I. UNIT TOPIC and STRATEGY BACKGROUND

A. 1st Grade—Unit 3: Celebration in Our Families, Communities, Nation and the World

Subtopics:

· Why people celebrate

· The different types of events, ideas, etc. that people celebrate

· Their own favorite celebrations

· The relationship between time and celebrations—when different celebrations occur, how long they last, why certain celebrations occur at certain times of the year/day/night, etc.

· The people who lead and participate in celebrations

· How different types of celebrations have changed over time

· The similarities and differences between celebrations from different cultures and places across the world

· The relationship between celebrations, conflict, and cooperation

*Bold indicates topics that will be addressed in our unit plan.

B. A second grade teacher at Elementary School, had these thoughts to offer:

· Celebrations are nice because the school has such a diverse population, and celebrations are a means to bring everyone together.

A first grade teacher commented that:

· This is a great and interactive unit that always holds the students’ attention.

· Celebrations give children a doorway through which they can connect to cultures all over the world.

A fifth grade teacher commented that:

· So much of our country’s history is commemorated by holidays, so it is easy to tie them in with the rest of the curriculum.

· Cultural literacy is an essential part of a students’ learning.

C. Insights from in-class readings

· The Takaki text provides critical insights into differing perspectives on common holidays in the United States as well as the idea that many of the holidays celebrated are not necessarily inclusive to all cultures. For example, Columbus Day and the Fourth of July are festive days in the US, but the events that they commemorate were not necessarily positive for all people and cultures.

· The Zinn text also provides perspectives on different cultures and underscores the importance of cultural literacy.

· In Doing History and Boring, many ideas are provided to give students a more interesting approach to studying history.

Instructional strategies

· Universal design for learning- While the teacher is creating the lesson plan, she takes into account the individual needs of the students and incorporates these various needs into the lesson to avoid having to adapt the lesson later. This strategy was found in Special Ed 405 for use when creating a curriculum for a class of diverse learners.

· Learning centers- Students move around the classroom and complete different activities that utilize various modes of representation and focus on student choices. This strategy is based on observations in our cooperating classrooms.

· Flexible grouping- Students work cooperatively to solve problems and discuss questions. Students are not always grouped by ability. Instead, the formation of the group depends on the nature of the activity being completed. This strategy was discussed in CI 406 in the context of mathematics instruction.

· Problem Solving- The student learning stems from answering questions and coming up with a solution to a real-life problem, e.g. inventing a new holiday to commemorate an important event in the town. This strategy comes from CI 432, Introduction to Teaching Mathematics in which students engage in problem solving activities to achieve the desired curricular goals.

· Project-based learning- Instead of copying facts and filling out worksheets, students choose a project to complete and search for relevant information. Assessment is based on the project outcome and group processing skills rather than written examinations. This comes from CI 451, Teaching Elementary Science, where students are encouraged to explore topics through creating experiments and analyzing the results.

· Technology skills- This is a broad strategy and can include such activities as online simulations, webquests and online videos. This is a good strategy to incorporate when adaptations or modifications for students with special needs. Last semester, we took CI 335, which exposed us to many different ways to utilize technology in the classroom.

· Learning Cycle- Engage, Explore, Explain, Evaluate, Extend. The teacher begins by engaging the students and getting them interested in the topic. From there, the students will explore through a hands or minds-on activity. They will then use the knowledge found to explain their portion of the topic to the class. They will evaluate by looking critically at the materials and reaching their own conclusions. The extension portion takes students beyond the concrete into a higher lever of thinking. This strategy comes from CI 451, as a potential way to break out of the traditional method of teaching science.

· Alternative assessments- This allows student to express their understanding in a way that best uses their specific intelligences. This strategy is taken from our CI 448 textbook Doing History, which suggests that students may be able to better express their learning through multiple methods of assessment rather than written examinations.

· Analyzing perspectives- Student examine a common historical event through taking the perspective of a non-traditional group. This also comes from CI 448, and was used to explore various perspectives on Columbus Day. It is also used in many of the units described in Boring.

