Lesson Plan
Holiday Traditions: What's Your Story?
Students will be able to identify and describe various holiday traditions and reflect on the personal significance of cultural customs.
Understanding diverse holiday traditions helps us appreciate different cultures, build empathy, and see how shared experiences connect us, even if our traditions vary. It encourages respect for classmates' backgrounds.
Audience
7th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Discussion, Reading, Reflection
Materials
Holiday Traditions Slide Deck, Warm-Up: Holiday Brainstorm, Reading: A World of Winter Wonders, Discussion: Our Traditions, and Cool-Down: One New Thing
Prep
Review Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Holiday Traditions Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the presentation.
* Print copies of the Warm-Up: Holiday Brainstorm for each student.
* Review the Reading: A World of Winter Wonders and prepare for any vocabulary explanations.
* Familiarize yourself with the discussion prompts in Discussion: Our Traditions.
* Prepare the Cool-Down: One New Thing for distribution at the end of class.
* Ensure projector/smartboard is working for the slide deck.
Step 1
Warm-Up & Introduction
5 minutes
- Begin with the Warm-Up: Holiday Brainstorm activity, having students jot down holiday words.
* Transition to the Holiday Traditions Slide Deck to introduce the lesson objective and the idea of diverse traditions.
Step 2
Explore Diverse Traditions
10 minutes
- Distribute the Reading: A World of Winter Wonders.
* Have students read individually or in small groups, highlighting different traditions.
* Briefly discuss a few examples from the reading as a whole class.
Step 3
Personal Reflection & Discussion
10 minutes
- Facilitate the Discussion: Our Traditions using the provided prompts.
* Encourage students to share their own experiences or observations respectfully, connecting them to the reading.
* Emphasize the importance of listening and appreciating different perspectives.
Step 4
Wrap-Up & Cool-Down
5 minutes
- Distribute the Cool-Down: One New Thing for students to complete.
* Briefly reiterate the main takeaway: understanding and respecting diverse holiday traditions enriches our community.
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Slide Deck
Holiday Traditions: What's Your Story?
Let's explore the festive season through different eyes!
Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of holiday traditions. Explain that today, we'll explore different ways people celebrate and reflect on what makes our own traditions special.
What Makes a Tradition?
What comes to mind when you hear the word 'tradition'?
- Customs or beliefs
- Passed down through families or groups
- Often repeated annually
- Creates a sense of belonging
Ask students to think about what a 'tradition' means. Guide them to understand it's a custom or belief passed down through generations or regularly practiced by a group.
A World of Winter Wonders
Across the globe, people celebrate holidays in countless unique ways!
- Different foods
- Special clothing
- Unique stories and myths
- Diverse activities and rituals
Introduce the idea that holidays are celebrated in many ways around the world. Mention that the upcoming reading will showcase a few of these unique celebrations.
Your Story Matters!
Your own experiences and family traditions are part of this rich tapestry.
- What makes your holidays special?
- How do traditions connect you to others?
- Why is it important to learn about different traditions?
Transition to the discussion phase. Emphasize that every student's personal connection to traditions is valuable and contributes to our collective understanding.
Warm Up
Warm-Up: Holiday Brainstorm
Take 2-3 minutes to jot down as many words or phrases that come to mind when you think about holidays. Don't censor yourself – just write!
Reading
A World of Winter Wonders
The winter season brings with it a tapestry of holidays celebrated across the globe, each with its own unique customs and meanings. While many in the Western world are familiar with Christmas, a closer look reveals a rich diversity of traditions.
Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights
In Jewish tradition, Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Families light a menorah, adding one candle each night to symbolize the miracle of a single day's oil lasting for eight. Traditional foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts) are fried in oil, further connecting to the holiday's origin. Children often play with dreidels and receive gelt (chocolate coins).
Kwanzaa: A Celebration of African Heritage
Observed from December 26th to January 1st, Kwanzaa is a celebration of African-American culture and heritage. It emphasizes seven core principles, or Nguzo Saba: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. Each night, families light one of seven candles on a kinara and discuss one of the principles. The celebration culminates in a feast and gift-giving, focusing on promoting community and cultural pride.
Christmas: Global Variations
While globally recognized, Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus, has vast regional differences. In some parts of Europe, December 6th marks St. Nicholas Day, where children leave shoes out to be filled with treats. In Mexico, Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration leading up to Christmas Eve, reenacting Mary and Joseph's search for lodging. Families and neighbors go from house to house, singing carols and enjoying festive gatherings, often ending with a piñata. Even Santa Claus has different names and traditions; in France, he's Père Noël, and in Italy, an old woman named La Befana delivers gifts on Epiphany.
Discussion
Discussion: Our Traditions
Let's talk about holidays and traditions!
- What was one new or interesting holiday tradition you learned about in the reading?
- Can you share a holiday tradition that is special to you or your family? (Remember to be respectful of everyone's experiences!)
- Why do you think traditions are important to people and cultures?
- How does learning about different traditions help us understand each other better?
Cool Down
Cool-Down: One New Thing
Before you leave, quickly write down:
- One interesting new fact or idea you learned about holiday traditions today.
- One word that describes how you feel about the diversity of holiday traditions.