INTEGRATED UNIT PLAN
Grade 2 -Traditions & Celebrations
Submitted to: Janette Hughes
Submitted by: Fathia Nasir, Harpreet Kainth, Jagjeet
Grewal
Section: 4C
INTEGRATED UNIT PLAN FORMAT
TITLE OF THIS UNIT: Traditions and Celebrations
LENGTH OF UNIT (# of hours or # of weeks):11 Days
GRADE (S) LEVEL: 2
AUTHOR: Jagjeet Grewal, Harpreet
Kainth, Fathia Nasir
All components of the unit plan are essential. Although presented in a linear fashion, the components
may be completed in any order. This unit plan has been developed in conjunction with the Ontario
Ministry of Education Unit Planner (July 1999) and the Ontario College of Teachers Standards of
Practice (1999).
RATIONALE
This Unit plan demonstrates appropriateness for the grade and subject areas it is designed for as it centers on
key elements that are necessary for effective instruction. This Unit plan was created placing focus on the
design-down model. Planning with the end in mind gives the instructor a better understanding of how to direct
student learning. The specific expectations were considered in detail prior to brainstorming ideas and
ultimately designing the culminating task. Once a solid foundation for the culminating task was established,
several suggestions were considered for lesson ideas. Ideas were presented with the culminating task in
mind, and how to meet its expectations. Each lesson places focus on an area of expectations from each
subject, ensuring that students will be well equipped with the knowledge and understanding they require to
successfully complete the culminating task.
This unit is created using the scaffolding approach, which focuses on building a strong foundational
understanding for students. Initial lessons introduce students to key terms and vocabulary that is relevant to
the topic as a whole (e.g., traditions, celebrations). Once the students have become comfortable with the
basic terminology of the unit, instructors will ease into the following lessons that build on the students’ prior
knowledge. For a unit to be effective, it is essential to scaffold subject content so that students are not
overwhelmed with content. This unit places a strong emphasis on building student knowledge through
breaking down the specific expectations into each lesson depending on their complexity.
This unit addresses a series of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Each lesson is integrated, making it easier for
instructors to deliver and cover a greater portion of the curriculum in a minimal time. Integration provides a
natural flow to the lessons, as it balances the subject content through instruction. Many of the lessons in this
unit plan demonstrate that the Social Studies content of Traditions and Celebrations provides several
opportunities to be easily integrate with many of the strands in Language Arts. For instance, the Social
Studies content is delivered through a class discussion involving opportunities to develop and assess Oral
Communication, while student application of knowledge requires a Written component.
This Unit places meets the needs of individual learners by placing emphasis on application activities that are
inclusive of many learning styles. Students have the opportunity to communicate their understanding though
several means. There are several components to each lesson that allow for effective inclusion of several of
the Multiple Intelligences. For instance, Visual/Spatial learners will thrive through making story-maps. There
are many opportunities for Linguistic learners to express their learning through class discussions and
presentations. Kinesthetic learners will find the gallery walks to be beneficial to their understanding as they
will be able to first-handedly experience a taste of different cultures. This Unit also provides several
opportunities for students to work both independently, in small-groups and as a class to meet the learning
needs of all students.
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
Social Studies
Traditions & Celebrations



Demonstrate an understanding that Canada is a country of many cultures
Use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process, and communicate information about
similarities and differences among family traditions and celebrations
Explain how the various cultures of individuals and groups contribute to the local community
The Arts
Visual Arts


Use the elements of design (colour, line, shape, form, space, texture), in ways appropriate for this
grade, when producing and responding to works of art
Produce two- and three-dimensional works of art that communicate ideas (thoughts, feelings,
experiences) for specific purposes and to familiar audiences
Language Arts
Oral Communication


Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of
purposes
Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety
of purposes
Writing


Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience
Draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic
elements appropriate for the purpose and audience
Reading


Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational texts, using
a range of strategies to construct meaning
Use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
LEARNERS

Students should be aware of the following specific learning concepts in order to be successful in this
unit: In Grade 1, students should have gained knowledge and experience pertaining to relationships
that exist with families, responsibilities within families as well as rules such as chores.

These are core concepts that students should be able to understand in order to comprehend the
different types of families studied in this unit. Additionally, students should understand broader overall
expectations pertaining to communities and how communities are made up of many different types of
families. This initial understanding must be addressed in order for students to understand the specific
characteristics of families in relation to culture, traditions and celebrations.

There are certain skills and participation requirements that students are required to have in order to be
successful in this unit as well. For example, students should be willing to share ideas about their family
as well as understand the importance of acceptance and celebration of all family traditions.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
SPACE



The learning involved in this unit will best
occur in the classroom as information
pertaining to unique cultures can be brought
into and compiled in the classroom. For
example, students can bring in personal
artifacts or guest speakers can be brought into
the classroom.
The lesson plans in this unit are primarily
composed of class discussions, as such,
students will primarily be sitting in on the
carpet area to be actively engaged and allow
for participation.
When students are working on individual or
group activities, students can work at their
seats in their groups or tribes.
TIME


The unit will be timetabled through dividing
lesson plans into Social Studies Periods.
Each subject will be represented through the
various periods that are devoted to each
subject area. At times, the periods throughout
the day will be allocated to more than one
subject, such as Social Studies is integrated
with Language Arts.
CULMINATING ACTIVITY
The students will be required to create a poster on bristol board paper that will be provided by the teacher on a
tradition/celebration of their choice. The tradition/celebration does not necessarily have to be one that they
personally celebrate instead it could be one that they would like to learn more about or one that their friend
celebrates. The students will be required to decorate their board and will be provided class time to start and
finish it. The tradition/celebration will first be approved by the teacher if the student is not familiar with it to
ensure that the teacher or school library has resources to help the student conduct research. The board will
have headings on it: Reason for Celebrating, Music, Activities, Where, When, Clothes, Food, and Other
Special Information. An example would be provided to the students as to what is expected for this culminating
task.
Example:
Reason For Celebrating: My reason for celebrating Christmas is cultural. I am Sikh so my family enjoys
Christmas as a holiday.
Music: Listening to Christmas carols makes me excited for Christmas time to come. I like to sing and listen
to all different types of carols. I also like to listen to a special type of music called Parang. It is a type of
Spanish Christmas music from Trinidad. It makes me feel happy.
Activities: Playing games with my family is one of my favourite things to do during Christmas. My favourite
game is Monopoly because I like to count money. My family also sings Christmas songs. I like “Santa Clause
Is Coming To Town” the most.
The students will be creating the poster for their classmates and the teacher. The students will do a gallery
walk so they all get a chance to look at their classmates work. To make the culminating task a little more fun
the teacher may choose to make a class party and have the students present their board to the class with
music and food.
(The Rubric is attached for this activity)
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
Social Studies
 Explain the significant traditions and celebrations of families from a variety of cultural traditions.
 Ask simple questions to gain information and seek clarification (e.g., What are the similarities and differences in
celebrations among cultures? How are they the same? How are they different?)
 Identify the origins and features of various families (e.g., nationality, culture, size, structure);

Use primary and secondary sources to locate simple information about family history and traditions (e.g., primary
sources: interviews, eyewitness visitors, class trips; secondary sources: maps, illustrations, print materials,
videos);
 identify ways in which heritage and traditions are passed on (e.g., stories; community celebrations; special days
such as Remembrance Day, Canada Day, Aboriginal Solidarity Day, and religious holidays; the Canadian flag;
music, crafts, dance, food, recreation, clothing)
 identify examples that show the participation of various cultures in the community (e.g., restaurants, places of
worship, styles of dress)
 Make and read a variety of graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, and models to understand information about cultural
or religious traditions and share it with members of the class (e.g., festival of lights, first nation Powwows, toys
from various cultures).
Language Arts
 Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other
familiar texts, and to the world around them
 Express personal thoughts and feelings about what has been read

Demonstrate an understanding of the information and ideas in oral texts by retelling the story or restating the
information, including the main idea and several interesting details (e.g., restate a partner’s reflections after a
think-pair-share activity; identify the important ideas in a group presentation; carry on a sustained conversation on
a topic).



Identify, initially with support and direction, whose point of view (e.g., that of the hero, the villain, the narrator) is
presented in a simple media text and suggest how the text might change if a different point of view were used).
identify and order main ideas and supporting details, using graphic organizers (e.g., a story grammar: characters,
setting, problem, solution; a sequential
chart: first, then, next, finally) and organizational patterns (e.g., problem solution, chronological order)
Visual Arts
 Make artistic choices in their work, using at least two of the elements of design specified for this grade for a
specific purpose (e.g., sharp, jagged lines to depict a bulldozer tearing up trees).
 Identify types of lines in art works and in the environment (e.g., horizontal, vertical, diagonal).

