Curated OER
Festive Season
Students research various cultural and religious festivals celebrated and observed by Australians, describing common elements and identifying adaptations that have been made for life in Australia.
Curated OER
A World of Special Celebrations
Brainstorm lists of celebrations with which your class are familiar. This lesson plan can be adapted to many different grade levels as they research ethnic and religious occasions/events celebrated by people around the world, and...
Curated OER
Light in Festivals
Learners examine how five different countries use light in their celebrations and festivals. They locate countries on a map, conduct research and prepare a poster for a specific holiday, complete a worksheet, and create a tin lantern.
Curated OER
The Little Star: Learning About Christmas
Students listen to the story, discuss how Christmas is celebrated, and construct a nativity scene. In The Little Star instructional activity, students hear the story showing Christmas as a religious festival. Students act out the story...
Curated OER
Egg-stravagant Egg Basket
Students discover that the egg has been revered by humans for thousands of years as a symbol of birth, life, and hope. They research the connection of the egg to spring and religious festivals around the world. They then create their own...
Curated OER
Planning a Bluegrass Festival
Students explain how bluegrass music gained popularity across the country and around the world. They describe the roles of artists, patrons and music organizations in producing bluegrass music festivals. In addition, they
use a variety...
Curated OER
Diwali
Students discover festivals and traditions of South Africa. Students discuss the meaning of Diwali and why it is celebrated. They devise an assembly about the religious festival of lights. Students explain why Hindus, Jans and Sikus...
Peace Corps
Celebrating Our Connections Through Water
Water is vital for survival, but how does it help global cultures flourish? Elementary and middle schoolers learn about the different cultures around the world that celebrate water and incorporate it into their festivals or traditions.
Curated OER
Harvest Celebrations Around the World
Students, working in groups as cultural anthropologists, research harvest festival around the world. They design a Harvest web page based on their research.
Curated OER
My Own Holiday
Students investigate holiday traditions by participating in class celebrations. In this St. Patrick's day lesson, students discover the history of St. Patrick, the religious context of the holiday, and the fine foods and traditions that...
Curated OER
Soar Into Spring With Kites!
The kite has an amazing history! It has been used for thousands of years, has led to many scientific disoveries, and has made some people very famous. Just ask Ben Franklin! This terrific lesson offers many cross-curricular activities...
Curated OER
Olympics (World Celebrations)
Learners recognize the meanings and symbolism of the Olympic Flag and Torch and apply this to their own feelings of the classroom by creating their own symbol/flag to represent these feelings.
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Fireworks
Students listen to a short lecture on the history of fireworks and identify how fireworks are made. They paint a picture depicting fireworks and view a presentation on firework safety.
Curated OER
The Story of Kwanzaa
Celebrate Kwanzaa with a game of Kalah, also known as Mankala or Owara. Using an egg carton and a set of beans, players take all of the beans out of one of his or her cups and move to the right, dropping one bean into each of the next...
Curated OER
Victorian Celebrations
Fifth graders investigate the Victorian era by participating in Victorian style activities. In this World History instructional activity, 5th graders read about the traditions and customs of men and woman from the Victorian era and how...
Curated OER
Social Studies: St. Patrick - Symbol of Irishness
Students examine the history of St. Patrick's Day by creating characters and dialog reflecting Irish culture. A major part of the lesson is the construction of a float for a St. Patrick's Day parade. Also, students research and answer...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Panpipe
Students examine the panpipe and the cultures that use them in their music. They view photos of Peru and Bolivia and discuss their cultures, listen to recordings of music that includes the panpipe, and construct a panpipe using PVC...
Curated OER
Introduction to African Culture Through Music & Dance
Students explore various elements in West African Culture through the medium of a traditional music and dance from Ghana. They take an imaginary tour of a village dance-drumming event in West Africa.
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Masking: Honoring Animals, Ancestors, and Gods
Students analyze the role of masks in African culture. In this African masks lesson, students read about the importance and meaning of imagery of African masks. Students observe animals in local ecosystems and create a mask combining the...
Curated OER
Nature and Haiku Poetry
Young scholars compose haiku poems and recognize how cultures value nature and
natural forces through the study of Japanese poetry. This lesson includes a bibliography of resources.
Curated OER
Cookie Sharing
Students create a cookie that is inspired by their holidays. They write a paragraph explaining why the shape represents their holiday.