Sometimes it feels like we’re in our own little bubble over here in the US, amiright? Having children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the influence of being a teacher of many different students over the years has taught me the tremendous amount of value in celebrating cultural differences. At the end of the year when the holidays roll around, a perfect opportunity presents itself to teach children about different customs, traditions, and ways of celebrating all over the world. Today I wanted to introduce you to our newest resource, Holidays Around the World. Inside you will find a breakdown of the unit, some book suggestions, and a freebie!
The digital and printable Holidays Around the World is a research unit that centers around symbols, tradition, and history! There are so many holidays around the world and we wish we could fit them all in this unit, but we wanted to keep this unit smaller as to not be overwhelming. Here’s a rundown on what holidays we have included in the unit and what you can expect for your students to learn.
Talking Mexico, students will get a glimpse into the celebration of Las Posadas! They will learn the importance of nativity scenes in Mexico, the tradition of children dressed as angels leading a procession through the streets, the various ways they celebrate Christmas Eve, and one they are sure to love– piñatas!
Transitioning students over to Germany, they will learn all about St. Nicolaus, the Advent Wreath representing a countdown until Christmas, the origins of the Christmas tree, and the popular Christmas Markets!
Transporting students over to Sweden, they will learn about St. Lucia’s Day! Students will dive into the St. Lucia parade, the importance of Christmas Eve in Sweden, Tomten: The Christmas Gnome, and so much more!
Students will learn about one of India’s most important holidays…Diwali! They will learn about how to celebrate (the otherwise known as) Festival of Lights, how they prepare for Diwali, important self-awakenings, the feast, the diya rituals, and other symbolic elements that represent the holiday!
Celebrating African-American culture, students will have a chance to study Kwanzaa! They will differentiate Kwanzaa from Christmas, learn about the lighting of the Kinara, the Karamu feast, the special straw placemat, and so much more!
Each holiday will include the same set of activities customized to fit their corresponding traditions. Those include:
Of course, to round it all out, you will want to pair the unit with a really great book. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of picture books that I believe will really help to tie it all together. Just click on each book title to take you straight to it!
{Disclaimer: The below includes Amazon affiliate links. But don’t worry, I swear by my choices.}
If you’re interested in learning more about the Holidays Around the World resource, you can check that out here.
I don’t know about you but all this talk about celebrations has me way too excited for Christmas! Happy holidays, Friends! But before you go….
Don’t forget your freebie! I really wanted to give you a sense of what this resource is all about and offer another beautiful country for your students to explore. In this freebie, students will research Christmas in Italy followed by some fun activities!
Hey, y’all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.
Sample a day of Rooted in Reading with these lesson plans and activities for Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Grammar!