Describe using appropriate vocabulary, how artists use the elements of design to create a specific effect (e.g.,
diagonal lines to suggest movement).
The expectations build upon one another and are structured in such a way that the students must grasp one concept
before moving on to another. Lower order thinking skills are presented before higher-order thinking skills are introduced.
Additionally, Bloom’s Taxonomy was used to structure the types of questions within the lessons plans. For example,
knowledge and comprehension types of questions were first introduced. The application components of the lessons were
centered on a variety of multiple intelligences to ensure that individual student needs were met. Students had the
opportunity to explore new learning concepts such as artifacts and connect them to real life experiences such as those
found within their culture. The teacher will have conducted diagnostic testing to ensure that students are able to meet
basic requirements of the expectations to their fullest potential.
BRAINSTORMING
UNIT PLAN OVERVIEW TEMPLATE
LEARNING
ACTIVITY
SPECIFIC
EXPECTATIONS
TEACHING/LEARNING STRATEGIES
Description &
Duration of Lesson
SUBJECT AREA &
STRAND
Day 1-2-3
The students will
share their object that
they were asked to
bring for homework
with the rest of the
class.
Each student will get
a chance to share
their object and to talk
about it
The teacher should
ask questions and the
students should also
be provided with time
to ask questions
about their peers
objects
Social Studies:
-Explain the significant
traditions and celebrations
of families from a variety of
cultural traditions.
-Ask simple questions to
gain information and seek
clarification (e.g., What are
the similarities and
differences in celebrations
among cultures? How are
they the same? How are
they different?)
Language Arts (Reading):
-Extend understanding of
texts by connecting the
ideas in them to their own
knowledge and experience,
to other familiar texts, and
to the world around them
-Express personal thoughts
and feelings about what has
been read
-Think/Pair/Share
-Class generated discussions
Day 4-5-6
Students will be
asked to create their
own stories using the
information that they
have collected about
their family. Once
students have created
a story using specific
features of their
Social Studies:
-Identify the origins and
features of various families
-Use primary and
secondary sources to locate
simple information about
family
history and traditions
Language Arts:
-Demonstrate an
-Cooperative Learning
-Think/Pair/Share
-Class Generated Discussions
-Presentations
ASSESSMENT
EVALUATION
Type
Strategy
Tool
- Students will be
assess using a rubric
and anecdotal
observational notes.
-The rubric will include
some of the following
criteria:
-Understanding of
Traditions and
Celebrations with a
sufficient amount of
examples
-Communication with
peers and teacher is
understandable and
strategies used to
explain understanding
are creative and not
always the same
-Student is able to
relate content to their
own personal
experiences
-Student asks
questions related to
the texts
-Continual Verbal
Feed-back is provided
throughout.
-Presentations are
assessed with a rubric
with the following
criteria: Creativity,
presentation style,
Cooperation between
partners, enthusiasm
and knowledge and
RESOURCES/
MATERIALS
ACCOMMODATIONS/
MODIFICATIONS
-Celebrations of
Light By: Nancy
Luenn
-Happy New Year
Everywhere! By
Arlene Erlbach
-chart paper
-variety of objects
from different
cultures
-For the books that are
being read there could
be an audio version for
the students to read
again later if they
missed some stuff
-Students who have
difficulty can be paired
up with a buddy or
partner
-The resources
-The students who
have difficulty with
understanding English
could be
accommodated by
using a picture only
story map when the
story is read to the
class.
-For students with
learning disabilities, a
used reflect
diverse learning
styles as the
lesson is
composed of
visual and tactile
segments.
-The book,
Keeping Quilt, by
Patricia Polacoo,
family, they will create
a story map of the
story that they have
created.
understanding of the
information and ideas in
oral texts by retelling the
story or restating the
information, including the
main idea and several
interesting details
-Identify, initially with
support and direction,
whose point of view
Day 7-8-9
The focus of this
lesson will be to
introduce students to
the several ways in
which traditions are
passed down from
generations prior.
Students will learn the
importance of passing
down traditions.
Students will explore
ways in which the
same special
occasion is
celebrated differently
using different
traditions (modeled
around book: Throw
your Tooth on the
Roof).
Social Studies:
Students will identify ways
in which heritage and
traditions are passed on
(e.g., stories; community
celebrations; special days
such as Remembrance
Day, Canada Day,
Aboriginal
Solidarity Day, and religious
holidays; the Canadian flag;
music, crafts, dance, food,
recreation, clothing).
Duration: 160 min.
Students will Identify
examples that show the
participation of various
cultures in the community
(e.g., restaurants, places of
worship, styles of dress).
Language Arts
Oral Communication:
-demonstrate an
understanding of the
information and ideas in
oral texts by retelling the
story or restating the
information,
including the main idea and
several interesting details
-use a few different visual
aids (use a story map)
- extend understanding of
-Class Generated Discussions
-Shared Writing
-Presentations
-Co-operative Learning
-Read Aloud
understanding of topic
is used as the
main resource for
the lesson.
variety of teaching
strategies that best
suits the students
could be used such as
visual cues and
auditory enhanced
reading version of the
story.
Teacher will use a
checklist to assess
student activity sheet
pertaining to the book
‘Throw your Tooth on
the Roof’. The
checklist will include
criteria based on
whether the student
answers the questions
and appropriately
draws a picture.
- Throw Your
Tooth on the Roof:
Tooth Traditions
around the World
by: Selby B.
Beeler
-Chart paper
-Markers
-Provide differentiated
instruction by for
students that have a
difficult time following
the story through
having visual aids on a
flannel story board. As
a class, go over the
story after it has been
read to refresh its
storyline for all.
Teacher will use
anecdotal comments
to assess in
observation while
students are orally
participated in class
discussion and when
they share their
family’s tradition in the
class circle
Teacher will assign a
self-assessment to
students to gain
information on their
progress, what their
strengths are and
where they need
additional support.
Students will be
required to fill out a
self-assessment in
form of a simple
survey using symbols
-Perform a
dramatization of each
or several of the
traditions surrounding
losing a tooth that take
place in the story, for
students to gain a
more direct
understanding of the
traditions.
-Have a map/globe
present while reading
the story, for students
to follow along with
where each country is.
-Discuss the names for
different teeth in
different languages.
What do those names
mean? Is there a story
behind the names?
(e.g., canine teeth, eye
teeth, wisdom teeth)
oral texts by connecting the
ideas in them to their own
knowledge and experience;
to
other familiar texts,
including print and visual
texts; and to the world
around them
and pictures.
Writing:
- identify and order main
ideas and supporting
details, using graphic
organizers
(e.g., a story grammar:
characters, setting,
problem, solution; a
sequential
chart: first, then, next,
finally) and organizational
patterns (e.g., problem
solution, chronological
order)
Continual Verbal
Feed-back is provided
throughout.
-For an extension,
have students engage
in a dramatic game of
charades where they
pick one of the
traditions in the story
and act it out, while the
rest of the class
guesses.
Teacher will ask
probing questions
while walking around
and observing
students to make note
in anecdotal record.
-For exceptional
learners who are
finished earlier,
prepare an activity
whereby they have to
create a new tradition
for a new country.
Ask them to explain
the tradition and pick a
name for the new
country. This can be
done in form of an
extension for a writing
activity
- write short texts using
several simple forms
Day 10-11
Students will draw
pictures of their
artifacts using only
lines. After they have
completed their
drawings they will
view their peers
drawings as well in a
gallery walk.
Visual Arts:
-Make artistic choices in
their work, using at least
two of the elements of
design specified for this
grade for a specific purpose
(e.g., sharp, jagged lines to
depict a bulldozer tearing
up trees).
-Identify types of lines in art
works and in the
environment (e.g.,
horizontal, vertical,
diagonal).
-Describe using appropriate
vocabulary, how artists use
the elements of design to
create a specific effect
-Presentations
-A rubric will be used
to assess the students
for this lesson. The
following criteria will be
used for the rubric:
-Knowledge and
Understanding: Use of
Lines in their artwork.
-Creativity: Use of
colour, design and
effort in their artwork.
-Communication:
Participation in class
discussions and
Journal Entry
-Children Just like
Me, by Anabel and
Barnabas
Kindersley
-pencils, crayons,
paper
(e.g., diagonal lines to
suggest movement).
Social Studies
-Make and read a variety of
graphs, charts, diagrams,
maps, and models to
understand information
about cultural or religious
traditions and share it with
members of the class (e.g.,
festival of lights, first nation
Powwows, toys from
various cultures).
ACCOMMODATIONS
SPECIAL NEEDS
Instructional/Environmental Accommodations:







Seat the student in an area of the classroom that will minimize distractions
Locate the student to maximize the positive effect of role models in the class
Encourage oral discussion of the assignment before writing begins
Break instructional learning periods into smaller units of time with the intention of increasing on-task
behaviour
Model and display examples for specific purposes in writing
Arrange a buddy-system or partnering with another student, rotate buddy responsibilities
Use visual aids, demonstrations, simulations, and manipulative materials to ensure that the student
understands the concepts presented (flannel story-board for the stories read in class)
Assessment Accommodations:






Allow the student to write down the main points and to expand on them verbally;
Break down large tasks, which can quickly overwhelm the student, into small tasks, and provide
reinforcement as each part is completed
Provide models of completed tasks, so that the student can visualize a completed activity
Provide instructions to activities both visually and verbally
Permit and enable the student to demonstrate his or her understanding by using a variety of ways
(including orally, bulletin board)
Allow the student flexibility, as appropriate, in the number of questions to be answered relating to the
same skill
EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS



Provide extension activities in case students have completed work earlier than anticipated
Group the student with his or her intellectual peers for activities that extend the curriculum
Teach discussion skills and allow the student to lead class discussions
DIVERSITY ISSUES
The focus of this unit on Traditions and Celebrations allows comfortable integration of diversity. There are
several opportunities to include many aspects of diversity in each lesson. Diversity in form of religion, culture,
race, language and gender has been included in the lessons of this unit.
This unit includes opportunities to appreciate diversity through describe similarities and differences between
personal experiences and the experiences of people from various cultures portrayed in books used in each
lesson. This unit compliments well with teaching students about community building. It allows students to
understand and appreciate the differences of others. Students will explore a variety of cultural traditions, the
make-up of families in several cultures and the importance of passing down traditions through stories,
clothing, food, music etc.
Accommodations for English Language Learners students in terms of instructions and evaluation can be
arranged through repetition of content while instructing and use of various visual aids to demonstrate visual
examples for students to better understand new language being presented. In addition, instructors can inform
their instruction by acting-out the scenes from the story being read. Instructors can include the class in
assisting to demonstrate unfamiliar traditions through acting-out traditions and bringing in artefacts being
discussed for a first-hand learning experience for students.
Annotated Bibliographies
Focus Book:
Hughes, Susan. Canadian Festivals. Toronto: Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publications,
2007.
Canadian Festivals discusses different holidays and festivals that are celebrated in Canada at different
times throughout the year. The book provides an introduction to students on six holidays from a variety of
cultures. An illustration is given on how the holiday is celebrated and how it is observed with clear and easy
explanations to help children explore and learn new things about the various cultures. The holidays discussed
in the book are: Eid ul-Fitr, Diwali, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the Chinese New Year. A
pronunciation guide is also provided to help say new words to the students and teacher. Also there is a
glossary in the back of the book for words that may be unfamiliar or if the meanings of them are not explained
in the chapters. The author has chosen a variety of celebrations to represent the diverse population of
Canada. The book provides many traditions that students can relate to and build upon from which they have
observed in Canada. The writing in the book is easy and well written at a primary level with a great deal of
illustrations and big reading. Some words are highlighted and bolded to show the students what is the most
important aspects of that particular celebration.
We chose Canadian Festivals as our focus book because it is filled with a great deal of content but not so
much that it is overwhelming for students to understand. The book covers many expectations from the
Ontario curriculum by helping the students understand that Canada is a country that is made up of many
cultures. The book also gives the students an opportunity to look at the celebrations of communities and also
it provides examples of how these celebrations are celebrated through different traditions. We also chose this
book because it gives the students a great deal of knowledge but also leaves room for an open ended
discussion and space for any questions and further research. One aspect of the book that we really liked was
that it provided the vowel sounds in bold to help pronounce certain syllables so the students could get the full
experience of a particular celebration by being able to say the words properly.
Senker, Cath. Holidays Around The World: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Italy: Arcturus Publishing,
2005.
Holidays Around the World: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn are titles in the series of four different
books. The books provide students with important holidays that are celebrated around the world in all four
seasons. When reading the books students will learn what holidays are like in a warm and cold climate. The
book also explains how each season can be celebrated or started off by a religious holiday or sacred event.
Some of the celebrations included in the book cover those celebrated by: Buddhists, Christians, Hindus,
Jews, Muslims, and Sikhs. The content in the books are developmentally appropriate and at the same time
require students to use their critical thinking skills to interpret some facts. There is a holiday or celebration for
every month of the year. The traditions and celebrations are not only cultural but some of them are
represented through religious practices as well. Students have the opportunity to learn about history of not
only Canada but the entire world. At the end of each book there is a calendar of all the holidays and a
glossary. There is also a list of further readings and websites for the teacher to visit to help gather more
information to teach the holidays and festivals.
Our group chose these books for our corollary books because we thought that they represented a great
deal of traditions that were passed down through many cultures with regards to the earlier generations.
Students are able to no only learn about the traditions that are related to the celebrations but also about the
history and relevance behind the traditions. The books give examples of how the traditions are passed from
each generation whether it is through a prayer, festival, or national holiday. We also chose this series of
books because the children can refer to them all year around and not just at a particular moment of the school
year. The students are able to learn about other children around the world and the way that one celebration
can be celebrated in many different ways in a different region.
Luenn, Nancy. Celebrations of Light. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1998.
Celebrations of Light looks at the many different ways that countries celebrate light, maybe it is for a
special day, festival or the welcoming of a season. The book discusses twelve holidays from different
cultures. Some of the countries are: Brazil, China, Korea, Israel, Sweden, and the United States. The theme
throughout the book is light and all of the different things that it can be used for with regards to celebrations
and traditions. Each page has two paragraphs which describe the significance of the light. Students do not
need to read the entire book to find out a few facts about one culture and its use of light, instead they just
need to read one page and read about a few interesting facts. The illustrations are done in a geometric shape
type of format with bright colours. The only negative aspect of this book is that it does not provide a glossary
for students to refer to if they forgot the meaning of a word.
We chose this book for our unit because it shows the similarities and differences among celebrations.
We also thought it would be better to focus on one particular theme, such as light, to convey that there are
shared symbols around the world to celebrate different traditions. We took the idea of providing little detail
about a certain countries celebration of light as being positive so the students were able to further do their own
research as to what the specifics were pertaining to that country. The students are able to use their
imaginations and create their own stories or prior knowledge as to what else they think is related to the use of
light in a certain tradition.
Erlbach, Arlene. Happy New Year Everywhere!. Millbrook Press, 2000.
Happy New Year Everywhere! is a book that looks at the many different New Years customs around the
world that are from twenty countries. Some of the countries include: Greece, Japan, Iran, and Belgium. A
description is given on each New Year celebration and its background. Maps are provided, dates, crafts,
recipes, games and activities that are easy and student friendly. The book is a great tool for students to do
research projects on celebrations that may be unfamiliar to them. There is an activity for each country. Also
there is a world map included in the book so students are able to locate the different countries. At the end of
the book there is a large bibliography for the teacher to refer for additional books for the students or for extra
teacher resources. Another positive aspect of the book is that it provides a pronunciation key to ensure that
the teacher is able to teach the students the correct way to say particular words.
This particular book was chosen because it provided an opportunity for all students to take part in
being responsible for a certain country. After the book is read the students would draw a country’s name from
a basket and take turns recalling the information about the country’s New Year’s celebration. The students
can also develop their mapping skills by being responsible for locating their country on a map or even locating
five countries in total.
Brett, Jan. The Night Before Christmas. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1998.
The Night Before Christmas is a fiction book that is told in the form of a long poem. The story in the book
is discussing some of the traditions of Christmas such as presents, stockings, and Santa. The pages are full
with detailed pictures with each page surrounding by a border full of Christmas objects. The illustrations are
colourful and engaging for the reader to look at. Also the author uses a number of phrases in the book, such
as “his cheeks were like roses,” to help the reader really imagine the story and make it more real to the reader.
The poem is a fun way for students to learn about one of the popular celebrations of Canada.
Our group thought that this particular book/poem would be a good choice because if the rhyming theme
that is evident throughout the entire book. It gives the teacher a chance to incorporate poetry into social
studies. The students could make up their own poems about a celebration or tradition that is important to
them. Another reason we thought that this book was good is because it would be also a good idea to read the
book to the students for the first time with their eyes closed. The teacher would tell them to listen really
carefully and try to picture what the pictures will look like in the book. The second time the book is read the
students would have their eyes open and try to see if their imaginations of what the pictures looked like were
similar to the books pictures.
List of Learning Concepts:
1: Communication Skills
2: Critical Thinking Skills
3: Co-operative Learning
4: Motivational Skills
5: Forming new Schema
6: Metacognitive Strategies
Resources:
Support Books:
On Hanukkah
