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I’ve compiled several “The Best…” lists that sites where you can learn about the geography, data, languages, and holidays of different countries around the world. Those resources are important, but I think it’s like learning the words, but not the music, of a song.

So I thought I’d develop a separate list just focused on helping students learn about the cultures of different countries, and would love to hear additional suggestions.

You might also be interested in The Best Travel Photographs Of The Year.

Here are my choices for The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures (and are accessible to English Language Learners):

Culture Crossing is a unique resource for information about different countries. It provides some basic demographics, but it also details about communication style, dress, gestures, etc. It’s unlike any other source of information about countries that’s on the web. I’ll certainly be having my students use it now when they develop reports about countries.

Food Photos is a slideshow from NPR.

Here are portraits of 30 statistically average families with all of their worldly possessions displayed outside their homes.

Homes Around The World has images of….homes in different parts of the world.

Speaking of homes, you might be interested in a lesson I did having students compare homes from their native countries with those in the United States. I wrote about it at Air Conditioning Science Lesson.

EL Civics has a nice lesson on Clothes Around The World.

I bet students would like to learn what schools in other countries serve for lunch. They can at School Meals From Around the World, and What’s For School Lunch?

11 School Lunches from around the World shows what the title describes, along with additional information about how the actual school lunch process works in each country.

You can learn about different musical instruments at the Glossary of Folk Musical Instruments & Styles from Around the World and the World Instrument Gallery.

Photo Essay: Classrooms Around the World is a very interesting series of photos. (Thanks to Langwitches for the tip)

What Colors Mean Across 10 Cultures is an interesting infographic (thanks to M.E. Steele-Pierce for the tip).

ViewChange.Org has some pretty amazing short videos from around the world. is how it describes itself:

Using the power of video to tell stories about real people and progress in global development.

Believe me, that doesn’t even begin to tell you what’s there. It’s a project of a very impressive organization called Link TV, which has been on The Best Tools To Help Develop Global Media Literacy list for quite awhile.

U.S. Late To The Party On School Lunch Makeovers is the title of an NPR article and slideshow showing and describing school lunches from around the world.

First Person American is a neat website that has some resources now, but won’t be completely operational until July 4th. It has multimedia recounting the travels of modern immigrants to the United States. In addition, if you are somehow connected to an immigrant, but aren’t one yourself, you can cultural-related memories.

What School Lunches Look Like In 20 Countries Around The World is a nice post from BuzzFeed.

I’ve previously posted about extraordinary interactive infographics made by the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times that show how people in the United States spend their time. Now, The Economist has published a chart that compares and contrasts kind of data among different countries.

Eric Lafforga has some amazing photographic portraits taken from around the world. Click on “Countries” and then a country. You’ll then be led to countless excellent photos.

The Guardian has published two slideshows showing “health messages” from around the world.

I think the title of Salon’s slideshow is culturally insensitive, The world’s wackiest modes of public transportation, but the photos themselves are interesting.

 

40 Tourist No No

From Visually.

Dining Etiquette Around The World

From Visually.

“Conversations With The Earth” is a new site from the Smithsonian. Here’s how it describes itself:

exhibition—the first of its kind devoted to indigenous science—provides a Native perspective on global climate change. Through photographs, video, and audio of tribal communities from the Arctic to Brazil, the environmental impact of pollution is found in the stories of imposed mitigation and its consequences on local livelihoods.

Conversations with the Earth offers the voices of the Earth’s traditional stewards in the search for a viable response to the challenges of climate change. In the words of Inupiat leader Patricia Cochran, chair of the Indigenous Peoples Global summit on Climate Change, “We are a harbinger of what is to come, what the rest of the world can expect.”

Without question, the best part of the site shows tons of video interviews with people from all over the world.

Rare Early Photographs of Musicians Around the World is from Brain Pickings. The post has links to even more great photos.

Breaking Bread Everywhere, Plentifully or Pitifully is a slideshow from The New York Times.

Though I wish they had come up with a different title, The world’s strangest festivals – in pictures is from The Guardian.

Sleepers
is a photo gallery from The Boston Globe and it shows people…sleeping all around the world.

Photo Gallery: Pedestrian Signals Around the World comes from Spiegel Online.

