Before students and teachers can really understand another culture, they need to learn about their own culture. Considering the products, practices and perspectives of their own families, for example, can open new pathways in their knowledge about family artifacts, foods, patterns of behavior and appreciation of their family's cultural traditions and values. This exploration can lead to comparisons of their own families with those of the target culture and result in a wealth of information about what "culture" means and the why's and how's of culture. This article offers activities for teachers and K-8 students on: (1) gathering basic cultural information; (2) exploring the relationship between language and culture; (3) cultivating cultural understanding; and (4) achieving cross-cultural competence.