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Grade: Kindergarten
Subject: Social Studies
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Title: Christmas Around the WorldConcept / Topic to Teach:
Other countries celebrate Christmas in different ways.Kentucky Academic Expectations:
1.2 - Students make sense of a variety of materials read.
1.3 - Students make sense of the various things they observe.
1.13 - Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with visual arts.
1.14 - Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music.
4.1 - Students effectively use interpersonal skills.
4.2 - Students use productive team membership skills.
4.5 - Students demonstrate an understanding of, appreciation for, and sensitivity to a multi-cultural and worldview.
General Goals:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how different cultures studied celebrate Christmas.Specific Objectives:
Mexico: Students will make piñatas to burst during their reenactment of the traditional Posadas party.
Sweden: Students will role-play Santa Lucia Day while wearing self made wreaths with candles.
Africa: Students will eat their homemade Kinaras on self-made woven placemats, which they made out of traditional Kwanzaa colors.
Israel: Students will make and play a game with their dreydls.
Students will make Latkes.
America: Students will decorate a Christmas tree, make Christmas
Cards, and go Christmas caroling.
Required Materials:
Mexico: Balloons, newspaper, glue, candy
Sweden: sweet roll recipe, hot chocolate, and materials to make wreath with candles.
Africa: red, green, and black construction paper, bread cream cheese carrots and raisins.
Israel: dreydl pattern, potatoes, eggs, flour
America: Christmas tree, construction paper for cards, Christmas songs for caroling.Anticipatory Set (Lead in):
Discuss how we celebrate Christmas with our families.
Introduce the word: Tradition.
Procedure:
I put on my "Magic Shoes" that I wear when we want to pretend. I ask the students to get on the magic carpet and hold on because we were going on a trip around the world. Our first stop was Mexico. We read the book Nine Days to Christmas by Maria Hall. We learned that in Mexico, they start celebrating nine days before Christmas Day. This commemorates the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and their search for lodging.
We discovered one of their most colorful traditions is the Posadas party. It is celebrated every night from December 16th to December 24th. Families seek shelter at their neighbors. They are told there is not room for them because they are already full just like Mary and Joseph. As they turn away, they are told to come in. Then they have a party.
We made piñatas. We used blown up balloons and covered them with strips of newspaper dipped in a flour and water mixture. After our piñatas dried we painted them and filled them with candy.
The students acted out the story by going to the other classrooms to ask for lodging. I had asked the other teachers to say they did not have room for us so we moved on to the next room. No one had room for us. The aide waited in our room. When we returned to our classroom, we ask the aide if there was room for us. She welcomed us in. she also had things ready for our Posadas party.
During the party, students burst their piñatas. We had a special punch that was an old Mexican family recipe.
The next day we were off to Sweden. We started out on our magic carpet reading about Christmas in Sweden.
We found out that in Sweden, they celebrate Santa Lucia Day. Santa Lucia was a little girl that was a Christian. Christianity was against the law in Sweden at this time. When Santa Lucia's mother became ill, she prayed for her. Her mother got better but the government found out, and had her condemned to death. Santa Lucia Day is celebrated in honor of this little girl's faith.
Sweden celebrates Santa Lucia Day by having the oldest girl in each family dress in a white robe and wear a wreath of lighted candles and leaves. The girl wakes up her family and serves them sweet rolls and coffee.
We made a wreath with candles and leaves on it. We made sweet rolls and hot chocolate. We wore our wreaths on our head while we served our rolls and hot chocolate to each other.
The next morning we were back on our carpet for our journey to Africa. We read My First Kwanzaa Book by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate. We found that African-American families in the United States celebrate Kwanzaa. They celebrate from December 26th until January 1st. For seven days, they celebrate African harvest culture and the joy of being a family.
Family members wear brightly colored clothes in honor of the occasion. They fly a red, green and black flag. Family members work together stringing beads of bright colors. There is a family reunion. On the last day of Kwanzaa, they share gifts.
They have a kinara, which is a candleholder. It holds seven candles. Each day another candle is lit during the seven-day celebration. The candles represent cherished principles of the Kwanzaa celebration.
We made woven placemats out of the colors on the kinara (green, red, and black). Then we made a kinara using bread, cream cheese, carrots and raisins. Students enjoyed eating their snack on their placemats.
The next day we were back on the carpet ready to learn about Hanukkah. We learned Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. Its roots come from Israel. Some people call Hanukkah "The Festival of Lights". The title of our book was Light the Light! By Margaret Moorman.
We found the holiday is honored for eight days sometime between November and December. Each day for eight days a candle is lit on a menorah. After lighting the menorah, the Jewish families play games and exchange gifts. Their children enjoy playing with a dreydl. One of their favorite snacks is called Latkes which is what we call potato cakes in America.
Students each made a dreydl. This is a four-sided top. Players take turns spinning the top and collecting bean seeds. The player that collects all the seeds is the winner. Students enjoyed making and playing the game.
As our snack we made Latkes. Students thought they were delicious.
We were back on the carpet on our way home to learn more about American traditions.
We started our American traditions by decorating our Christmas tree. We then made Christmas cards. We practiced songs for caroling. Students sewed their own elf hats to wear while caroling. We went Christmas caroling around school. After singing, we presented everyone with one of our homemade Christmas cards. We made gifts for our parents and wrapped them with homemade gift paper. We made gingerbread men cookies and shared gifts with the classroom.Assessment:
Students will name two of the five countries studied and describe how they celebrate Christmas.
Students will draw a picture of one country celebrating Christmas.Adaptations (for Students with special needs):
Students will be given a partner to help assist them when needed.Extensions (For Gifted Students):
Students will practice leadership skills by helping the other students.
Resources:
Teacher's Friend Publications, Inc., December Idea Book - 2000 womensforum.com
Jewish Holiday Cooking: Hanukkah
Teacher's Helper Oct/Nov 2000
Teacher's Helper Dec/Jan 2000-2001
Childcraft V-9 pages 335-339 and 332-334
Educational Insights 1990
The Education Center, Inc. 1990 #304
Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 1986
Teacher Created Materials, Inc. #259 Thematic Unit, 1992
Mexico Connect 1996-2000
Consulado General De Mexico
Kwanzaa@globalindex.com
Macmillan Seasonal Activity Packs
Weekly Reader - Nov. - 2000
www.kidsdomain.com
KD Craft
New Jobs on Teachers.Net