A simple day in the life… is a slideshow from the Boston Globe..

The BBC Close Up series features videos that:

…focus on aspects of life in countries and cities around the world. What may seem ordinary and familiar to the people who live there can be surprising to those who do not.

Unicef photos of the year 2011 is from The Guardian.

World’s Worst Cultural Mistakes is a pretty interesting slideshow from Travel and Leisure magazine.

Never Seconds is blog written by a nine-year-old student in Scotland. She takes photos of her school lunches and evaluates them. In addition, students from other countries have begun sending her photos of their lunches, too. The BBC reports that she has now been banned from taking photos of the lunches — NeverSeconds blogger Martha Payne banned from taking school dinner photos. (also see another BBC story here). I think it’s a safe bet to say the ban will be reversed soon — the public uproar is extraordinary.

“What Eating At The Poverty Line Is Like Around The World” is a very interesting slideshow and project. The photos portray the food that a person in different countries can afford to purchase if they live in poverty.

Classroom Portraits Give a Glimpse of Students’ Lives Around the World is from Slate.

How people in various countries describe themselves on LinkedIn is an interesting map.

A new report came out reviewing life expectancies — and quality of life — in countries all throughout the world. In addition, it compared its results with a similar report issued twenty years ago.

How Parents Around the World Describe Their Children, in Charts is a fascinating report of an the results from an international survey. The info is fascinating, and the charts make the results very accessible to students and teachers alike.

The YouTube Trends Map shows which videos are popular in different regions of the United States and in many countries of the world, along with further filtering by the age of viewers. Thanks to Flowing Data for the tip.

. What A Week Of Groceries Looks Like Around The World

Here’s What People Eat For Breakfast Around The World is a slideshow from Business Insider.

13 Things That Americans Do That The Rest Of The World Just Finds Bizarre is from Business Insider.

Languages of love: 10 unusual terms of endearment is from The BBC.

 

Bow Wow Meow – Animal Sounds in Different Languages from properniceinnit on Vimeo.

Schools Around The World is a nice photo gallery from The Boston Globe.

11 fascinating funeral traditions from around the globe is from TED Talks.

The New Yorker has a slideshow of student uniforms from around the world.

 

What Cool Looks Like Around the World is from Slate.

Are you middle class? Defining the middle class around the world is from The Christian Science Monitor.

Consumption Around the Globe
Source: InternationalBusinessGuide.orga>

 

hand-jive-infographic

via Pimsleur

 

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My remote classroom: online students share their photos is from The Guardian.

What Can We Learn From Pictures of People and Their Trash? is an article in Smithsonian Magazine about an interesting project of taking photographs of people with the trash they throw out in a week.

Toys Are Us is a photo gallery of children around the world with their toys.

How Democratic and Republican morals compare to the rest of the world is from The Washington Post.

25 Fascinating Charts Of Negotiation Styles Around The World is from Business Insider.

I learned about this “28 Birthday Traditions From Around the World” video from Michelle Henry:

 

Biking, walking and public transit in cities around the world is an infographic from The Washington Post.

25 Fascinating Charts Of Negotiation Styles Around The World is from Business Insider.

Learn more about Movie Snacks Around the World and Infographic Design from Lemonly.

How do comics reflect the countries they were created in? is from The BBC.

Shooting hoops around the world: Stunning pictures of basketball courts capture world’s workout below a single common hoop is from The Daily Mail.

How Children Learn: Portraits of Classrooms Around the World is from Brain Picker.

The Most Beautiful and Imaginative Public Schools in the World is from Flavorwire.

Google autocomplete: The internet where you are is from The BBC.

Chinese families’ worldly goods in Huang Qingjun’s pictures is from The BBC.

The Fourth Grade Project: Life Through the Eyes of 7 Kids From Around the World is from The Huffington Post.

What Beauty Looks Like, From Argentina to Vietnam is from The Atlantic.

MAP: The most popular sport in every country is from Vox.

The amazing diversity of languages around the world, in one map is also from Vox.

Here’s a “Schooling Around the World” infographic that you can see in a larger form by clicking on it:

Schooling-Around-the-World-Infographic

The McDonald’s meals abroad that may come as a surprise... is actually pretty interesting and is from The Daily Mail.

