English Language · JC 1

Active learning ideas

Our Diverse Community: Customs and Traditions

Active learning works for this topic because students need to experience the tension between global and local forces firsthand. By investigating real examples, debating perspectives, and examining disappearing traditions, they move beyond abstract concepts to see how culture is shaped in their own lives and communities.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Social Awareness - Middle School

• 40–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Glocalisation Audit

Groups choose a global brand (e.g., McDonald's, Netflix, Uniqlo) and research how it has adapted its products or marketing for the Singaporean market. They present their findings on how the brand balances 'global appeal' with 'local relevance.'

What are some different customs and traditions in Singapore?

Facilitation Tip

During the Glocalisation Audit, assign groups specific global brands or trends (e.g., McDonald’s, Starbucks, K-Pop) and ask them to trace how these have been adapted locally.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How does the increasing popularity of global social media platforms like TikTok affect the practice of traditional Singaporean festivals?' Students should discuss specific examples of traditions being shared, adapted, or potentially overshadowed.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Cultural Appropriation vs Appreciation

Using recent case studies (e.g., fashion designers using traditional motifs), students debate where the line should be drawn. They must consider the power dynamics between the 'global' and the 'local' and the importance of context and respect.

How do these traditions contribute to our national identity?

Facilitation Tip

For the debate on cultural appropriation vs appreciation, provide students with a clear rubric that distinguishes between borrowing with respect and exploitation without permission.

What to look for

Provide students with a short case study about a specific Singaporean tradition (e.g., Hari Raya open houses, Deepavali light displays). Ask them to write down: 1. One custom associated with the tradition. 2. How this custom reflects multiculturalism in Singapore. 3. One way to show respect for this tradition.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: The Vanishing Heritage

Post photos of 'lost' Singaporean traditions or places alongside the modern developments that replaced them. Students walk around and write 'Value Statements', what was lost, what was gained, and whether the trade-off was worth it.

How can we show respect for different cultural practices?

Facilitation Tip

In the Gallery Walk, ask students to focus on one artifact or image at a time and jot down questions or observations rather than rushing through all displays.

What to look for

Students create a Venn diagram comparing two Singaporean traditions. They then exchange diagrams with a partner and provide feedback on whether the similarities and differences are accurately represented and if the key cultural contributions are clearly identified.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by grounding discussions in students’ lived experiences, using local examples to make global concepts tangible. Avoid presenting culture as static or homogeneous; instead, highlight its fluidity and the agency of local communities. Research suggests that when students see themselves as active participants in cultural preservation, their engagement and critical thinking deepen significantly.

Successful learning looks like students recognizing that culture is dynamic, not fixed, and that global and local forces interact in complex ways. They should be able to explain how traditions adapt or resist change and justify their positions with evidence from their investigations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Glocalisation Audit, watch for students assuming that globalisation always means Westernisation.

  Use the audit to map cultural flows, asking groups to identify examples where non-Western cultures (e.g., K-Pop, Bollywood) have influenced global trends, and discuss why these might be overlooked in everyday conversations.

• During the Gallery Walk: The Vanishing Heritage, watch for students describing local culture as unchanged over time.

  Ask students to focus on the timeline activity and trace how traditions like Laksa or Chinese New Year celebrations have evolved, using the displays as evidence of cultural adaptation rather than purity.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Formal Debate
• Gallery Walk