Ohio Social Studies Strands Third Grade Holidays (Special Occasions)

1. Ohio Social Studies StrandsThird GradeHolidays(Special Occasions) Karen Bova, Dana Falls, and Amber Spaulding ED 417-01 Instructor: Dr. Helms November 14, 2001

2. Table of Contents • Introduction- Page 3 • Objectives- Page 4 • American Heritage- Page 5 • People in Societies- Page 9 • World Interactions- Page 12 • Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities- Page 15 • Democratic Processes- Page 18 • Decision Making and Resources- Page 21 • Science, Technology, and Society- Page 25

3. Introduction • Through the seven Ohio Social Studies Strands, students will complete activities dealing with holidays and special occasions to increase their cultural awareness.

4. Objectives • Through activities based on the seven Ohio Social Studies Strands, the students will increase their knowledge of the celebrated holidays and special occasions found throughout the world and within their own community. • The students will also come to have a greater appreciation of the cultural diversity found within their classroom, community, and the world in which they live.

5. American HeritageActivities • 1. A Family Tree of Me (Grandparent’s Day)- The students will invite their grandparents to school on Grandparent’s Day to participate in various classroom activities. (If a student can not have their grandparents visit the class, then they can ask another family relative to participate for that day.) During the course of the day, the students will organize a family history tree of their heritage. The students’ grandparents will be a great resource into their family history and heritage. • 2. Labor Day- The students will research into the origin of how Labor Day began. (Labor Day began in New York City organized by the immigrants that came to our country. They formed a parade to show off their skills and trades they brought to America from other countries.) The students will create a poster or flier to describe the trade or skill they would advertise in a Labor Day parade in their community. • 3. Columbus Day- After the discussion of how Christopher Columbus discovered America, the students will create a community they founded.

6. Activities Continued • The students will create a set of laws that the citizens in their community would abide by. The students will also create a type of monetary system that will be used in their community. • 4. Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12)- The students will use the world wide web to access five famous quotes given by Abraham Lincoln on www.bartleby.com. The students will choose one of the quotes to analyze. The students will write two paragraphs on what might have been happening in our country when the speech was given and the purpose of the speech given by Lincoln. Once the paragraphs have been written, the class will have an open discussion to analyze each of the quotes. • 5. Mardi Gras- The celebration of Mardi Gras came to America through its French heritage in New Orleans. There are many different traditions associated in the Mardi Gras celebration. After discussing the characteristics of Mardi Gras, the students will enjoy a King Cake that is a tradition of Mardi Gras. The student who finds the plastic baby in their portion of the

7. Activities Continued • King Cake will wear plastic necklace beads and give an important characteristic of Mardi Gras. That student will then pass the beads onto another class mate. The process will continue until each student has worn the beads. The idea that Mardi Gras celebration can from the French settlers in America should be stressed.

8. Web Sites • 1. WWW.bartleby.com/99/422 (Lincoln’s Birthday) • 2. WWW.holidays.net/mardigras/story/html (Mardi Gras) • 3. WWW.genealogy.com (Family Trees) • 4. WWW.timeforkids.com • 5. WWW.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp

9. People in SocietiesActivities • 1. Cinco de Mayo- This lesson is designed to introduce students to the Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo. Students will have the opportunity to learn about typical foods of Mexico and explore the history and origins of some authentic Mexican foods. At the end of the lesson, the students can make their own healthy tortilla wraps. • 2. Kwanzaa- This lesson is designed to introduce students to the African American holiday, Kwanzaa. The students will explore the history and origins of Kwanzaa, and some symbols that represent the African American holiday. The students will make a place mat called a mkeka (em-kay-kah) which is one of the symbols of Kwanzaa. They will make their mkekas out of red, green, and black strips of paper that they will weave together. Explain to the students the reason for using these particular colors. • 3. Rosa Louis Parks (Black History Month)- This activity is designed to limit the students’ choices. The students will be instructed that they must make a picture of their home or neighborhood to be displayed in the hall for

10. Activities Continued • all of the school to see. Tell them that they must do their best work, and it will effect their grade. Then pass out the crayons to the children. Boys can only use yellow and blue, and girls can only use the red and orange crayons. Instruct them that they can’t share, and that they can’t complain because nothing will be done about their complaints. After the art is turned in discuss the children’s feelings. Discuss the structural and funding differences between the white and black schools at that time of history. • 4. Being Treated Equally (Martin Lurther King Day)- This lesson is to let the students experience prejudice first hand. Pick and choose half of the class to come over to a table, while leaving the other half of the class sitting at their seats. Don’t explain why you are doing this. Have the chosen half build a wall around the table so that the students sitting at their desks can’t see what’s going on. Pass out little bags of M&M’s to the chosen group and explain to them that they can’t give any of their M&M’s to the other students. Have them go back and sit at their seats, and eat the M&M’s, while you go back and sit quietly in front of the class. Allow the silence to go