And here’s an infographic sharing the national flowers of many countries:

Around the World in 32 Flowers

 

21 Ways to Say Hello

 

On the Sauce

 

Around The World In 80 Hats

 

Edible Europe

 

Driving � What�s the Norm Worldwide

There seems to be a problem with the embedding function of the above infographic on funeral traditions. If you can’t see it all, then go to the direct link to see it.

What can $1 buy around the world?

 

How The Average American Work Week Compares To The Rest Of The World is a series of infographics from Fast Company.

10 hardest working countries is an interactive from CNN.

 

East Meets West: An Infographic Portrait is a very intriguing series.

Assess Your Cultural Profile is an intriguing interactive from the Harvard Business Review.

Cuisine Around the World

 

Around The World In 8 Hospital Meals is from NPR.
Global Parenting Habits That Haven’t Caught On In The U.S.
is from NPR.

 

 

The definitive guide to how people around the world snack is from The Washington Post.

What Kids All Around The World Eat For Breakfast is a neat special New York Times article and photo gallery.

Here’s What The “American Food” Section Of A UK Grocery Store Looks Like is from BuzzFeed.

Threats — Real & Imagined — Around The World

Around the World in 29 Cheeses

 

Weight of the World

 


Today’s key fact: you are probably wrong about almost everything
is a series of charts from The Guardian showing how people’s perceptions vary from reality on a number of different topics — divided by country.

Bureaucratics: A Global Portrait of Red Tape is from Brain Pickings.

A World of Beloved Books (According to Facebook) is from The Atlantic.

What School Meals Look Like in Countries Around the World (INFOGRAPHIC) is from The Cultureist.

 

Why do pigs oink in English, boo boo in Japanese, and nöff-nöff in Swedish? is from The Guardian.

101 Strangest Foods Around the World is from When On Earth.

Around the World in 80 Games

 

Colors Around the World

 

10 Ways to Offend People in Other Countries is from When On Earth.

Chart: Americans are in an unusually good mood — all the time is from The Washington Post.

What the world values, in one chart is from Vox.

Cost of Living Around the World

The World�s Greatest Fears

Weddings from Around the World

Guide to tipping while you travel

10 Different Ways to Stay Warm Around the World

This Is What A Cup Of Tea Looks Like In 22 Different Countries is from BuzzFeed.

The world’s most miserable countries is an infographic from The Washington Post.

Death is not the end: Fascinating funeral traditions from around the globe is from TED.

For a rich country, America is unusually religious and optimistic is an interesting infographic from The Washington Post.

11 American Behaviors That Are Considered Rude Around the World is from Mental Floss.

How stories are told around the world is from TED Talks.

When you ask people around the world what makes them happy, these are just some of the answers. is from Upworthy.

How your disposable income compares to other people’s around the world is from The Washington Post.

 

Refrigerators of the World is from The Atlantic.

Photos Capture The Joy On Playgrounds Around The World is from NPR.

What People Around the World Dream About is from The Atlantic.

Good Morning! Breakfasts Around the 16 Countries of Eastern Europe is from When On Earth (thanks to Michelle Henry for the tip).

Exams Around the World is a fascinating photo gallery from The Atlantic.

A history of cities in 50 buildings – interactive is from The Guardian.

Cultural Jambalaya looks like a fascinating site. Thanks to Wendi Pillars for the tip.

Refrigerators of the World is from The Atlantic.

How Often People in Various Countries Shower is from The Atlantic.

Which country shares your parenting values? is from The PBS News Hour.

 

Here are the most popular foods in different cities around the world is from The Washington Post.

Global threat interactive: What’s the world scared of? is from The Guardian.

Where Iran Is Considered a Top Threat—and Where It Isn’t is from The Atlantic.

21 snacks that explain our delicious world is a well-done feature from Vox.

Where Instagrammers love food, mapped is from Vox.

They show images of popular snacks around the world, and accompany them with short socio-political histories behind them and their popularity.

 

Around The World In 30 Unique Modes of Transport

Flags of the World: The Stories Behind Them

7 Naming Customs From Around the World is by Judie Haynes.

The best dessert in 25 countries around the world is from Business Insider.

