It Is Important for Students to Be Aware That Other Countries Celebrate Holidays in Different

It is important for students to be aware that other countries celebrate holidays in different ways and that sometimes they celebrate different holidays all together. Learning this will make children less ethnocentric about their own religious beliefs and holiday celebrations. As children move through this unit they will discover holidays they don’t know about and some that they know a lot about. The goal of this lesson is make children more aware of the world around them and the people in it.

This is not a typical unit. It will take place throughout the entire school year and is intended for third grade, but could be modified for other grades. Each mini-unit is divided into months. Children will learn about holidays around the world that occur in each calendar month. For purposes of this assignment, we have only chosen one holiday from each month. At the end of each mini-unit, there will be a test over the holidays from that unit. We have included one test, and questions such as the ones listed would be asked on each test.

January/February

· Students will study Martin Luther King. Jr. and the Civil Rights Act.

· In February, they will study Presidents’ Day and the role of the President of the United States.

March/April

· Students will research the origins of St. Patrick’s Day in March.

· In April, we will discuss Easter as a religious holiday and in a traditional sense with the Easter Bunny and an Easter egg hunt.

May/June

· The students will study the origin and meaning of Memorial Day.

· The students will make a class flag to hang in the hall of the school.

July/August

· The students will discuss the importance of the 4th of July and make Uncle Sam hats.

· The students will return to school and participate in activities that will help them to get to know each other.

September/October

· In September, students will explore the culture of the community. It helps students become aware of the diverse jobs in our community and understand that on Labor Day we celebrate the different jobs people have.

· In October, the students will debate on whether or not costumes should be worn to school. They will assemble a mock petition based on their beliefs.

November

· Students will study the first Thanksgiving and will prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for the staff at the school.

December

· Students will read about the three different December Holidays: Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah. They will also identify special symbol for each holiday.

African – American / Graph / Mishumaa Saba
American Federation of Labor / Group cohesion / Mkeka
Career / Guilds / Mock Trial
Christmas / Halloween / Petition
Christmas Carols / Hanukkah / prejudice
Christmas Tree / holiday celebration / propaganda
civil rights / Jesus / region
Costumes / Jewish / Responsibility
Democracy / Kinara / Skills
Dreidel / Kwanzaa / Strike
ethnic group / labor / Thanksgiving
ethnocentrism / Labor Union / Value
executive branch / Mazao / Workforce
Festival of Lights / Menorah / Zawadi

Students will:

Explain what the Civil Rights Act is.
Explain who martin Luther King, Jr. was and why we celebrate him.
Name the date of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Name the date of Presidents’ Day.
Explain what is important about Presidents’ Day.
Name our current President.
Tell three things the President does.
State one requirement for becoming President.
Describe the origins of St. Patrick’s Day.
Name the date of St. Patrick’s Day.
Explain why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Discuss the religious belief behind Easter.
Be aware that not everyone celebrates Easter.
Discuss the tale of the Easter Bunny.
Create a class list of different jobs and careers.
Come to school dressed in a costume of what they want to be when they grow up.
Share about their choices of careers and the importance of that job.
Guess what holiday celebrates the different jobs people have.
Read stories about different jobs such as Mothers Can Do Anything by Joe Lasker.
Discuss the various jobs in the story and how they are like any jobs the students chose.
Create a classroom graph for the assessment using the information the children brought in for homework.
Discuss the results of the Labor Day graph.
Discuss different meanings of Halloween.
Discuss different Halloween costumes and why they are worn.
Make a web of different reasons of why costumes should, or should do not be worn to school.
Work collaboratively in a group to make a petition.
Debate, and share beliefs, and petition to other classes and classmates.
Explain the story of the first Thanksgiving.
Name three foods that were eaten at the first Thanksgiving.
Students will go to the website: http://www.night.net/kids/rr-holidays.html-ssi and read about the December Holidays.
Students will know the three different December Holidays that are celebrated: Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas.
Students will be able to identify a major symbol of each December Holiday.
Students will be able to make a chart comparing the symbols, and their meanings.

34. Students will be able to discuss the holidays.

35. Students will understand the significance of the holidays.

36. Students will complete activities related to each holiday.

37. Students will discuss videos shown in class.

January/February

· Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Students will begin by researching facts about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life in small groups. They will use classroom resources as well as the Internet to gather information. Students will then discuss with each other why they think Martin Luther King, Jr. has a holiday named after him. We will then get together as a class and discuss their findings. This activity will lead to a discussion on the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Act. Students will make connections between the Civil Rights Act and Martin Luther King, Jr.

· Presidents’ Day: In this activity, students will research the history of the presidency, the requirements for becoming president, as well as major Presidents in our nation’s history. They will also touch on the role of the executive branch of our government. From this information, they will discuss the job of the President and evaluate our current president. To end the activity, students will pick their favorite president, draw a picture of him, and tell why he was important to out nation’s history.

March/April

· St. Patrick’s Day: Students will use the Internet and any other resources available to them to determine the origin of St. Patrick’s Day. We will then hold a St. Patrick’s Day party in our classroom that the children will plan to honor St. Patrick. Children will need to have sufficient information about the man and the holiday before they can plan the party. The planning of the party will demonstrate their knowledge of the subject.