11. Activities Continued • on for a few minutes, then ask the students who didn’t receive any M&M’s to comment on how they feel. Discuss and explain that you were demonstrating prejudice and unequal treatment. • 5. Cinco de Mayo Party- Plan a Cinco de Mayo party. Investigate the history and significance of the pinata. Make pinatas and use them for the party. Teach the students songs and games that are used on Cinco de Mayo. Prepare and eat food that is eaten on this day, as well as investigate the significance for these traditions and the holiday.

12. Web Sites • http://www.asfsa.org/childnutrition/education/cincodemayo.asp • http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/Tlresources/longterm/LessonPlans/africa/kargil/index • http://www.eduplace.com/ss.html • http://atozteacherstuff.com/lessons/BeingTreatedEqually.shtml • http://www.umkc.edu/imc/cincomay.htm

13. World InteractionsActivities • 1. Columbus Day- On a world map have the students plot each of Columbus’ four voyages in a different color. Continue by creating a key for the map to indicate the meaning of each color. For extra credit ask the students to calculate the distance that Columbus traveled on each voyage. • 2. Valentine’s Day- Using the Internet, library, textbooks, etc. Have students research all the different cities found throughout the world that have a name that has something to do with Valentine’s Day. Have the students write the city name on a heart, made out of construction paper, and place it on a map, in its proper location. • 3. Christmas- Using the Internet have students research how different people celebrate Christmas around the world. • 4. St. Patrick’s Day- As a class, have students brainstorm ideas on why they think St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world. In groups, have students research the answers to the following questions: 1. When was Saint

14. Activities Continued • Patrick born? 2. When did Saint Patrick die? 3. What was he known for? 4. What is a patron saint? 5. Why do people wear green on Saint Patrick’s Day? List three reasons. Using their newfound knowledge have students create a story strictly about the facts of Saint Patrick. Post the stories in the hallway when they are completed. • 5. Halloween- Students will be divided into two cooperative teams: “Orange” and “Black.” Each team must use a compass and map and search for clues written on Halloween figures around the school to find a hidden treasure. The group who finishes the treasure hunt first must then explain how they used and followed cardinal and intermediate directions to find the hidden treasure.

15. Web Sites • http://www.cstone.net/~bry-back/holidayfun/dec.html • http://top-biography.com/9015-Christopher%20Columbus/ • http://www.howstuffworks.com/valentine.htm • http://www.weekiwis.com/stpatkiwis.html • http://www.benjerry.com/halloween/index.html

16. Citizenship Rights and ResponsibilitiesActivities • 1. Independence Day (What does it mean to be an American?)- Have students assemble a collage in the image of the American flag. The right half of the flag will consist of images from the students’ own American experiences. The left half of the flag will consist of media representations of Americans that the students has collected. • 2. President’s Day- Students will decide on a name and identity as a letter writer. They will write a letter to the President discussing what might have been their concerns or criticisms about the government during that time period. • 3. Election Day- The students will simulate the workings of Congress by bringing the lawmaking process into their own classroom. Students will role-play Congressmen and women attempting to pass a bill into a law through the appropriate steps.

17. Activities Continued • 4. Earth Day- Have students pick a particular section of the schoolyard and have them write down how many pieces of glass, paper, and litter they can find. When sufficient data is collected have students import the data into a spreadsheet program. Have student share their findings and discuss why it is our responsibility to keep the Earth clean and suggest ways they can diminish litter at their school. • 5. Thanksgiving- Place a picture of a turkey on the classroom bulletin board. On the turkey’s tail feathers have students write why they are thankful they are Americans. After this is completed, as a class, brainstorm ideas on how they can protect our American freedoms and rights.

18. Web Sites • http;//earthday.wilderness.org/ • http://wilstar.com/holidays/july4.htm • http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/ • http://www.kidsvotingusa.org/students.html • http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/round_the_world.htm

19. Democratic ProcessesActivities • 1. Voting Is Elementary (Election Day)- Conducting a mock election helps primary students understand the voting process. In this lesson the students will conduct a mock election for a class mascot, and you through each step of the election process. • 2. The PBS Kids Democracy Project: How Does Government Affect Me? (Election Day)- In this interactive online game, the students will see what role the government plays in their lives. It breaks the government down into its simplest form and shows how the government determines a country, state, county, township, city, and village and who it’s run by. • 3. Community Government (Election Day)- In this lesson the students will be introduced to community government and its function in the local community. The students will become active participants in the local government and handle a problem that has the entire community alarmed.