Good Morning! Breakfasts Around the 7 Countries of Central America is from When On Earth.

Photos show the views from people’s windows around the world is from The Washington Post.

 

 

 

(Unfortunately, you have to click on this next image to see the entire infographic — it won’t embed):

Ice Creams Around the World

How countries spend their money is from The Economist.

A Typical School Week Around The World

From Visually.

The Cultural Differences Between East and West, as Told in Pictograms is from Slate.

Where Children Learn: Inside Classrooms Around the World is a great photo gallery from NBC News. I’m also adding it to The Best Resources To Learn About World Teachers Day.

The American middle class is worse off compared to others around the world is from The Washington Post.

Quality of Death Around the World is from The Atlantic.

Check Out Life Spans Around The World — And Likely Years Of Ill Health is from NPR.

Struggle For Smarts? How Eastern And Western Cultures Tackle Learning is from NPR.

A survey measured 38 countries’ support for free speech. The US came out on top. is from Vox.

How Fairness Develops in Kids Around the World is from The Atlantic.

What The World Eats is an interactive from National Geographic.

Honesty varies significantly between countries is from Science Daily.

How to Snore in Korean: The mystery of onomatopoeia around the world is from The Atlantic.

You’ll Never Guess The Most Charitable Nation In The World is from NPR.

One map shows why America’s gun violence is so much worse than anywhere else is from The Washington Post.

What the rest of the world wonders about America, according to Google is from The Washington Post.

How well do you really know your country? Take our quiz is from The Guardian.

The best and worst nutritional advice from around the world is from Vox.

Which Cancer Is Most Common In Your Country? is from The Washington Post.

In which country is your boss more likely to be a woman?

How Classrooms Look Around The World is from The Washington Post.

How Different Cultures Around the World Deal With Emotion and Conflict is from The Big Think.

See The Story Of Income Inequality In Photos Of People’s Household Possessions is from Fast Company.

8 Cultural Differences Between America And Other Countries is from The Huffington Post.

Playgrounds Of The World

How We Learn Fairness is from The New Yorker.

What people around the world mean when they say they’re happy is from The Washington Post.

Scientists say the ways humans describe nature transcends culture and geography is from Quartz.

“Human” Is Impressive Video Series Of Personal Stories From Around The World

Photos Show What It Looks Like To Dress For School Around The World is from The World Post.

Dining Etiquette Around The World Pt. 2

From Visually.

Global Etiquette Guide

From Visually.

Radiooooo is one of the coolest music sites around. You can click a country on a world map and then click a decade from the past 120 years, and it will then play music from that area and from that time period.

You can develop a list of “saved” songs, but I wasn’t able to figure out if and how you could share them.

Radio Garden is an online interactive map of radio stations that you can listen to from around the world. It’s pretty nifty, and you can read more about it at The Atlantic’s article, The Map That Lets You Listen to the Radio Everywhere.

What people around the world mean when they say they’re happy is from The Washington Post.

Pet Ownership around the World

From Visually.

Thirteen Traditional Wedding Ceremonies From Around The World is from The Week.

 

The world’s flags, in 7 charts is from The Washington Post.

How You Sleep Depends on Where You Live is from TIME

The secret to disagreeing with people from 20 different countries, in one chart is from The Washington Post.

Different Cultures See Deadlines Differently is from The Harvard Business Review.

What the world’s sleeping patterns look like is from Quartz.

The Essentials for Giving Birth Around the World: A photo series reveals what expectant mothers in various countries bring with them to the hospital. is from The Atlantic.

Why Some Cultures Frown on Smiling is also from The Atlantic.

Around The World, When It Comes To Health Advice Mom Knows Best is from NPR.

42 Funeral and Burial Rituals from Around the World #infographicYou can also find more infographics at Visualistan

The pros and cons of culinary traditions receiving UNESCO status is from Eater and discusses iconic food traditions from around the world.

Your Thoughts: What Does It Mean To Be A ‘Feminist’ In Your Country? is from NPR.

Americans Are Shrinking, While Chinese And Koreans Sprout Up is also from NPR (here’s a cool interactive – Spanish – showing the same data).

