I was brought up Catholic and went to Catholic schools until high school, so the meaning of Christmas was always taught to me in school. This made it hard for me to understand why I could not teach the meaning of Christmas in my own classroom, but having to teach about different holidays made me understand the importance of other religions and traditions during the holiday seasons.
Now in my classroom, I touch upon all holidays and their importance. I think this gives my students a better understanding of where we come from and what they do during the holidays.
Here are some helpful links that might help you teach the different holidays during this time of year:
December Holidays
List of Holidays by country
Winter Holidays Around the World
Merry Christmas!!
I try to include the major celebrations in December but I also like to talk about Boxing day, Chinese New Years and the Day of the Dead. It is a great way to tie our cultures together as well as contrast the traditions of others.
ReplyDeleteI also like to talk about the holidays that are not celebrated in other countries such as the 4th of July.
Thanks for the great resources.
That is a great idea to teach about all the holidays and touch on different cultures. Where do you tie in these types of lessons? You seem like you are a great teacher : )
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteThank you. A few weeks before the holiday break, I incorporate my holiday stories, writings, lessons with our district LA and reading curriculum. This way I am able to teach I want, but also follow the schools districts guidelines.
Dave,
ReplyDeleteI also found the history channel has great short videos on the different holidays. For my younger students I also like Brainpop.com.
Thanks for the tip. I will check boths out.
ReplyDelete