Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description

• Grade level: Upper Elementary

• Subject Area: Language Arts, Social Studies

Brief Description

     Based on the research they have conducted and the discussion in Lesson Three, students invent a holiday for their classroom, including name, customs, songs, foods, and other defining characteristics.
Objectives

    Students will:

• Develop critical thinking skills by devising a classroom holiday.
• Work cooperatively in a large group.

Materials and Resources

    In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer (PC or Macintosh) with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as software (operating system, TCP/IP software, networking or dial-up software, e-mail and a World Wide Web client program, preferably Netscape, but perhaps Mosaic or Lynx). In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

1. Special hardware requirements: Server space for HTML documents (optional).
2. Special software requirements: Multimedia design application such as ClarisWorks, HyperCard, Hyperstudio, or Director; SoundEdit or other audio editing application; HTML editor; word processing application.
3. Internet access: none

• writing tablet
• markers
• crayons

Activity Description

• Have students sit in a circle to think about developing a classroom holiday, including date, name, customs, clothing, food, ceremonies, and other manifestations of the holiday.

• Keep a list of the characteristics cited on the tablet using the markers.

• When students have determined the characteristics they want their holiday to include, have them separate into smaller groups to work on conceptualizing thse characteristics. They can use software or markers and paper to sketch out their ideas. They may also refer to the Internet sites they used to conduct their research for ideas.

• Have the students think about and discuss what makes their holiday distinct from others and why they feel strongly about celebrating it. Have the students also think about what makes their holiday similar to others.

Back to Holiday Explorations Unit