· Bloom’s Taxonomy- Students move through the various levels of questioning, from comprehension to evaluation. This comes from our practicum, and is a way to derive enduring understandings and essential questions by taking students beyond concrete knowledge and into the abstract.

Resource Review

RESOURCES NOT USED

Enderlein, Cheryl L. Celebrating birthdays in China. Danbury, Conn: Hilltop Books, 1998.

This book discusses birthday celebrations in China. It is part of a series that focuses on birthdays in multiple countries and thus, a valuable resource in comparing and contrasting birthdays throughout the world.

Hayward, Linda and Watling, James. The First Thanksgiving. New York: Random House, 1990.

This book diminishes preconceived notions regarding the beginning of the national holiday, Thanksgiving. National Geographic looks back to the year 1621 and explores how the holiday evolved and how it has become a very generic national holiday. The book is very useful for students because it tells the truth about the holiday and dispels stereotypes that our country has come to regard as certainty.

Jackson, Ellen. The Autumn Equinox: Celebrating the Harvest. Brookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 2000.

This book offers some fascinating descriptions of how people of the past celebrated the harvest season. Features include a Native American harvest tale, and some hands-on activities, among them instructions for making Chinese Moon Cakes, and African Harvest Drum, and a model of a Jewish Sukkah.

TEACHER RESOURCES

Erlbach, Arlene. Happy Birthday Everywhere!. Brookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 1997.

This book compares birthdays around the world and also provides birthday activities and/or games specific to each country mentioned in the book. This is a valuable resource because it provides interesting facts and fun activities, such as learning to sing “Happy Birthday To You” in several languages.

McGovern, Ann. Why It’s A Holiday. New York: Random House, 1960.

This book summarizes America’s holidays and explains their origins. Although the book is dated, it is quite relevant and provides factual information.

STUDENT RESOURCES

Bunting, Eve. December. New York: Harcourt Brace and

Company, 1997.

The book emphasizes the idea of appreciating what you have and helping others who are less fortunate. It was specifically chosen because it focuses on the idea of giving

which is an important theme during the Christmas season. The book discusses certain icons such as a Christmas tree, the colors red and green, Santa Claus, angels, and

presents. In the story, an old woman, cold and hungry, comes to the child’s house looking for a place to stay. The child offers the woman one of the cookies she has set out

for Santa Claus. This book would appeal to both boys and girls because it is impossible to tell the gender of the child by simply flipping through the book. There are beautiful

illustrations that won a Caldecott Medal. Overall, this book would teach students about the importance of giving and believing.

El-Moslimany, Ann P. Zaki's Ramadhan Fast. Seattle: Amica

House, 1998.

This picture book teaches children about Ramadhan, the month of the Islamic calendar. During Ramadhan, Muslims fast from the morning until the evening. Also, they make an effort to be patient and refrain from anger. The note to parents or teachers at the end of the book states that they are encouraged to read the Qur’an and to say extra prayers during the night. This book focuses on a cross-cultural marriage in that Zaki’s mother is African American and the father’s origin is the Indian subcontinent. Because

children of cross-cultural groups may be part of the classroom, it is important that their heritage is recognized as well. Throughout the book, Islamic words are used such

as “sahoor” for morning meal. After eating this morning meal, the family sits around and reads the Qur’an. Zaki counted down until he was able to break the fast. However,

he walked into the kitchen, smelled muffins, and ate one, forgetting that he was fasting. However, Zaki’s mother informs him that when a fasting person eats because he

forgets that he is fasting, it is a gift.

Greenfield, Monica. Waiting for Christmas. New York: Scholastic, 1996.

This book includes information on the importance of Christmas and artifacts such as presents, stockings, and a Christmas tree that play an important part in this holiday. It also discusses many activities that are done during Christmas time. This book is easy to read with only a few words on each page and was chosen for this reason.