By: Cathy Goldberg Fishman
Hooray for Hanukkah!
By: Fran Manushkin
The Night of Las Psadas
By: Tomie DePaola
Seven Spools of Thread (A Kwanzaa Story)
By: Angel Shelf Medearis
Lion Dancer Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year
By: Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low
The World of Holidays
By: Paula S.Wallace
A Calendar of Festivals
(Celebrations from around the World)
By: Cherry Gilchrist & Helen Cann
Celebrating Chinese New Year
By: Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Throw your Tooth on the Roof
By: Selby B. Beeler
Children Just Like Me: Celebrations!
By: Anabel & Barnabas Kindersley
Videos:
Celebrating Together
A National Film Board of Canada
Teacher Resources:
Social Studies Through Literature-Kindergarten-Grade 2/3 (Scholastic-Amy von Heyking)
A Scholastic Big Book of Holidays Around the Year By: Susan Dillon
Internet Sites:
http://www.springfieldlibrary.org
http://www.rom.on.ca
http://www.kidsparties.com/traditions.htm
Assessment & Evaluation Guidelines
There will be a range of assessment strategies used throughout this unit. Teacher will use anecdotal notes as
a key indicator of student progress. This tool will be used primarily as a basis to measure formative
assessment, on an on-going basis while the unit is underway. Anecdotal notes will be taken while students
work individually on their application activities. The instructor will walk around and observe student
understanding of the concepts taught. The teacher will probe by asking questions to ensure that students
have a comfortable understanding of the subject content pertaining to each specific lesson. This will help to
inform the instructor of how effective the lesson was in terms of establishing a good understanding for
students. Depending on results of the anecdotal notes, the teacher can inform instruction by either revisiting
previously taught content or reinforcing the content by covering areas of concern. The anecdotal notes will
also assist the instructor in assessing students in the areas of the 9 learning skills that are required to be
reported on each term.
A self-assessment will be given to the students to fill out after specific activity tasks they have completed. The
self-assessment will also be used to review student learning. Self-assessment is a great tool for English
Language Learners as well because it allows the instructor to gain understanding of students’ personal
progress in knowledge, skills, processes, or attitudes. This information will serve to guide the instructor in
adapting curriculum and instructional approaches to students’ needs and in assessing the overall
effectiveness of programs and classroom practices. Providing an opportunity for students to reflect in a selfassessment leads students to a greater awareness and understanding of himself or herself as a learner.
Throughout the unit, the teacher will use several strategies of assessment to gather and collect data on
student learning, such as: observation, presentations, oral questioning, and performance tasks. While these
assessment strategies are in progress, the instructor will use anecdotal note-taking and checklists as devices
for recording student achievement. These devices will help the instructor to attain an understanding of the
strengths and weaknesses of students and will allow the instructor to effectively make alterations to
subsequent lessons and to apply accommodations as needed to improve student learning.
Individual Reflections
Individual Reflection-Harpreet Kainth
There are certain strengths and weaknesses of this unit plan. The following are certain areas of
strengths that the unit plan was based upon. The specific expectations are designed to develop upon one
another and the lesson plans are created from a developmentally appropriate basis for students. The
importance of scaffolding was taken into consideration when developing this unit plan as it is important for
students to understand certain concepts before others.
Further, the unit plan was designed from an end in mind perspective which also acts as an important
strength of the unit plan. The end goal of creating a fun, engaging and interactive unit involving traditions and
celebrations was first taken into consideration before lesson plans were developed and created. The
resources used in this unit were first explored to determine the shape of the unit as a whole. Exploring
different resources prior to beginning assisted us with planning and creating a unit that is based on what we as
a group had in mind. Another area of strength of the unit plan involves making connections with the world
outside of school for students. The actual topic of the unit obviously allows us to include the lives of students
at home within the classroom; however, the approach we undertook during some of the lessons really works to
celebrate home life of students. Bringing in artifacts from home is one example of how we made this
connection.
A weakness or area of challenge of this unit plan involved planning pertaining to time and scheduling of
the unit. As teacher candidates, it is difficult for us to completely comprehend how long it will take students to
accomplish certain tasks within the classroom. As such, scheduling of the unit was a challenge that we
overcome by attempting to estimate time required based on skill development and developmental level of
students.
Individual Reflection-Jagjeet Grewal
I believe that one of the positive things about this unit is the wide range of specific expectations it
covers. As teachers we know that it is sometimes impossible to cover all of the specific expectations, however
for this unit plan we made sure that we covered the ones that we believed to be the most important and the
ones that we thought would be the most engaging for students to learn about. Our activities are all very
engaging and exploratory. There is not right or wrong answers for the application component of our lessons
which allows the students to be creative and open minded. Another strength about the unit is many lessons
require the students to work in groups. If this unit plan were to be applied to a real classroom, I believe that
working in groups would be a great part of the unit because traditions and celebrations is an excellent strand
to build cohesiveness amongst your students. Language Arts is also integrated into the unit plan. As a group
we made sure that we just did not throw in language arts anywhere but instead we put it in places where we
believed the students would have an opportunity to learn social studies and languages arts together. We
found it difficult to integrate art into the unit so we decided that it would be best to have an individual lesson for
it all by itself.
One weakness of the unit plan is the timeline. We have some lessons that are longer then the others.
Our group did not take into consideration in some lessons that all periods should be the same length in time.
Instead we had divided the lessons up amongst the group members so that is why some periods are shorter
and longer then other lessons. Another weakness for the unit plan is the fact that each lesson plan is not set
up in the same format. In some of the lesson plans areas are bolded that are important for the teacher to
discuss. Also in some lessons it is obvious as to what the sequential order is of the lesson because steps are
numbered off, while in the other lessons there is no evident order and the teacher would just assume that
whatever comes first in the plan is what should be taught first.
Individual Reflection-Fathia Nasir
This Unit is designed using the Ontario Curriculum and centers its focus on the Grade 2 Social
Studies Unit of Traditions and Celebrations. I feel that this Unit plan does a great job of
demonstrating appropriateness for its focus grade and subject areas. Provided that this Unit plan
was created using the design-down model, it ensures that students will attain a solid understanding
of the required subject content in each lesson. Planning with the end in mind gives the instructor a
better understanding of how to direct student learning. The specific expectations were considered in
detail prior to brainstorming ideas and ultimately designing the culminating task. The culminating
reflects and requires demonstration of a great portion of the specific expectations of this unit. As a
result, each individual lesson has been created to ensure that students gain the required knowledge
and understanding to successfully complete the culminating task.
I feel that this unit nicely exemplifies the scaffolding approach in its design. It focuses on
providing students with a strong initial understanding of the Traditions and Celebrations unit and
goes on to build on knowledge with more complex lessons, adding onto the basic knowledge the
students have already attained.
This unit uses a variety of resources, making each lesson come to life through books, foods,
clothing, artifacts, artwork and music. This is effective in grasping student attention and keeping
them hooked. Furthermore, this unit is a great way to affirm the concept of community building,
through teaching respect and appreciation for diversity by allowing students to directly experience
traditions and practices of various Cultures and share values from their own.
Faculty of Education
Lesson Plan Template
Subject / Course:
Social Studies
Grade Level: 2
Topic: Traditions and Celebrations
AT Name:
TC Name:
Date:
Time of Class:
Room # / Location:
1. Instructional Expectations and Opportunities
a) Expectations: (approx. 1-3 expectations from the Ontario Curriculum that could be assessed)
Social Studies
 Explain the significant traditions and celebrations of families from a variety of cultural traditions.
 Ask simple questions to gain information and seek clarification (e.g., What are the similarities and
differences in celebrations among cultures? How are they the same? How are they different?)
Language Arts
 Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and
experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them
 Express personal thoughts and feelings about what has been read
b) Opportunities: (approx. 2+ other learning opportunities such as other expectations not assessed, other learning
that happens as a result of the lesson e.g., organization, group, listening, co-operation, reading, writing skills etc.)
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Use appropriate vocabulary when describing their work
Develop oral communication skills by working in small groups or with a partner (THINK PAIR
SHARE)
Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by using active listening strategies
Follow instructions
Extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and
experience
Associate/Advisor Comments:
a) Learning Environment:
(describe the learning environment such as the set up/location of desks, where audio-visual equipment will
be, where the teacher stands, where the students are working etc. – you may wish to include a map/layout of
the classroom on a separate sheet and reference it with modifications if lesson changes)