20. Activities Continued • 4. Know Your Local Government (Election Day)- Often students show little interest in the government process because they have grown up in an atmosphere where little or no interest has been shown in government, and the process and the people involved. By the time they become old enough to actively participate in this process, their interest in other things over shadows their interest in the government and the importance of their participation in the process. The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to the local government structure and the people in the various power positions. They will see the the day to day activities that directly affect their lives, and where to see the day to day process of the local government and how it affects their lives. • 5. Our Flag (Independence Day)- In this activity the students will make an United States flag collage. The students will learn the history or background of the American flag. They will learn that it is a national symbol, and they will learn what the symbols mean on the flag. After making an United States flag collage, have the students try making a flag that would mean something to them by using symbols that stand for important things in their life.

21. Web Sites • http://www.eduplace.com/ss/act/ourflag.html • http://www.kidsdomain.com • http://ericir.syr.edu/virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0055.html • http://www.pbs.org/democracy/kids/mygovt/index.html • http://205.146.39.13/success/lessons/lesson7/pssd3_1.htm

22. Decision Making and ResourcesActivities • 1. President’s Day- The students will discuss the importance of money in society. After, the students will learn that there are many symbols of the United States of America on money. The students will create their own form of money of what is important in their lives and what they stand for. They will use symbols to create their money. They will then write a paragraph to describe the importance of the symbols on their money. • 2. Memorial Day- Students will understand that Memorial Day began as a remembrance for the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The students will create a badge of honor for someone in their community who they feel should be honored. The students will then write a paragraph to that person to describe why they are honored in their community. Each student can then present their badge of honor to their person to thank them for their importance. • 3. Bill of Rights Day (December 15)- The students will identify the values in the Bill of Rights that was written for the citizens in our country by our

23. Activities Continued • Founding Fathers. The students will show their understanding of the purpose of the Bill of Rights by creating a personal Bill of Rights. Each student will include rules and activities that he or she will perform in the classroom, at home, and in the community to show his or her respect of participating. • 4. Holiday Celebration Symbols- Each student will create his or her own symbol for a holiday or celebration that is important to him or her. They will do this to show their understanding of the different symbols of many cultures to describe their winter celebrations. For instance, the star is the symbol of Christ for Christians at Christmas and the menorah is a symbol of Chanukah for the Jewish religion. The class will then discuss the different symbols that are seen in their community around the winter months. • 5. Labor Day- The students will display their gratitude to community workers that provide them with services in their community. Each student will write a paragraph to a person in their community to thank them for their services.

24. Web Sites • Http://www.HolidayFestival.com • http://www.education-world.com/learning • http://pecentral.org/lessonideas/holiday/holidayideasindex.asp • http://www.rubicon.com/passport/holidays/holidays.htm • http//ericir.syr.edu/virtual/Social_Studies/Holidays/presidents

25. Science, Technology, and SocietyActivities • 1. Olympics- Using a computer with Internet accessibility students will complete Eddie and Spike’s Virtual Olympic Adventure at http://www.school.nt.edu.ao/olsu/olyadvent/index.htm • 2. Earth Day- The students will create a news collage of three to five articles, found on the internet, dealing with issues that affect our environment. Using markers, crayons, paint, etc. students will illustrate their collages. After the collages are complete they should be displayed in the hallway. • 3. Birthday- Using a computer with internet accessibility the students will research events that occurred on their birthday in the distant past. Then have the students take one of the events and write a creative story to be displayed in the hallway.

26. Activities Continued • 4. A Personal Calendar of Special Occasions- The students will create a calendar of their own on Holidays ‘Round the World Wide Web site. The students can explore the background of many different holiday around the world. Each student will create his/her personal calendar of special events and holidays. • 5. Lincoln’s Birthday- The students will explore the history of Abraham Lincoln through a virtual tour website. The interactive website will allow the students to journey through the hometown of Abraham Lincoln. The students will then write a paragraph to compare and contrast the characteristics of Abraham Lincoln’s hometown (past) to their own community (present).

27. Web Sites • http://www.schools.nt.au/olsu/olyadvent/index.htm • http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/ • http://www.calendarzone.com/Holiday/ • http://www.holidays.net • http://www.wkycorp.org/civilwar/region3/hodgenev.