Katz, Karen. My First Kwanzaa. New York: Henry Holt and

Company, 2003.

This picture book illustrates and describes the holiday of Kwanzaa, celebrated by African Americans. The children will learn that this holiday is celebrated from

December 26, the day after Christmas, to January 1. The book contains words used by African Americans such as “kinara,” or candleholder, which is similar to a “menorah” used during Chanukah. There are seven candles, three red, one black, and three green. They light a candle every night to celebrate a special idea. The book also discusses certain icons important to this holiday including the unity cup or “kikombe,” an ear of corn or “muhindi,” and fruits and vegetables or “mazao.” During the first day of

Kwanzaa, the first candle is lit and the neighbors come over to talk and sing. They celebrate the idea of unity. For each night, a candle is lit. One the second night, the

family celebrates self-determination and the little girl gets her hair braided in a fancy African way. Throughout the week, themes such as working together, helping one

another, purpose, creativity, and faith are stressed. The children receive gifts, such as an African shaker, when the week is over. The family then shares a feast together and

each takes a sip from the unity cup.

Kindersley, Barnabas. Children Just Like Me: Celebrations. New York: DK Publishing, 1997.

This book introduces students to the idea that while everyone loves holidays in different parts of the world, the preparation, excitement, and atmosphere of celebrating is the same everywhere. The sections on the five winter holidays will be read aloud and discussed. The similarities and differences between these holidays will also be discussed. This book was chosen because it serves as a good introduction to the winter holiday lesson.

Kuskin, Karla. A Great Miracle Happened There: A Chanukah

Story. USA: Willa Perlman Books, 1993.

This picture book was chosen because it focuses on the Jewish holiday of Chanukah and was specifically chosen because it is written for children ages 5-8. It is about a boy, Henry, who goes over to the narrator’s house to learn about different Hebrew words and the holiday itself. He immediately learns that Hebrew is the language that all Jews around the world have spoken for thousands of years. Chanukah comes around December, similar to Christmas and Kwanzaa. Henry is also introduced to the “menorah” or candleholder with nine places for candles. He also learns that Chanukah lasts for eight days and a candle is lit and a prayer is said every night. The narrator’s father tells Henry that the holiday celebrates something that happened long ago, and tells him the story about the history of Chanukah. The book focuses on important icons such as the dreidel, a top with Hebrew letters written on each side, latkes, or potato pancakes, presents, and miracles. While this book is a bit longer than the other winter holiday picture books chosen, this book could be used for a higher-level reader. The beautiful watercolor paintings contribute to a very informative and educational story of the Jewish people.

Porter, A.P. Kwanzaa. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1991.

This book includes four sections: new words, Kwanzaa, The Nguzo Saba, and what you need to celebrate Kwanzaa. It clearly explains the importance of each of the artifacts such as the kinara, the seven candles, fruits and vegetables, and corn. Since this book is a bit long, sections of the book will be highlighted for students to read.

Schaefer, Lola M. Chinese New Year. Mankato: Capstone Press, 2001.

Similar to the book on Ramadhan, this book has real-life illustrations and contains important information on the Chinese New Year. The pictures will help students who have a hard time reading understand the text. This book also includes words to know, where to read more, and internet sites that contain more information. This book was chosen because of its simple text and real photographs.

Schaefer, Lola M. Ramadhan. Mankato: Capstone Press, 2001.

This book has real-life illustrations and contains important information on the holiday of Ramadhan. The pictures will help students who have a hard time reading understand the text. This book also includes words to know, where to read more, and internet sites that contain more information. This book was chosen because of its simple text and real photographs.

Speregen, Devra and Newberger, Shirley. Arielle and the Hanukkah Surprise. New York: Scholastic, 1992.

This book includes many artifacts that are important to Hanukkah. Students from different cultures may relate to this book because of the important relationship between a girl and her grandfather. The book also discusses how a candle is lit for the eight nights of Hanukkah. This book was chosen because of its clear illustrations and can be used with students who don’t have as a high of reading level.