Indiana Social Studies S.2.1

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Culture

The Standard

Define culture and identify the material and non-material components of culture.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain culture as shared ways of living that people learn. They distinguish physical things people make and use from shared beliefs, rules, and practices.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given a school badge and a morning greeting, a student labels the badge material and the greeting nonmaterial. They explain that the badge is an object and the greeting is a shared practice.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think culture means only food, holidays, or clothing, and miss language, values, and rules. They may call a rule material because it is printed on paper, rather than separating the paper from the expectation it records.
How to Assess It: Ask students to define culture in one sentence. Then have them label a school badge, a morning greeting, and a rule to line up as material or nonmaterial, with a reason for each.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a pencil, a school badge, and written examples of school rules; have them sort the objects from the rules.
Ask students to write two sentences explaining how a school uniform differs from a rule requiring it.
Play a card sort with flags, greetings, tools, and rules; teams earn a point for each correct label and explanation.
Ask students to compare a sports team's jersey with its chant and explain which is an object and which is a shared practice.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to S.2.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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