Idioms of the World is from Hotels.com

Candies and Confections Around the World

Around the World in Ice Cream #InfographicYou can also find more infographics at Visualistan

Check out this infographic and let me know if it’s accurate:

10 Countries And Their Work Etiquette #InfographicYou can also find more infographics at Visualistan

Think Americans fear vaccines? Check out the French. is from Vox.

How Much Do Parents Matter? is from The Atlantic.

The Cost of Showers Around the World #InfographicYou can also find more infographics at Visualistan

Photos of millennials’ bedrooms around the world are a peek into global youth culture is from Quartz.

How Kids Around the World Get to School is from New York Magazine.

Time for School is “an award-winning 12-year documentary project that follows seven children – from Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya and Romania – who are struggling to achieve what is not yet a global birthright – a basic education.”

Global Indicators Data Base is a great resource from the Pew Resource Center comparing many countries based on multiple questions.

A study has recently been released ranking different countries based on their level of empathy.

Would You Pass Your Driving Test Around The World? #InfographicYou can also find more infographics at Visualistan

 

Gapminder, the great data visualization site led by Hans Rosling (see The Best Hans Rosling Videos) has unveiled Dollar Street, which I think is an extraordinary site. They have collected 30,000 photos from 46 countries that allow you to compare, as they say, “how people really live.” You can compare bathrooms, toys – you name it. It has so much potential for so many lessons — exploring different cultures, economic analysis, geography, compare/contrast, etc.

In Pictures: These Children In War Zones Are Still Attending School is from BuzzFeed News.

Required reading: The books that students read in 28 countries around the world is from TED Talks.

PHOTOS: Your Bedroom Says A Lot About You is from NPR.

Guest Post: Exploring Cultural Values with Students (With Hand-Outs)

Faces Of The World’s Extreme Poor is from CBS News.

Measuring The Cost Of Living Worldwide is a chart from The Economist.

Global House Prices is another Economist chart.

The best and worst places to be a working woman is one more Economist chart.

How to Respond to Sneezes Around the World - MJJSales.com - Infographic
MJJSales.com

What the world worries about is from The Economist.

Check Out “The Global Jukebox” For Folk Music From Around The World

What ‘personal space’ looks like around the world is from the Washington Post.

How do you draw a circle? We analyzed 100,000 drawings to show how culture shapes our instincts is from Quartz.

 

Quiz: Are You a Citizen of the World? Sample 7 Countries’ Tests is from The New York Times.

Google has created a site where you can see popular “How to fix” search results from around the world.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 24 HOURS is from National Geographic.

Here’s a NY Times video titled “Around The World In Seven Markets”:

PHOTOS: A 4-Year Mission To Present A New Vision Of Beauty is from NPR.

HOW DO FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD SPEND THEIR VACATIONS? is from The NY Times.

CONNECTING AROUND THE WORLD is from The Harvard Business Review.

Here’s an interactive on World Happiness.

Tooth Traditions Around the World is an on-going project from Langwitches.

 

 

Using “Quick, Draw!” With ELLs & Other Students

You’ll Want To See & Read This NY Times Feature: “How the World Expresses Itself in GIFs”

What Kids Eat Around the World is from TIME.

Hofstede Insights lets you compare countries using a few cultural characteristics.

Is Music A Universal Language? Take This Cool Quiz To Find Out!

The Pudding created an interactive map – with audio – where you can see and listen to the number one song (in December, 2017) in 3,000 locations around the world.

People All Over The World Are Late For A Very Important Date. Is That So Bad? is from NPR.

Please include attribution to KitchenCabinetKings.com with this graphic.

Staple Foods Around the World

TasteAtlas shows you traditional foods all around the world on an interactive map. You can read more about it at Google Maps Mania.

Really Interesting “70 People Around The World” Video Series

Where do you fit on the global income spectrum? is a new interactive from The Washington Post that lets you identify “middle-income” in countries around the world.

The Post also has an accompanying article headlined Does $60,000 make you middle-class or wealthy on Planet Earth?

It’s Not Just You: 2017 Was Rough for Humanity, Study Finds is from The NY Times.