· Easter: As a class, we will discuss the religious beliefs behind Easter. These beliefs will in no way be encouraged or discouraged. We will discuss that not all people celebrate Easter because of its religious beliefs. Some people celebrate it for mythical reasons, such as the Easter Bunny. The students will then learn and sing Easter songs and will conduct an Easter Egg Hunt at the school.

May/June

· Memorial Day: the students will watch a video about out nations past and we will discuss it in class. The students will make a memorial to the USA. They will make a wreath out of flowers and decorate it with a banner and flags. After they are completed, they will display them on the school grounds.

· Flag Day: the students will make a flags for the hallway. They will start with a large piece of white paper (from a large roll). They will step in red paint and walk in straight lined to make the stripes. They will then paint the corner blue and use their big toes to make the stars with white paint. After the flag dries, the teacher will hang it in the hallway for the school to see.

July/August

· Independence Day: the students will make Uncle Sam hats using construction paper, Ellison cut-outs, stickers, and glue.

· Back To School: the students will bring a bag with items that represent who they are and what they like to do. Get in a circle and have the students introduce themselves and show what is in their bag. You will have to do this on the second day unless you have contact with your students before school starts. This is a good way for the students to get to know each other as well as for you, the teacher, to get to know them.

September/October

· Labor Day: Students will create a class list of different jobs and careers. The following day, they will come to school dressed in a costume of what they want to be when they grow up. Students then share about their choices and the importance of that job. Have children guess what holiday celebrates the different jobs people have. Students will then be given a brief history about Labor Day by showing the website http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-1710.html. (This website tells the history of labor unions, and why we celebrate Labor Day.) The students will then read stories about different jobs such as Mothers Can Do Anything by Joe Lasker. They will discuss the various jobs in the story and how they are like any jobs the students chose. To supplement the activities, they will create a classroom graph for the assessment using the information children brought in for homework.

· Halloween: Before Halloween, we will talk about what Halloween means to them, and if they think that Halloween costumes should be worn to school or not. They will create a web on the broad of different ideas of why costumes should, or should not be worn to school. After the have created a web, they will be asked to take a side. The two sides will get together and collaboratively develop a petition for other classes to sign. (Information on petitions is available in the teacher resources.)

November

· Thanksgiving: Students will research and discuss the first Thanksgiving using all resources available to them. They will then decide on a menu and recipes for our own Thanksgiving feast. The students will become the Pilgrims on the day of our feast. Costumes will be worn and important people will be portrayed. The students will have to have sufficient knowledge of the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim traditions, and Pilgrim mannerisms in order to complete this activity. We will then prepare the food and have a feast before Thanksgiving break. Parents and other teachers will be welcome to attend.

December

· Christmas: Students will look at the website: http://www.night.net/kids/rr-holidays.html-ssi. They will research the three December holidays: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas, and find symbols for each of the holidays. They will also make a chart of the symbols and their meanings to compare the holiday’s similarities, and differences.

Multiple Choice

1. What are the colors of the American flag?

a. red, green, blue

b. yellow, orange, purple

c. red, blue, white

d. silver, blue, red

2. In what month is the first day of school?

a. January

b. March

c. April

d. August

3. What is the name of the ship that the pilgrims rode in to come to America?

a. Pinta

b. Voyager

c. Mayflower

d. Cruiser

4. Which religion usually celebrates Hanukah?

a. Jewish

b. Catholic

c. Muslim

d. Methodist

5. How many stars are on the American flag?

a. 2

b. 50

c. 60

d. 13

6. What color is usually worn on St. Patrick’s Day?

a. yellow

b. blue

c. green

d. white

7. In what month do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

a. February

b. April

c. November

d. January

True or False

____ When we say the pledge of allegiance, we put our left hand over our hearts.

____ We decorate eggs to celebrate Christmas.

____ Turkeys are a symbol for Thanksgiving.

____ Carved pumpkins are called Jack-O-Lanterns.

____ President’s Day is celebrated to honor past teachers.

Short Answer

1. What is Labor Day?

2. Describe the American flag.

3. Name three things that we do on the first day of school.

4. What is the definition of independence?

Student references

American Symbols: True Books

These books explore the origin and meaning of America’s national symbols for young readers. These easy to read, large print books feature bright colors and vivid pictures that help to illustrate the lessons.

Cornerstones of Freedom

These paper back books explore the names, places, documents, and events of American history. This comprehensive set of books reveals the excitement, adventure, scandal, struggle, and victory behind each significant subject.

Presidential Elections: A Complete Resource with Historical Information

This activity book primes future voters for elections. The lessons in this book help students learn about political parties and the mechanics of running a campaign.

Rourke Guides to State Symbols

These four hardback books help students discover the fascinating stories behind the sometimes obvious and sometimes odd choices each state has made in picking the symbols to represent it.

The Regions of the United States

The six videos and six guides contain maps, computer graphics, archival illustrations, and live action footage that illustrate the climate, geography, natural resources, agriculture, industries, cultural heritage, and major cities of six diverse regions.

Presidential Puzzlers

This activity book contains a variety of word searches, crossword puzzles, and games that teach children about past and present presidents.