Minds On
Activating prior knowledge
People celebrate holidays with special events and festivities around the world.
Create a list of all the holidays and events that you can think of. Here are some questions to consider for each holiday/event on your list:
- What is the holiday/event called?
- When does it take place?
- Where does it take place?
- What do people do to celebrate?
- What makes the holiday/event special?
Now, let’s explore the following video from the TVO show It’s My Party to learn more about the Winter Solstice celebration.
In what ways is this celebration similar to the holidays/events on your list? In what ways is it different?
Based on your learning so far, come up with a definition of "celebration". For example:
A celebration is when you do something special for an important event, occasion, or holiday.
You can use your notebook or any note-taking device to record your ideas for a definition of celebration.
Action
Understanding celebrations
Exploring celebrations
Let’s explore two different examples of cultural celebrations. Review the questions in the following Celebrations graphic organizer. Use these questions to guide your reflection. If you prefer, you may record your responses as you explore the videos.
Examine the following video from the TVO show It’s My Party to learn more about the cultural celebration of Sadeh.
Next, check out the video from the TVO show It’s My Party to learn more about the cultural celebration of Diwali.
Celebrations
Now that you have learned about Diwali and Sadeh, access the following fillable and printable Celebrations graphic organizer provided to record your thoughts and understandings, and any questions that you may have.
Record the name of each celebration on the line provided next to the numbers one and two. You can also complete the activity in your notebook or use any note-taking/recording software of your choice.
| Celebrations | ||
|---|---|---|
| #1 (Blank) | #2 (Blank) | |
| What is the purpose of this episode? How do you know? | ||
| Who is the intended audience? (The group(s) of people for which this episode is for) Explain your thinking. | ||
| Why is this holiday or event celebrated? | ||
| How do people celebrate this holiday or event? | ||
| What else would you like to learn about this celebration? | ||
Complete Celebrations in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Celebrations.
Consolidation
Understanding and exploring
Research a holiday or event that you observe. As another option, share a favourite tradition that you share with family, friends, or school community.
Press ‘Tip’ to access a helpful hint.
Traditions can be customs, beliefs, and stories that a group of people or community passes on from one year to the next. Traditions can also be passed on from one generation to another.
For example, maybe your family goes apple picking in the fall season, or the Grade 5s at your school run an annual food drive to support a local nonprofit organization.
Think about the important things that you want to share about the holiday, celebration, or tradition. Then, create a description that includes the following information:
- What is the holiday, celebration, tradition called?
- Who participates and/or who is included?
- When, where, and why does it take place?
You want your description to include facts and details about how you celebrate. For this reason, you may need to use the Internet or another resource to gather more information. You may even want to interview a family member, friend, or member of the school community.
Once you have gathered your facts, be sure to also discuss the meaning behind the celebration and/or tradition. Why is it significant? You can record your responses and/or findings using a method of your choice or using the following graphic organizer.
Complete the Exploring Celebrations and Traditions graphic organizer in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document to organize your information about the celebrations you choose to explore.
Press the Activity button to access Exploring Celebrations and Traditions.
Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)Reviewing and sharing
Suppose you are asked to share information about the holiday, event, or tradition that you have researched. Select a media form that fits the information and ideas that you want to share. For example, you could create a script TV or radio commercial, a poster, or a blog post. What media form will you select?
Keep in mind the purpose of your message as well who your message is for (the intended audience).
If possible, share your holiday, event, or tradition with a partner. What a great way to learn about the various events and holidays we celebrate around the world!
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.