“GIRLHOOD AROUND THE WORLD” LOOKS LIKE A GREAT WASH. POST SERIES

 

“THIS IS 18” IS A GREAT NY TIMES INTERACTIVE

GBD Compare is an impressive visualization of the causes of death in every country around the world. You can choose to have the data displayed in different chart forms.

Learn About The World’s Different Cultures at “Cultural Jambalaya”

Which Countries Are the Stars of World History? is from Scientific American.

Ten signature dishes from around the world is an interesting infographic.

The Different Yet Surprisingly Similar Cultures of the World is from Historyplex.

Learning About Different Cultures is from Four Directions.

Can I trust you? — The Impact of Trust across Cultures appeared on Medium.

Mapamundi is a cool interactive that uses lots of different data to compare countries.

HOME CULTURE PROJECT – WITH NEW EXAMPLES & STUDENT HANDOUTS!

Breakfast around the world: How different countries start the day is from CNN.

18 of the World’s Most Wondrous Public Transportation Options is from Atlas Obscura.

The World Culture Encyclopedia looks intriguing, though I haven’t gone through it carefully, yet.

There have been many features published over the years comparing what families around the world eat. The NY Times decided it was time for them to do one. Check out Weeknight Dinner Around the World: We asked 18 families to show us what they have for dinner on a typical weeknight.

Around the World in 5 Kids’ Games is from The NY Times.

UNESCO’S INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY LIST IS IMPRESSIVE – & NEW TO ME!

THIS IS PRETTY INTERESTING: AN ONLINE HISTORICAL ARCHIVE OF NOTEBOOKS USED BY SCHOOLCHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD

Here is a wonderful interactive from The Washington Post sharing videos from around the world encouraging people to wash their hands correctly.

Cologne Sanitizer, Boxed Wine and Bidets: How People in 68 Countries Are Coping With Coronavirus is from Politico.

 

What grocery hauls look like around the world right now is from The Washington Post.

Pick a Card and Be Transported: 7 Board Games From Around the World is from The NY Times.

How Do People Picnic Around the Globe? is from Smithsonian Magazine.

EXCELLENT VISUALIZATIONS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE SPEND THEIR TIME IN COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition is from The Smithsonian.

Italian Photographer Shows What Childhood Looks Like In Different Corners Of The World (30 Pics) is from Bored Panda.

The World’s Most Influential Values, In One Graphic is from Visual Capitalist. You can find more information on it – and a bigger version – at the link.

 

“Figures In The Sky” Shows How Different Cultures View The Stars

“English Sandwich” Is A Cool Cultural/Geographical Game Where You Have To Correctly Say Where Dishes Are From

This is pretty neat – The Most Popular Lullaby From Every Country. They might be guilty of overstating in their headline – I’m not sure if they cover every country – but you can listen to lots of lullabies.

 

An organization called Mornings analyzed Google Search data to come up with this info. You can see a bigger version of the below infographic, along with other infographics specifically about different countries and addition data, at their website. It’s obviously not a super-scientific analysis, but it is interesting:

 

 

Touchable Earth has lots of lessons from around the world that appear to be, in many ways, actually taught in video by children from those country.

 

Answer The Public lets you find out what people are searching for online all around the world.

Larry Cuban has been running a series on his blog about schools around the world. I don’t believe he has created a single link to access them, so here are ones to posts about schools in particular countries: France ; Russia; Japan; Sweden; Germany and India.

Interview: Kids Around the World Photographed Surrounded by Their Weekly Diet is from My Modern Met.

Here’s how People Are Culture describes itself:

Are you a teacher or parent looking for engaging, thought-provoking, and inspiring stories that bring to life the subjects of Geography, History, Social Studies, and World Cultures? Or a lifelong learner who is intrigued with the human condition?

People Are Culture is an anthology that explores the definition of culture, and its relevance and role in daily life, through people’s personal stories. With interviews and feature profiles, we reveal the meaning and relevance of traditions and customs, and demonstrate the real life impact of historical events and social change.

We present first-person accounts of different cultures around the world that enliven the concepts of cultural identity; emigration; indigenous culture; life during war; and religious and spiritual practices.

Again, please let me know if I’m missing some sites.

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