Introduction
Name: Brittany Montoya
Title: Christmas Around the World
Grade: 2nd Grade
Subject: Literacy
Standards:
Colorado Content Standards:
RWC20-GR.2-S.1-GLE.1-EO.B Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud
RWC20-GR.2-S.2-GLE.2-EO.b.iii Identify the primary purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
RWC20-GR.2-S.2-GLE.2-EO.d.ii Read and comprehend informational texts, including social studies, science, and technical texts
ISTE-NETs:
1.2. b Online Behavior
1.3.c Curate Information
1.3.d Explore Real-World Issues
Objective: Students will explore various Christmas traditions around the world.
Task
Students will create and present a poster on a specific country's Christmas traditions.
Process
STEP 1. Off to our first destination in Mexico!
- Travel logs need to be filled out for very destination
- Students will make their poinsettia flower and write a fact about Christmas in Mexico on each pedal.
- Craft Activity
Interesting Facts:
*In Mexico, the big Christmas celebration is called La Posada.
This is a religious procession or parade that imitates the search for a place to stay for Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus.
*The poinsettia flower comes from Mexico. They are mainly red but can also be white or pink.
*On Christmas Day, blindfolded children break open a pinata and scramble to get candy and treats as they rain down.
*Families in Mexico attend mass on Christmas Eve and sing lullabies to the baby Jesus.
- Travel log
- Students will create a Christmas tree. Students will write a poem about Christmas in Germany.
- Craft
Interesting Facts:
*Advent is a big part of the Christmas celebration in Germany.
*They use a wreath or yule log with four candles and light one candle at the beginning of each week for four weeks.
*Children often receive a calendar filled with 25 treats or pieces of candy-one for every day from December 1-December 25.
*During Advent, Germany is filled with Christmas markets that sell decorations, gifts, and special foods.
*Children hang their stockings on *December 5th, hoping to receive a treat from St. Nicholas.
*Many homes decorate and display elaborate gingerbread houses.
*Candy Canes also originated in Germany
Students will write a persuasive essay.
Interesting Facts:
*It is cold and dark during the Christmas Season in Sweden
*One of their main celebrations is St. Lucia Day. St. Lucia lived in the 700s at a time when Christians were not treated kindly and had to hide in underground tunnels. St. Lucia would take buns and pastries to them. She wore a crown of candles to light her way.
*Nowadays, the oldest daughter in the family gets up early on Dec. 13, dressed in a white robe, wears a crown of candles, and serves buns and coffee cakes to her family.
*Many of the decorations used for Christmas in Sweden are made from straw to remind them that Jesus was born in a manger.
*Many families display a Christmas Goat in their home or yard.
*The cartoon “Donald Duck” is shown on Swedish TV at 3:00 on Christmas Eve afternoon.
STEP 4. Students will create a Christmas poster for a specific country.
Evaluation
Rubric:
|
|
Overall Christmas report |
Report Mechanics |
Presentation
|
Spelling, Grammar, and Speaking |
|
10 |
The report includes five facts about a country's Christmas Traditions. |
Contains title Topic sentence, good details, includes date, Conclusion |
*Presentation is neat *Includes flag *Lots of description *Mostly Colored |
*Good voice and tone while presenting
*Capital correct punctuation and capitalization |
|
4 |
The report includes four facts about a country's Christmas traditions |
Missing one element shown above:
|
Missing one element shown above: |
Missing one part shown above: |
|
3 |
The report includes three facts about a country's Christmas traditions |
Missing two elements shown above:
|
Missing two elements shown above: |
Missing two parts shown above: |
|
2 |
The report includes two facts about country and holiday traditions |
Missing three elements shown above:
|
Missing three elements shown above: |
Missing three parts shown above: |
|
1 |
The report includes facts about country and holiday traditions |
Missing four elements shown above:
|
Missing four elements shown above: |
Missing four parts shown above: |
Total points:
Conclusion
Student learning outcome:
- Christmas around the world allows students to learn about cultural diversity, geography, history, research skills, empathy, and communication while fostering global awareness and appreciation for different traditions.
What I will do next time:
There are many things I would like to do differently when teaching this lesson. First, I will select countries and themes. I will decide which countries or regions I want to center on during my studies. I can choose a few countries representing diverse cultural backgrounds or select countries based on specific themes, such as Christmas foods, decorations, or customs. This will help me structure lessons and activities effectively. To add, I would like to provide more engaging activities for each country rather than just focusing on writing activities. I can plan various activities to actively engage your students in learning about Christmas traditions. These include group discussions, presentations, art projects, role-playing, writing assignments, and cooking or tasting traditional holiday foods. Hands-on activities will make the learning experience more interactive and memorable.
How I can extend my lesson:
In the future, I can include reflection questions or discussion forums within my Webquest to encourage students to reflect on their learning and express their thoughts with their peers. As the teacher, I will enable individuals to consider the similarities and differences they observe between countries, discuss their favorite traditions, or reflect on the cultural significance of various customs. This will promote critical thinking and meaningful conversations.
Webquest Review:
Webquest encourages interactive learning and encourages student engagement. It also provides an interactive and engaging learning experience for elementary students. Students can utilize multimedia elements such as videos, images, and interactive activities that capture a child's attention and make learning enjoyable. I want to use Webquest as a virtual field trip for my students. Webquest promotes inquiry-based learning, where students actively explore and discover information independently. They encourage students to ask questions, seek answers, and make connections between different pieces of information. When teaching literacy, I see a lot of off-task behavior. A resource like this would help decrease off-task behavior and increase student engagement.
Credits
References:
Denise Turner. (2020, December 4). Christmas in Sweden. [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/rQnkdAExoyo?si=kgq57FUKfPaAzyUJ
Emil Hales. (2019, December 9). Christmas Traditions in Mexico (Posadas). [Video]. Youtube https://youtu.be/rQnkdAExoyo?si=vW1phsW-Vg819W7B
Webcertain TV (2020, December 17). Christmas Traditions around the world: Germany. [Video].Youtube https://youtu.be/KlLnHLy6g6I?si=uSejAWRYyXkEh_eo