streaming services like Netflix impact the production and consumption of French-language films in Canada?' Encourage students to consider both positive and negative effects on local culture.
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Activity 03
Jigsaw: Tech Accelerators
Divide class into expert groups on social media, streaming, and migration apps; each researches one accelerator's role in diffusion. Regroup to share insights and create a class infographic predicting local impacts. Vote on most convincing example.
Predict the long-term impact of globalized media on local cultural practices.
Facilitation TipAfter Jigsaw Research: Tech Accelerators, assign each group a different 'role' (historian, economist, anthropologist) to structure their findings around one lens.
What to look forAsk students to write down one example of a cultural trait they have encountered recently that spread through relocation diffusion and one example that spread through expansion diffusion. For each, they should name the trait and briefly describe the process.
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Activity 04
Debate Pairs: Media Impacts
Pairs prepare pro and con arguments on global media eroding local cultures, using examples like Bollywood in Canada. Alternate speaking turns; class votes and reflects on diffusion predictions via exit tickets.
Explain the difference between relocation and expansion diffusion.
Facilitation TipIn Debate Pairs: Media Impacts, provide sentence stems for counterarguments to scaffold evidence-based responses for reluctant speakers.
What to look forPresent students with three scenarios: 1) A family moves from India to Vancouver, bringing their cuisine. 2) A new dance craze spreads rapidly through TikTok videos. 3) A fast-food chain adapts its menu to local tastes in Quebec. Ask students to identify the type of diffusion for each scenario and briefly explain their reasoning.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Start with student examples to ground abstract terms; research shows concrete anchors help teens grasp diffusion processes. Avoid overloading with too many traits at once—focus on two or three repeated examples across activities. Use the gradual release model: model an example, guide practice together, then release to independent analysis.
By the end of these activities, students will identify diffusion types in daily life, explain how culture changes through movement and contact, and critique assumptions about one-way cultural flows. Their work will show both global connections and local adaptations.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Mapping Activity: Spread of Poutine, watch for students assuming poutine replaced all local foods. Redirect by asking them to mark hybrid dishes like samosa poutine on their maps and explain why blending occurs.
Remind students that diffusion often creates new, mixed forms. During the activity, have them add at least two local examples that show adaptation rather than replacement on their maps.
During Simulation Game: Diffusion Relay, watch for students using 'relocation' and 'expansion' interchangeably. Use the relay steps to stop groups and explicitly label each move as 'people carrying culture' (relocation) or 'ideas spreading without movement' (expansion).
Pause the simulation after each round to ask groups to justify their labeling of each step using the activity’s terminology.
During Jigsaw Research: Tech Accelerators, watch for students assuming American culture dominates global flows. Use the research findings to highlight reverse flows, such as K-pop influencing North American fashion, and ask groups to present at least one counterexample.
Require each jigsaw group to include one example of a non-Western trait influencing another culture in their presentation and justify its diffusion path.
Methods used in this brief