Day One Grade Level: 4-5
Lesson Submitted by: Katherine Diehl kdiehl@gjcs.k12.in.us
Time: 30 - 45 minutes
Objective: Students will be able to define "custom" and will give an example of a custom they practice at home.
This Lesson meets the Indiana Academic Standard (Grade 5) in Language Arts: Standard 1: Reading
-Students use their knowledge of word parts and word relationships, as well as content clues (the meaning of the text around a word), to determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade-appropriate words.
-For more information about the Standards visit www.doe.state.in.us/standards/welcome.html
Materials needed: dictionary (one for each student)
Student Materials needed: paper. crayons, pencils
Procedure:
Tell the students that they will be learning about customs celebrated around the world. They will be focusing on these New Year's customs: Diwali (Hindu New Year), Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Japanese New Year, Chinese New Year, TET (Vietnamese New Year) and the Traditional American New Year.
The students first need to know what a custom is. Have every students look up the word "custom" in their dictionary and write the definition on their paper.
Custom: An accepted practice of a community or people; the usual manner of doing something.
The definition I am using for this web-site was found in the Webster's Dictionary, Nichols Industries, LTD. Copyright 1998
Once every student has found their correct definition together discuss what it means and start giving examples of customs they might practice in their family.
Some examples might be: give Valentines day cards, go to church on Easter Sunday, Stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve.
After discussing Customs tell students that they must draw a picture of a custom they celebrate on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. This may include what foods they eat and or what they do on those days. (Don't forget all the football games and parades!!)
Once students have completed their pictures they may each tell the class what their picture is and tell about what custom they practice.
(Idea: you can create a New Year's Customs Bulletin Board to display in your room with the students picture on it)
Assessment: Assess students on the quality of picture drawn and if they can give an example of a custom they practice.