At the beginning of the lessons the students will be sitting on the carpet in a circle when the teacher
is conducting the lesson and also while the students are engaged in the class activities they will also
remain seated on the carpet.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
2. Required Resources
(list ALL resources required to conduct this lesson with detailed specifics such as textbook titles, chapters, page
numbers, author/publishers, website URLs, resources like paper, pencils, protractors, chalk, rulers, paint, specimens,
books, maps, videos, posters, lab materials, handouts – include name of handout and number of copies, etc.)
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Chart paper
My Traditions and Celebrations worksheet
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Variety of different objects from different cultures
Celebrations of Light By: Nancy Luenn
Happy New Year Everywhere! By Arlene Erlbach
3. Content and Teaching Strategies of Lesson
a) Overview/Agenda/Review
(consider a quick overview of the lesson and/or list key elements in lesson which may be written on white/blackboard
as an agenda for students and you to follow, you may also choose to consider a review of previous day’s work)
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Hook: Teachers celebration/tradition
What is a tradition and celebration?
Birthday Celebrations
Exploration of different materials from traditions and celebrations
Celebrations of Light book
Discussion surrounding the book
Common Celebrations that many people share (e.g., New Year)
Happy New Year Everywhere! Book
Happy New Year country activity
My Traditions and Celebrations worksheet discussion
b) Introduction (motivational start, minds-on, hook, etc.)
(describe how you will motivate students, get their attention, relate the lesson to their lives, such as a minds-on activity,
a hook or something that will pull learners into lesson)
(5 min)
1: The teacher will show the students food, clothing and symbols relating to a certain tradition or
celebration that is celebrated by him/her. This activity is open ended because it gives the students the
chance to ask questions about the materials the teacher has showed them and then the teacher is also able
to share something that is important to him/her with the students.
Ask students: Have you ever seen any of these things before? Why do you think I brought these into class
to share with you?
c) Subject Content and Teaching Strategies
(include the subject content - what you are teaching; detail the instructional strategies / teaching strategies for teaching
the subject content - how you are teaching it; write some guiding questions - actual questions (variety of thinking
levels) and suggested and anticipated answers; possibly include time approximations/timelines such as 10:00 – 10:30
a.m. or 25 minutes; and include application activities/components - how the content will be applied such as an activity,
problems to solve, worksheets etc.).
Content
Celebration: A celebration is a joyful or happy occasion where people get together for special festival or for
something that is important.
Tradition: A tradition is something that is done continuously or repeatedly from generation to generation.
Many families have different traditions that they follow during special times or celebrations.
Instructional Strategies
Day 1
(15 min)
2: Explain to the students what a celebration and tradition is by providing the example of birthdays.
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Start off by selecting a day when child is celebrating their birthday in the class. Tell the students that
birthdays are important to families and they have been celebrated for many years. The teacher will
ask the student’s birthday that it is in the class how they celebrate it.
Then the teacher will ask another student with a different cultural background how they celebrate
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their birthday. The class will then discuss the similarities and differences between the two types of
celebrations in a Think/Pair/Share approach. Teacher will write the similarities and differences on
a piece of chart paper so it is visible to all students when they are sharing their answers.
Once students have shared their answers teacher will select a similarity between the two birthdays
such as both of them received presents.
Explain to the students that the celebration was the birthday and the tradition between the two
birthdays was receiving presents.
Provide the students with the definitions of what a tradition and celebration is and write it on the
chart paper.
Share some examples of how birthday traditions are celebrated in different countries
E.g., Africa-Initiation ceremonies. In various African nations they hold initiation ceremonies for
groups of children instead of birthdays. When children reach a certain age they will learn the laws,
songs, believes and dance of their tribes. China-Noodles for lunch. The birthday child pays respect
to their parents and receives a money as a gift and relatives are invited over for lunch to have
noodles.
(25 min)
3: Students will become familiar with the different celebrations and traditions their classmates celebrate by
exploring the materials that will be put out on the carpet. The teacher will have asked the student’s
parents/guardians in the beginning of the year of any significant traditions and celebrations that they
celebrate in order to pick the appropriate materials/objects for the lesson and so students are familiar with a
great deal of them.
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The objects will all be covered with a cloth and will be revealed one at time to the students. There
will be enough objects for each student to explore. The students will be required to pick up an
object and try to guess which tradition/celebration that it is linked to. The celebrations/traditions will
be written on the chart paper ahead of time so the students are able to use them as a reference
point.
If the student is not sure of which tradition/celebration the object is matched with then the rest of the
class can help the student.
Ask students:
 Where have you seen these objects before?
 Has anyone used these objects for different purposes?
 When do you think that these traditions/celebrations are celebrated? Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall?
 How can we tell which object comes from which culture, or is there an object which can fit under two
culture?
Possible Answers:
 I have seen them at home/when we went on our trip to….
 We use them for eating, playing, festivals, celebrations
 We celebrate them on a certain date
 Answers will vary, some students will both be able to relate to an object but with different meanings
The students will be asked for homework to bring in an object of their own from a tradition or
celebration that they celebrate to share with the class for the next day. They should ask their
parents/guardians what the object represents so they can explain it to the rest of the class.
Day 2
(20 min)
4: Read to the students Celebrations of Light to introduce different traditions and celebrations around the
world that are all related to light.
 Explain to the students that there are many common similarities between celebrations/traditions and
light is one that is common amongst many celebrations around the world.
Before reading the book:
Ask students:
 Are there any celebrations/traditions at your home that you use light for? What does the light
represent?
 Can we brainstorm some ideas of what we think light might be used for in different countries?
Write this on the chart paper.
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While teacher is reading the book it is beneficial to pause at certain points and ask students to
elaborate on the celebration of light from their particular country so they are able to extend their
understanding of the text by relating it to their own experiences
(30 min)
5: The students will share their object that they were asked to bring for homework with the rest of the class.
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Each student will get a chance to share their object and to talk about it
The teacher should ask questions and the students should also be provided with time to ask
questions about their peers objects
Ask students:
 Why did you choose to bring this particular object to share?
 What is the name of the object and what is its use?
 How old is the object?
 Where else have we seen this object before?
Possible Answers:
 It is important to me and my family because we use it on a particular day or we use it everyday.
For homework the students will be asked to fill out the worksheet “My Traditions and Celebrations”
with their parents/guardians.
Day 3
(20 min)
6: Read to the students Happy New Year Everywhere! The book describes how 20 countries have unique
new year celebrations and traditions. Read about two countries that have not been discussed in the class
yet.
 Before reading the book make sure to review what is New Years for students who might not have
any prior knowledge of it.
 After reading the book write the name of each featured country on a slip of paper, fold the slips, and
put them in a basket. After the book is read ask the students to draw country names from the
basket and take turns recalling the information about the country’s new year’s celebration.
Application activities/components
(30 min)
7: Students will share their My Traditions and Celebrations worksheet that they had to complete for
homework with the class. Each student will share one tradition/celebration and describe the food, clothing,
and symbol that correlates with it.
d) Consolidation
(indicate how you will review concepts taught, wrap up lesson, confirm students know what next tasks are e.g.,
having class to give you feedback on what was taught, review key application of concepts – this is important in
terms of assessing the effectiveness of the lesson)
(10 min)
 Ticket out the door: Students will be provided with a piece of paper that says: What is one thing I
learned about traditions or celebrations? The students will be provided with time to write down what
they have learned and to share it with a partner.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
4. Assessment and Evaluation
(What assessment and/or evaluation strategies do you need to have to ensure you are accountable for students’
learning and addressing the Ontario curriculum expectations? What formative and summative assessment should you
include? – e.g., sample questions, activities or attach tests, homework, rubrics, evaluation schemes, answer keys etc.)
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Students will be assess using a rubric and anecdotal/observational notes.
The rubric will include some of the following criteria:
-Understanding of Traditions and Celebrations with a sufficient amount of examples
-Communication with peers and teacher is understandable and strategies used to explain
understanding are creative and not always the same
-Student is able to relate content to their own personal experiences
-Student asks questions related to the texts
Faculty of Education
Lesson Plan Template
Subject / Course:
Social Studies, Language Arts
Grade Level: Grade 2
Topic: Traditions and Celebrations
AT Name:
TC Name:
Date:
Time of Class:
Room # / Location:
5. Instructional Expectations and Opportunities
c) Expectations: (approx. 1-3 expectations from the Ontario Curriculum that could be assessed)
Social Studies:
1. Identify the origins and features of various families (e.g., nationality, culture, size, structure);
2. Use primary and secondary sources to locate simple information about family
history and traditions (e.g., primary sources: interviews, eyewitness visitors, class trips;
secondary sources: maps, illustrations, print materials, videos);
Language Arts:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the information and ideas in oral texts by retelling the story
or restating the information, including the main idea and several interesting details (e.g., restate
a partner’s reflections after a think-pair-share activity; identify the important ideas in a group
presentation; carry on a sustained conversation on a topic).
2. Identify, initially with support and direction, whose point of view (e.g., that of the hero, the
villain, the narrator) is presented in a simple media text and suggest how the text might change if
a different point of view were used).
d) Opportunities: (approx. 2+ other learning opportunities such as other expectations not assessed, other learning
that happens as a result of the lesson e.g., organization, group, listening, co-operation, reading, writing skills etc.)
-Students will have the opportunity to develop listening skills and participation skills.
-Students will also develop group work and cooperative skills as they will be working in pairs.
-Students will also have the opportunity to gain knowledge about how much diversity there is in
the types of families and features of their families even within their classroom.
6. Preassessment and Accommodations/Modifications
b) Students
(consider the students you will be teaching and anything that will affect their learning or your teaching strategies (e.g.,
include cognitive, social/emotional, physical and diversity needs,+ provide accommodations/modifications - how you
will differentiate learning for each student and/or type of need – N.B. use initials of students rather than full names)
Preassessment:
Accommodation/Modification:
c) Learning Environment:
(describe the learning environment such as the set up/location of desks, where audio-visual equipment will
be, where the teacher stands, where the students are working etc. – you may wish to include a map/layout of
the classroom on a separate sheet and reference it with modifications if lesson changes)
Students will be at the carpet during discussion of the book and discussions pertaining to origins
of family. Additionally, students be at the carpet during the time at which the teacher provides
instructions for what their tasks entail. As such, when students are working independently, they
will be seated at their desks while the teacher circulates the classroom to ensure students are
focused.
7. Required Resources
(list ALL resources required to conduct this lesson with detailed specifics such as textbook titles, chapters, page
numbers, author/publishers, website URLs, resources like paper, pencils, protractors, chalk, rulers, paint, specimens,
books, maps, videos, posters, lab materials, handouts – include name of handout and number of copies, etc.)
Teacher Resources:
-Book used as a focus book and a hook: Keeping Quilt, by Patricia Polacoo
-Story Quilt
-Chart Paper, with Markers
-Adequate space for museum exhibits displayed by students.
Student resources:
-Markers, pencil crayons, paper provided to students by the teacher.
8. Content and Teaching Strategies of Lesson
e) Overview/Agenda/Review
(consider a quick overview of the lesson and/or list key elements in lesson which may be written on white/blackboard
as an agenda for students and you to follow, you may also choose to consider a review of previous day’s work)
Agenda:
1. Introduce Story
2. Discuss Story and origin of family within the story using story quilt.
3. Draw story map using chart paper.
4. Independent activities
5. Presentations in Pairs.
f)
Introduction (motivational start, minds-on, hook, etc.)
(describe how you will motivate students, get their attention, relate the lesson to their lives, such as a minds-on activity,
a hook or something that will pull learners into lesson)
To introduce the concept of various families and the origins of families, the book titled “ The
Keeping Quilt”, by Patricia Polacco is used. The book is about a Russian family who immigrates
to the United States. A family quilt is passed along to many generations from mother to daughter
as a part of a tradition within their family. The story describes how different types of families have
different origins and have different traditions associated with them.
g) Subject Content and Teaching Strategies
(include the subject content - what you are teaching; detail the instructional strategies / teaching strategies for teaching
the subject content - how you are teaching it; write some guiding questions - actual questions (variety of thinking
levels) and suggested and anticipated answers; possibly include time approximations/timelines such as 10:00 – 10:30
a.m. or 25 minutes; and include application activities/components - how the content will be applied such as an activity,
problems to solve, worksheets etc.).
Day 4 (40 Minutes)
Introduction (10 Minutes)
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Read the story “Keeping Quilt”, by Patricia Polacco and discuss with students the type of
family that is presented in the story and how the family originates from Russia.
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Also, discuss specific features of the family presented in the story, such as the specific
tradition that is important to the members of that family, which consists of passing on the
quilt from mother to daughter.
Second Read Through of Story including Story Quilt (20 Minutes)
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Have students sitting on a quilt that can be brought in by the teacher. Once the teacher
has read the story again after a brief introduction discussion, a class discussion will be
held to retrace the path of the quilt using a story math on chart paper.
Prompting Questions: “When were we first introduced to the family quilt in the story?”
“What makes the family in the story different from your family?” This allows students to
compare the different features that families may have, such as size, nationality and structure.
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Once the students have gone over the story map on the chart paper, the students will be
asked to turn to a partner sitting closes to them and share one important aspect of their
own families. The teacher will then ask students to share with the class.
Instructions for Next Class (10 Minutes)
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Students will be asked to interview someone at home and ask them questions about the
origins and specific features of their family. For example, students will collect information
pertaining to their family’s nationality, culture and their family size. These three important
features will be discussed again at this point. The family in “The Keeping Quilt” will be
used as an example to help students understand. Students can bring in personal artefacts
to help them remember specific things. Students will also be recommended to use
assistance from parents/guardians/siblings.
Day 5 (45 Minutes)
Review (5 Minutes)
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Students will review the story map on the chart paper and recall the story and the
significant components of it.
Prompting Questions: “Why do you think the quilt is important to this family?” Does every
mommy have the exact same quilt that they give to their daughters?” The point here is to
have the students understand that this tradition is specific to the family in the story and is a
special feature of them.
Application Activity (40 Minutes)
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Review meaning of family nationality, culture and family size and family traditions in
relation to “The Keeping Quilt”
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Students will be asked at their seats to create their own stories using the information that
they have collected about their family. To assist in imagination and creativity, the teacher
may choose to do a quick example that he or she has created.
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Once students have created a story using specific features of their family, they will create
a story map of the story that they have created.
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The students will require assistance and the teacher will circulate to ensure students are
on task and understand the instructions. Also, students will have all of the materials at
their desks to create story maps and will also be allowed to have the artefacts if any they
have brought in at their desks.
Day 6 (50 Minutes)
Finishing up Story Maps (10 Minutes)
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Students will have the first 10 minutes of class to finish working on their story maps.
Think Pair Share (10 Minutes)
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Students will be paired up and will be asked to share their story maps with their partners.
Each student must be able to describe using the story map their partner’s stories and their
family’s features.
Story Map Presentations (30 Minutes)

