What's Your Holiday Tradition Story?

Terra Witt

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Our Holiday Stories Circle

Students will be able to identify and share their personal or family holiday traditions, fostering a sense of community and respect for diverse experiences through storytelling.

Understanding and sharing our unique holiday traditions helps build a stronger classroom community, promoting empathy and respect for the diverse backgrounds of our classmates.

Audience

3rd Grade Class

Time

55 minutes

Approach

Interactive storytelling and creative expression to share and learn about traditions.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers or pens, Celebrating Our Traditions Slide Deck, Holiday Memory Share Warm-Up, Tradition Timeline Creation Activity, and Sharing Our Unique Customs Discussion Guide

Prep

Gather Materials & Review

15 minutes

Review the Celebrating Our Traditions Slide Deck for content and flow.
Print or prepare the Holiday Memory Share Warm-Up prompts.
Ensure you have a whiteboard or projector ready for the slide deck.
Review the Tradition Timeline Creation Activity and consider if any additional art supplies (crayons, colored pencils) are needed.
Familiarize yourself with the Sharing Our Unique Customs Discussion Guide questions to facilitate a smooth discussion.
Make sure all digital materials are accessible and ready to display.

Step 1

Introduction & Warm-Up: What's a Tradition?

10 minutes

Begin with the Celebrating Our Traditions Slide Deck (Slide 1-2) to introduce the concept of traditions.
Facilitate the Holiday Memory Share Warm-Up activity. Have students quickly share one holiday tradition they love with a partner or the whole class (depending on class size and time).

Step 2

Exploring Traditions with the Slide Deck

15 minutes

Continue with the Celebrating Our Traditions Slide Deck (Slide 3-5), discussing different types of traditions (family, community, cultural).
Encourage students to think about examples beyond their own, sparking curiosity about other cultures and celebrations.

Step 3

Activity: Tradition Timeline Creation

20 minutes

Distribute materials for the Tradition Timeline Creation Activity.
Explain the instructions for creating a visual timeline of a favorite holiday tradition, including key events, feelings, and people involved.
Circulate and provide support as students work on their timelines.

Step 4

Discussion & Wrap-Up: Sharing Our Stories

10 minutes

Conclude with a class discussion using the Sharing Our Unique Customs Discussion Guide prompts.
Invite a few volunteers to share their completed tradition timelines or a specific tradition they learned about from a classmate.
Emphasize the value of diversity and respecting everyone's unique traditions. Review the main takeaways from the Celebrating Our Traditions Slide Deck (Slide 6).

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Slide Deck

What's Your Holiday Tradition Story?

Celebrating Our Unique Customs

What makes your holidays special?
Let's find out!

Welcome students and introduce the topic. Ask them to think about their favorite holidays.

What ARE Traditions?

A tradition is something special that a group of people (like a family or community) do again and again, especially during holidays or special times.

They can be big or small.
They can be old or new.
They make us feel connected and happy!

What are some traditions you already know?

Explain what a tradition is. Give a few simple examples like birthday cakes or family dinners. Ask students for their own quick examples.

Many Kinds of Traditions

Traditions can come in many different forms:

Family Traditions: Things you do with your family (e.g., decorating a tree, special meals, singing songs).
Cultural Traditions: Celebrations or customs that come from a specific culture or background (e.g., Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa).
Community Traditions: Events or activities that everyone in your town or neighborhood participates in (e.g., town parades, lighting ceremonies).

What type of tradition is your favorite?

Discuss different categories of traditions. Provide an example for each category (e.g., family: opening presents; cultural: specific holiday foods; community: local parade).

Why Traditions Matter

Traditions are important because they help us:

Feel Connected: They bring us closer to family, friends, and our community.
Make Memories: We create special moments that we remember for a long time.
Learn About Ourselves: They teach us about our family history and culture.
Show Respect: We learn about and appreciate traditions different from our own.

Prompt students to think about why traditions are important. Guide them towards ideas of belonging, memory-making, and connection.

Respecting ALL Traditions

Every family and person has unique traditions, and that's wonderful!

Listen Actively: Pay attention when others share their stories.
Ask Kind Questions: Show curiosity and interest.
Celebrate Differences: Our classroom is richer because of all our unique stories!

How can we show respect for someone else's tradition?

Encourage students to respect all traditions, even if they are different from their own. Emphasize that every tradition is special.

Our Shared Stories

Today we learned:

What traditions are.
There are many different kinds of traditions.
Why traditions are important.
How to respect everyone's unique customs.

Let's keep sharing and learning from each other! The more we learn about each other, the stronger our community becomes!

Summarize the key takeaways and transition to the next activity or discussion. Reinforce the idea of the value of shared stories.

Warm Up

Activity

Tradition Timeline Creation

Think about one of your favorite holiday traditions. It could be something your family does every year, or a special part of a holiday you celebrate.

Now, let's create a timeline of that tradition!

Instructions:

Choose Your Tradition: Pick one special holiday tradition that you want to share.
Think About the Steps: What happens first? What happens next? What's the grand finale? (For example: getting the tree, decorating the tree, opening gifts around the tree).
Draw and Write: In each box below, draw a picture or write a sentence about a different part of your tradition.
Add Details: Who is usually with you? How do you feel during this part of the tradition?

My Holiday Tradition: _____________________________

Step 1: Beginning the Tradition

What happens first?

Step 2: Middle of the Tradition

What happens next?

Step 3: Climax or Main Part

What is the most exciting or important part?

Step 4: Ending the Tradition

How does your tradition usually end?