Curated OER
Winter Holidays
Students investigate the traditions associated with winter holidays. They examine why most of the holidays are associated with light. They examine the origins and customs of these holidays before creating an original holiday.
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
Festivals of Light Hanukkah
Five sessions make up a lesson on the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. After reading and teaching young historians the history of the Jewish holiday, learners explore the celebration through hands-on activities and collaborative learning.
Curated OER
Winter Holidays Around the World
How much do you know about the holidays around the world? Second graders put their knowledge to the test with a 14-day lesson about global celebrations. They read informational text, employ KWL charts, and compare and contrast the many...
Curated OER
December Celebrations
Learners study customs of various winter holidays. In this holiday lesson, students read the book The Reasons for the Seasons and complete a winter glyph. Learners use graphing software to create a chart of the holidays that are celebrated.
Curated OER
Making The Holidays Special
Learners examine ways in which holiday television specials reflect some of the religious, historic and cultural themes of the holidays on which they focus. They create their own holiday television specials in groups, each focusing on a...
Teacher.org
Christmas Around the World Part 1
A creative lesson shines a spotlight on Christmas celebrations throughout six different countries. Scholars read an informative text and share their new-found knowledge with their peers. After hearing about each country, pupils choose...
Diane Venzera
Kwanzaa Celebration: Celebrating Family, Community, and Culture
Kwanzaa is the focus of a three-part lesson that celebrates the history and traditions of the holiday. Before lighting the Kinara, scholars listen to a read-aloud of Seven Candles of Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Learners express...
Curated OER
Different Ways We Celebrate
Young scholars examine a variety of ways that families celebrate winter holidays. They complete a graphic organizer comparing Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, and write a five-sentence paragraph about one of the holidays discussed. ...
J. Paul Getty Trust
Narrating a Family Tradition
After examining a piece of art, scholars discuss what they see, paying close attention to details and space. A read-aloud introduces the topic of family traditions. Pupils interview their family members about a tradition in preparation...
Curated OER
Christmas Spirit?
Pupils examine how they greet the holiday season and participate in a class discussion to explore the ongoing debate on how best to celebrate the holidays. They read and discuss an article, and write a personal essay.
Santillana USA
Celebra Kwanzaa
¡Celebramos Kwanzaa! Celebrate Kwanzaa through the fictional story Celebra Kwanzaa con Botitas y sus gatitos to delightfully explain the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Dual language learners participate in reading and vocabulary activities...
ESL Holiday Lessons
Kwanzaa
Teach English language learners about the week-long holiday of Kwanzaa that is celebrated around the world during December. It includes holiday-themed reading comprehension passages, phrase matching, fill-in-the-blanks, and journaling...
Curated OER
Winter Lights: A Season In Poems & Quilts
Students read the book Winter Lights: A Season in Poems & Quilts and do language arts and math activities that go with the book. In this language arts and math lesson plan, students read the book given and do activities that include...
Curated OER
Fall and Winter Religious Celebrations
Students discover the unique beliefs and celebrations of the five major religions in the world. In groups, they discuss the terms associated with each religion and are read books about their celebrations. They create their own dharma...
Curated OER
Everybody Celebrates
Examine the holidays of La Posada in Mexico, Hanukkah in Israel, and Kwanzaa in the United States. Learners identify the countries on a world map, listen to stories, create art projects for each holiday, and make recipes celebrating the...
ESL Library
Beginner Level Thanksgiving ESL Lesson Plan
Thanksgiving is a cherished tradition in the United States and Canada. Introduce the beginnings of the Thanksgiving celebration with a resource that features reading comprehension activities, vocabulary exercises, and a short writing...
Curated OER
Hanukkah Fun: The Dreidel Game
Celebrate Hanukkah with an engaging lesson about the history of the dreidel! After reading or listening to a short description of the dreidel's place in the Hanukkah celebration, young learners work on their own dreidels from classroom...
Curated OER
New Year Celebrations Around the World
Students share their New Year's traditions, then read a news article about how people around the world celebrate the start of a new year. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary...
Curated OER
Czech's offer "Retro" communist holidays
Tenth graders examine the purpose of communist holidays. In this Czechoslovakian lesson, 10th graders read an article and answer comprehension questions. Students create a plan for visiting this country during these holidays.
Curated OER
The History of Christmas Trees, Part One
Pupils read an article about Winter Solstice celebrations. They consider the symbolism of evergreens in winter and how different cultures have used evergreens in winter celebrations throughout history.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Lesson Plan
A great ESL lesson focuses on Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims, and the Mayflower. Printable versions of the Mayflower, a Thanksgiving booklet, a Pilgrim house pattern, and links to other free sites that offer all sorts of Thanksgiving...
Curated OER
Why do we Dream of a White Christmas?
Students examine a reading selection on how the idea of a white Christmas was developed. In this ESL lesson, students share a class discussion about the article then complete several assignments to reinforce what they learned, including...
Curated OER
Invent a Holiday
Students compare their own special holidays and traditions and then use their imaginations to create their own holiday.
Curated OER
Wild Christmas Reindeer
Students listen to the children's story "The Wild Christmas Reindeer" while using the pictures from the story to help analyze the plot. For this reading comprehension lesson, students discuss the text and pictures of a story as they...