Global Penpals: Building Friendships Across Cultures

Students create a personal introduction profile that includes their name, interests, family background, favorite sport or cultural tradition, and daily life. They prepare this as a written message, voice note, or short video to send to their international penpal.

Students send their profiles to partner classrooms and receive their penpals' introductions. They read, listen to, or watch their penpal's profile and respond with follow-up questions about their interests, family customs, and cultural traditions.

Students prepare and send a set of interview questions to their penpals about specific cultural traditions, family routines, hobbies, and how daily life differs from their own. They collect responses over several weeks through written messages, voice notes, or videos.

Students organize what they have learned from their penpals into a comparison chart or visual map showing similarities and differences in traditions, interests, family life, and daily routines. They reflect in writing on what surprised them and what they have in common.

Students continue regular written, voice, or video exchanges with their penpals over several weeks, sharing stories, photos, or updates about their lives, hobbies, and communities. They practice authentic communication and deepen their cross-cultural friendship.

Students create a final presentation or digital portfolio showcasing their penpal friendship, including key exchanges, what they learned about their penpal's culture, and a personal reflection on how the experience changed their understanding of the world and their communication skills.