Have student pairs come to the front of the classroom and present story maps of their
partners to the rest of the class. Students will describe the story maps as a story and will
then go over the specific features of the family in the story, which is the actual family of
the student’s partner.
h) Consolidation
(indicate how you will review concepts taught, wrap up lesson, confirm students know what next tasks are e.g.,
having class to give you feedback on what was taught, review key application of concepts – this is important in
terms of assessing the effectiveness of the lesson)
Ticket out of the door: Students will be asked to describe one feature of another student’s family
in either picture or written form.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
9. Assessment and Evaluation
(What assessment and/or evaluation strategies do you need to have to ensure you are accountable for students’
learning and addressing the Ontario curriculum expectations? What formative and summative assessment should you
include? – e.g., sample questions, activities or attach tests, homework, rubrics, evaluation schemes, answer keys etc.)
Anecdotal Observations will be taken as students work in pairs and individually during this section
of the unit.
Presentations will be assessed using a rubric that will be based on the following criteria:
Creativity, presentation style, cooperation between partners, and enthusiasm.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
Faculty of Education
Lesson Plan Template
Subject / Course: Social Studies
Grade Level: 2
Topic: Traditions and Celebrations
AT Name: n/a
TC Name:
Date: n/a
Time of Class: 160 mins. (4 periods)
Room # / Location: n/a
10. Instructional Expectations and Opportunities
e) Expectations: (approx. 1-3 expectations from the Ontario Curriculum that could be assessed)
Social Studies:
-identify ways in which heritage and traditions are passed on (e.g., stories; community
celebrations; special days such as Remembrance Day, Canada Day, Aboriginal
Solidarity Day, and religious holidays; the Canadian flag; music, crafts, dance, food, recreation, clothing)
-identify examples that show the participation of various cultures in the community
(e.g., restaurants, places of worship, styles of dress)
Language Arts
Oral Communication:
-demonstrate an understanding of the information and ideas in oral texts by retelling the story or restating the
information,
including the main idea and several interesting details
-use a few different visual aids (use a story map)
- extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience; to
other familiar texts, including print and visual texts; and to the world around them
Writing:
- identify and order main ideas and supporting details, using graphic organizers
(e.g., a story grammar: characters, setting, problem, solution; a sequential
chart: first, then, next, finally) and organizational patterns (e.g., problem solution, chronological order)
- write short texts using several simple forms
f)
Opportunities: (approx. 2+ other learning opportunities such as other expectations not assessed, other learning
that happens as a result of the lesson e.g., organization, group, listening, co-operation, reading, writing skills etc.)
-co-operative skills
-listening skills
-writing skills
Associate/Advisor Comments:
11. Preassessment and Accommodations/Modifications
d) Students
(consider the students you will be teaching and anything that will affect their learning or your teaching strategies (e.g.,
include cognitive, social/emotional, physical and diversity needs,+ provide accommodations/modifications - how you
will differentiate learning for each student and/or type of need – N.B. use initials of students rather than full names)
Preassessment:
Accommodation/Modification:
e) Learning Environment:
(describe the learning environment such as the set up/location of desks, where audio-visual equipment will
be, where the teacher stands, where the students are working etc. – you may wish to include a map/layout of
the classroom on a separate sheet and reference it with modifications if lesson changes)
Students will be seated at the front of the room, on the carpet for a class discussion. Students will move to
their individual desks to work on the activity sheet. Students will return to the carpet the following lesson and
be seated in a circle around the carpet and will share their traditions homework activity.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
12. Required Resources
(list ALL resources required to conduct this lesson with detailed specifics such as textbook titles, chapters, page
numbers, author/publishers, website URLs, resources like paper, pencils, protractors, chalk, rulers, paint, specimens,
books, maps, videos, posters, lab materials, handouts – include name of handout and number of copies, etc.)
Teacher Resources



Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions around the World, by: Selby B. Beeler
Chart Paper
Coloured Markers
Student Resources




Class set of Losing a Tooth Activity Sheet
Set of Markers for each group
Class set of 8 x14 paper (for story mapping)
Class set of My Traditions (homework activity)
13. Content and Teaching Strategies of Lesson
i)
Overview/Agenda/Review
Day 7
Story Time
Class Discussion
Story Chart
Activity
Wrap-up
Day 8
Share Traditions Homework
Wrap Up
Day 9
Re-visit Story Chart
Class Discussion
Story Mapping
Sharing
Wrap Up
j)
Introduction (motivational start, minds-on, hook, etc.)
1:00-1:05 – Teacher greets students (stands in front of class) as they return from lunch and has them sit in
their seats.
Teacher says: Grade 2s, today we will be continuing with out unit on Traditions and Celebrations. Please join me at
the carpet to read a book about one very common tradition that is celebrated all around the world.
*Sit at seat in front of the students gathered at the carpet
*Teacher holds up book Throw your Tooth on the Roof
Q1: What do you think this book is about?
A1: traditions, teeth, a roof, a game
Questions before reading:
Q2: What do you do when your baby teeth fall out? If your teeth haven’t fallen out yet,
do you have a friend or an older brother or sister who has lost their baby teeth? What
did they do?
Q3: Does the tooth fairy visit your house?
Teacher Introduces book: Let’s look at a book that will show us that maybe the Tooth Fairy doesn’t visit every
Country. Sometimes something different happens when someone loses a tooth… While I read the book, I want you to
pay close attention to the different traditions that take place in this book.
1:05-1:15 – Teacher reads books
* Begin by reading the tooth traditions that match the ethnic backgrounds of the children in the class.
k)
Subject Content and Teaching Strategies
Content:
People around the world have traditions. These traditions are celebrated differently around the world. People learn
about their traditions from their parents and they are passed down from their grandparents and ancestors before them.
Traditions are passed on through generations in order to remember their culture’s past in order to carry it through and
practice it in the future.
Traditions can be remembered through stories, dance, art, clothing, food and special holiday celebrations.
Traditions of cultural groups in Canada can be seen through their clothing, places of worship, restaurants and music.
Instructional Strategies:
1:15-1:25 – Teacher transitions students into a discussion about the book
Teacher says: What did you learn about traditions from this book?
A: They are different
Q2: Were there any traditions that you found to be very interesting? Which did you like most?
Q3: Were there any traditions in the book that were familiar to your own tradition of losing a tooth? Which one?
A3: Canadian, other
Q4: Were there any traditions that were very similar to one another? Which ones? How were the same?
A4: American and Canadian, they both put their tooth under their pillow
Q5: Why do you think that some traditions might be the same and others are different?
A5: The countries are close by and have the same cultures. The cultures may be different. The people may have
different beliefs and stories.
Q6: How did these children know what to do with their tooth once it fell out? How do you know what to do with your
tooth once it falls out? Who told you what to do?
A6: The mother, father, grandparents in the story told them. My parents told me what to do.
Teacher says: Very good Grade 2s! Traditions are different around the world. Our parents and grandparents pass
down traditions to us about how to do things for special occasions. Losing a tooth is a special event for many people
around the world. Traditions are different depending are where you live and the stories your parents and grandparents
tell you about. Although the reason behind the tradition could be the same throughout, the tradition may be different
from country to country.
1:25 – 1:40 – Shared Writing – Making a Tradition Chart
Teacher uses chart paper to list traditions of losing a tooth as mentioned in the book
Teacher says: Grade 2s, I want you to think back to the book and list as many losing a tooth traditions you can and
remember to include the country they are from. I will use this chart to keep a record of the traditions we read about.
What is the Special Event?
Loosing a tooth
What is the Country?
Canada
Loosing a tooth
Loosing a tooth
United States
Mexico
What happens in the tradition?
Put the tooth under your pillow while
you sleep so the tooth fairy can
exchange it for money.
1:40 – 1:50 – Teacher wraps up and explains extension activity
Teacher says: Great work Grade 2s, I’m so impressed with your recalling of all the different traditions that took place in
the story! Now I want each of you to think back to one tradition in the story that you found to be most interesting.
Q1: What do you think I mean by interesting?
A1: Something that grabs your attention, something that seems exciting.
Teacher says: You will each pick one tradition form the book that occurs when a child’s tooth falls. The activity sheet
that I provide you with will ask you which tradition you have chosen. At the top you will write the country the tradition
comes from. On the next line you will write at least 4 sentences explaining what happens in the tradition. At the very
bottom you will see an empty box, this is where you will draw a picture of the tradition you have chosen.
Activity Handout:
1:50 – 2:20 Students complete the activity sheet
2:20- 2:30 – Students wrap-up/ Teacher explains homework
Teacher says: Today we learned about traditions and how they are passed down from your parents and
grandparents. We learned that traditions can be passed down through stories about tooth fairies that our families have
Losing a Tooth
What country is the tradition from? __________________________________________
In this country, what happens when a child loses his/her tooth?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
This is a picture of the tradition that takes place in this country when you lose a tooth
kept going by passing it down to their children and we will pass the same stories down to our children.
Q1: What are some other ways we learn about the traditions of our cultures other than through stories?
A1: dances, holiday celebrations, foods, clothing, music.
Teacher says: Very good! For homework I want you to talk with your parents about a tradition that your family
celebrates and why you celebrate it the way you do. For example, in my family, whenever there is a wedding, the day
before the wedding all the women have a party and sing songs for to wish the bride good luck. The songs we sing
have been passed down from my mother and aunts, who learnt them from their mothers. Think of a tradition you
celebrate that has been passed down from your parents. Do you have a tradition that includes wearing special
clothing? Do you celebrate a tradition that includes eating special food? Do you do have a special tradition that you
do for your birthday? Please have your homework completed for tomorrow, we will be sharing all the traditions we
celebrate with the rest of the class.
*Teacher hands out homework sheet
My Tradition
A Tradition I celebrate is
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
I learned to celebrate this tradition from
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
When we celebrate this tradition, what we do is
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
This is a picture of me celebrating this tradition
Day 8
1:00-:1:05 – Teacher greets students as they transition to their seats.
Teacher says: Boys and Girls we have been talking all about traditions and celebrations. Yesterday I asked you to
complete an activity about a tradition you celebrate that has been passed on to you by your parents. Today we will be
sharing our traditions. Please take out your homework and join me at the carpet, we will be making a circle around the
carpet to share our traditions.
1:05 – 1:10 – Students transition to the carpet.
1:10-1:25 – Sharing Traditions
Teacher explains her tradition – The tradition I would like to share has been passed down to me by my parents and it
has been passed down to them by their parents. This tradition takes place every year, during a Muslim celebration
called Eid. The tradition involves waking up early and getting ready to go to the Mosque to pray. Every Eid we buy
brand new fancy clothing to wear to the Mosque for prayers. My father gives us money every Eid. This has become a
yearly tradition in my family and we look forward to it every year.
Day 9
1:00-1:05 – Teacher greets students as they transition to their seats.
Teacher says: Good afternoon Grade 2s. Today we will be continuing to learn about traditions and celebrations. Two
days ago we read a book about traditions that take place around the world when a child’s tooth falls out.
Q1: Can you remember some of the traditions that took place in the book we read? (Point at the chart to remember)
A1: Throwing the upper tooth on the roof and burying the lower tooth in the ground; throwing the tooth down a well
Q2: Why do you think some children throw their teeth on the roof? Could you throw your tooth that high? Would you
ask someone else to do it for you? Would you tie something to your tooth to make sure it went that high? What would
you use?
A2: a ladder, I would climb the house; I would ask my dad for help.
Q3: Why do you think mice carry old teeth away in so many of the tooth traditions from
around the world?
Q4: If you moved here from another country, will you follow your country’s tooth traditions or look for the Tooth Fairy ….
or both?
1:05-1:10 – Teacher explains extension activity
Teacher says: Grade 2s, today each of you will be creating a map of the journey your tooth takes once it leaves your
mouth. Some important questions to ask is, where does your tooth go and who takes it there?
Q1: What is the first thing that happens when
Teacher says: Now, each of your journey maps may be very different. This is because we may have different
traditions that we do when we lose our teeth. Traditions are passed down from our parents and each of us comes from
different families, so is it possible that our traditions could be different? Of Course!
Q2: What can you include in the journey of your tooth once it leaves your mouth?
A2: washing the tooth, washing my mouth, showing the tooth to my friends, giving the tooth to my parents, putting the
tooth away, and the tooth fairy taking it away.
Teacher says: In your tooth journey, make sure to include what happens to your tooth after you no longer have it.
Q3: Once you no longer have your tooth, it may be with the tooth fairy or with the tooth mouse or in the garbage.
What do you think happens to the tooth then?
A3: It is made into something else, it is given to newborn babies to use.
Teacher says: I want you to include 4 or more steps in the journey your tooth takes once it leaves your mouth. You
will draw a picture of each step in the journey your tooth takes. Under each picture, write a sentence explaining what is
happening to the tooth during each step of the journey. Please be prepared to share your completed journeys with the
class once they are done. Do you have Any questions?
Q4: Give me an idea for the first step of the journey, what would you write and what picture would you draw?
A4: A picture of a tooth falling out of a mouth; I would write: My tooth fell out!!
1:10-1:30 – Students work on Tooth Journey Maps
1:30-1:35 – Wrap-up and transition to the carpet
*Teacher chooses 3 volunteers to share their tooth’s journey with the class.
1:35-1:45 – Share Tooth’s Journey Activity
l)
Consolidation
(indicate how you will review concepts taught, wrap up lesson, confirm students know what next tasks are e.g.,
having class to give you feedback on what was taught, review key application of concepts – this is important in
terms of assessing the effectiveness of the lesson)
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Teacher says: Grade 2s, we’ve learnt quite a bit about traditions over the past few days. Using your fingers, answer a
couple questions for me. Show me a thumbs up if the answer is yes, and a thumbs down if the answer is no.
Q1: Everyone has the same traditions (everyone puts their tooth under their pillow when it falls)
A1: Thumbs Down
Q2: Traditions are passed down from our parents, grandparents and family before them?
A2: Thumbs Up
Q3: We learn about traditions through stories, music, foods, and celebrations?
A3: Thumbs Up
Q4: Many people celebrate the same special occasions, such as birthdays. Does this mean that they all do the same
traditions on their birthday? (Does everyone get balloons for their birthday?)
A4: Thumbs Down
Teacher says: Great Job Grade 2s, I’m so impressed by how much you have learnt about traditions and how they are
passed down and celebrated!
Associate/Advisor Comments:
Faculty of Education
Lesson Plan Template
Subject / Course: Social Studies and Visual Art
Grade Level: Grade 2
Topic: Traditions and Celebrations
AT Name:
TC Name:
Date:
Time of Class:
Room # / Location:
14. Instructional Expectations and Opportunities
g) Expectations: (approx. 1-3 expectations from the Ontario Curriculum that could be assessed)
Visual Arts
1. Make artistic choices in their work, using at least two of the elements of design specified for this grade for
a specific purpose (e.g., sharp, jagged lines to depict a bulldozer tearing up trees).
2. Identify types of lines in art works and in the environment (e.g., horizontal, vertical, diagonal).
3. Describe using appropriate vocabulary, how artists use the elements of design to create a specific effect
(e.g., diagonal lines to suggest movement).
Social Studies
1. Make and read a variety of graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, and models to understand information about
cultural or religious traditions and share it with members of the class (e.g., festival of lights, first nation
Powwows, toys from various cultures).
h) Opportunities: (approx. 2+ other learning opportunities such as other expectations not assessed, other learning
that happens as a result of the lesson e.g., organization, group, listening, co-operation, reading, writing skills etc.)
-Students will have an opportunity to practice active listening skills
-Students will also be able to develop participation skills
-Students will also practice cooperative skills as they will be working in groups.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
f)
Learning Environment:
(describe the learning environment such as the set up/location of desks, where audio-visual equipment will
be, where the teacher stands, where the students are working etc. – you may wish to include a map/layout of
the classroom on a separate sheet and reference it with modifications if lesson changes)
Students will be at seated at the carpet during all class discussions and during instructional strategies.
During the application activity, students will be working at their seats. During the gallery walk, students will
be walking around the room to observe other students’ artwork.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
15. Required Resources
(list ALL resources required to conduct this lesson with detailed specifics such as textbook titles, chapters, page
numbers, author/publishers, website URLs, resources like paper, pencils, protractors, chalk, rulers, paint, specimens,
books, maps, videos, posters, lab materials, handouts – include name of handout and number of copies, etc.)
Teacher Resources:
 “Children Just like Me”, by Anabel and Barnabas Kindersley
 Chalk
 Sample Artefact
 Sample Drawing
 Pencil Crayons
 Pencils
 Erasers
 White Paper for Drawings
Student Resources:
 Artefacts brought from home
 Pencil Crayons, pencils, erasers
 White Paper for Drawings
 Ruler
16. Content and Teaching Strategies of Lesson
m) Overview/Agenda/Review
(consider a quick overview of the lesson and/or list key elements in lesson which may be written on white/blackboard
as an agenda for students and you to follow, you may also choose to consider a review of previous day’s work)






Hook Presentation
Introduction and Recall of Traditions and Celebrations
Discussion of Artefacts
Creating pictures of Artefacts using lines
Gallery Walk
Class Discussion
n) Introduction (motivational start, minds-on, hook, etc.)
(describe how you will motivate students, get their attention, relate the lesson to their lives, such as a minds-on activity,
a hook or something that will pull learners into lesson)
Hook (10 Minutes)
The book titled “Children Just like Me”, by Anabel and Barnabas Kindersley is used to introduce the students
to the variety of different cultures and associated artefacts found within different cultures.
Possible questions:
What do you think these artefacts are used for?
Have you seen any of these artefacts before?
What do you think these artefacts are used to celebrate?
o) Subject Content and Teaching Strategies
(include the subject content - what you are teaching; detail the instructional strategies / teaching strategies for teaching
the subject content - how you are teaching it; write some guiding questions - actual questions (variety of thinking
levels) and suggested and anticipated answers; possibly include time approximations/timelines such as 10:00 – 10:30
a.m. or 25 minutes; and include application activities/components - how the content will be applied such as an activity,
problems to solve, worksheets etc.).
Subject Content:
-The pictures must contain a variety of lines (dotted, wigly, curly, broken…)
-A gallery walk is a display of student work that the students have created. Students have the opportunity to
observe other’s work in the form of a gallery walk.
Instructional Strategies:
Day 10
Introduction (5 Minutes)



Recall with students the different traditions and celebrations that are associated with a wide range of
cultures that were discussed in previous lessons.
Have students sitting in a circle and ask each student to recall anything pertaining to traditions and
celebrations.
Have students take out their artefacts that were assigned to be brought in from previous day and
place them on their desks.
Discussions of Artefacts (10 Minutes)





Ask students: “Does anyone know the meaning of an artefact?” Prompt: Break word down into two
segments to come up with the meaning. (Ex: Art, Fact)
Students may respond by saying that an artefact is a piece of artwork that is real because of the
word fact associated with it.
Have students brainstorm ideas by using a THINK/PAIR/SHARE technique.
Ask for a few responses from students.
Discuss the definition of an artefact: an object that is made by humans that is historically important.
Artefacts help humans understand the history of human life and past events.
Creating Pictures of Artefacts Using Lines (15 Minutes)

Explain to the students that they will be creating pictures to help their peers see the different ways
that they celebrate certain traditions within their families.

Tell the students that they will be re-creating their artefacts by using only lines to create the
pictures.

Be sure to describe to the students that the lines can vary in texture.

Possible Questions:
What are some different types of lines that you can think of?
(Wiggly, thick, thin, horizontal, vertical, jagged, short, long)

Use the blackboard to show students how each type of line appears to be.

Point to various lines drawn on the blackboard and ask students: What type of line is this?

Show an example of a various picture that the teacher has prepared using an artefact and various
lines.

Remind students that they will be choosing one type of line and using that type of line to draw their
pictures.

Instruct students to use the following tools to draw their pictures: pencils to outline, and pencil
crayons to go over the outlines.
Application of Activity (30 Minutes)

Students will work at their desks while drawing the pictures of their artefacts. The teacher will
circulate to ensure students are focused and are on task.
Day 11
Introduction

Students will have completed their pictures of their artefacts and they will be displayed around the
room for other students to view.
Gallery Walk (15 Minutes)





Tell the students that it is now time for the Gallery Walk. Turn to your neighbour and tell them
something you like about their artefact picture and something they could do differently next time.
Raise your hand when both you and your neighbour has shared so that everyone has had an
opportunity to share.
Instruct students to begin viewing the rest of the classes pictures. Ask students to begin walking
towards the right of the classroom and continue walking until you return back to your own seat.
Remind the students to not touch other students’ work and to look only with their eyes and not with
their hands.
Teacher will have music playing in the background for students to experience a Gallery Walk
atmosphere.
Class Discussion (10 Minutes)



What did you enjoy most about the Gallery Walk?
Why do you think some students used certain lines in their pictures?
What were similarities between your picture with one type of a line and another picture with the
same lines and differences?
p) Consolidation
(indicate how you will review concepts taught, wrap up lesson, confirm students know what next tasks are e.g.,
having class to give you feedback on what was taught, review key application of concepts – this is important in
terms of assessing the effectiveness of the lesson)
Journal Entry (10 Minutes)
Ask students to write a journal entry pertaining to how they used lines in their pictures to make their pictures
stand out and have texture.
Associate/Advisor Comments:
17. Assessment and Evaluation
(What assessment and/or evaluation strategies do you need to have to ensure you are accountable for students’
learning and addressing the Ontario curriculum expectations? What formative and summative assessment should you
include? – e.g., sample questions, activities or attach tests, homework, rubrics, evaluation schemes, answer keys etc.)
A rubric will be used to assess the students for this lesson. The following criteria will be used for the rubric:
 Knowledge and Understanding: Use of Lines in their artwork.
 Creativity: Use of colour, design and effort in their artwork.
 Communication: Participation in class discussions and Journal Entry
Associate/Advisor Comments:
Tradition/Celebration Board-Culminating Activity
Criteria
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Understanding of Concepts
demonstrate an
understanding that
Canada is a country of
many cultures
demonstrates a limited
understanding that
Canada is a country of
many cultures
demonstrates a
sufficient
understanding that
Canada is a country of
many cultures
demonstrates
considerable
understanding that
Canada is a country of
many cultures
demonstrates an
excellent
understanding that
Canada is a country of
many cultures
identify the significant
features of various
family cultures
identifies a few of the
significant features of
various family cultures
identifies some of the
significant features of
various family cultures
identifies many of the
significant features of
various family cultures
identifies numerous
significant features of
various family cultures
identify ways in which
heritage and traditions
are passed on
identifies a few ways in
which heritage and
traditions are passed
on
identifies some ways in
which heritage and
traditions are passed
on
identifies many ways in
which heritage and
traditions are passed
on
identifies numerous
ways in which heritage
and traditions are
passed on
understand that the
world is made up of
countries with varying
lifestyles
demonstrates a limited
understanding that the
world is made up of
countries with varying
lifestyles
demonstrates a basic
understanding that the
world is made up of
countries with varying
lifestyles
demonstrates a strong
understanding that the
world is made up of
countries with varying
lifestyles
demonstrates an
exemplary
understanding that the
world is made up of
countries with varying
lifestyles
shares a few family
traditions with
members of the class
shares some family
traditions with
members of the class
shares many family
traditions with
members of the class
shares a wide variety
of family traditions with
members of the class
sometimes uses
appropriate vocabulary
usually uses
appropriate vocabulary
always uses
appropriate vocabulary
Communication
share family traditions
with members of the
class
rarely uses appropriate
use appropriate
vocabulary to describe vocabulary
inquiries and
observations