University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
UNIT 5: HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS IN MY COUNTRY
Contents: Holidays and celebrations in Costa Rica: The Holiday and Celebrations in Costa Rica-Date
Game.
Transversal theme: Human Rights Education for Democracy and Peace.
Functions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Exchanging information about national and international celebrations that are held in Costa Rica.
Talking about national and international holidays celebrated in our country as well.
Using basic classroom language.
Using months of the year and days of the week.
The Holiday and Celebrations in Costa Rica-Date Game
Activity 1
Function: Exchanging information about national and international celebrations and
holidays that are held in Costa Rica.
Content: Holidays and Celebrations in Costa Rica
Seating arrangement: In groups of five students.
Skills: Listening, speaking and reading.
MI: Verbal linguistic and interpersonal
Time: 30’
Materials: 40 Flashcards related to the holidays (Each holiday has five cards, i.e. eight
holidays in total), 8 flashcards related to the celebrations, 8 flashcards that function as the
answers to the names of the holidays, 8 flashcards that function as the answers to the
names of the celebrations, and a wall-chart representing the holiday and celebration dates
annually. Total of flashcards: 64.
Procedure:
1. Have the students in groups of five. The activity is designed for 40 students.
2. Give to them the printed material, i.e. a group of five flash cards (each of them shows
the clues to decipher just one holiday). Give to them an extra flashcard which
represents only one celebration; however, this one has a question and a clue to
decode what festivity it is talking about. The holiday is deciphered first and then
the celebration as a team.
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
3. Ask students to read the questions and answers according to the numbers in the
flashcards (one to five). The last flashcard to read is the one referring the celebration.
4. After reading each question and answer, ask the students to have a discussion to
decide which holiday the flashcards refer to.
5. Ask the students to answer the question which corresponds the celebration.
6. Once decided, ask the team to go to the board in order to read the flashcard one by
one. After this, the students will state the name of the holiday as well as name of the
celebration.
7. If the team answers correctly, give the members two flashcards meaning the answers
(one for the holiday and the other one for the celebration).
8. Invite them to put the two flashcards in the calendar according to the month when the
festivities are celebrated. The calendar has particular places to put the flashcards. At
the end, the calendar will describe each festivity according to the month.
9. Afterwards, gather the students in a semi-circle.
10. According to the activity, each of them will comment about his or her favorite holiday or
celebration.
11. Ask them why it is important for them and for the country as well.
Costa Rican Holidays and Celebrations
Activity 2
Function : Recognizing Costa Rican holidays and
celebrations.
Content: Holidays and celebrations dates and vocabulary.
Sitting arrangement : G
Skills : L/ S
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
MI: VL/ VS
Time: 30 minutes.
Materials: 2 puzzles of 9 pieces each. Handout 2
Procedure:
1. Write the following holidays celebrations on the board and have
the students listen to your pronunciation,

Independence Day

Culture encounter

Battle of Rivas

Nicoya’s party annexation Day

Virgin of Los Angeles’s Day

Traditional Masquerade
2. Have the class divided into 2 groups.
3. Have the puzzle-pieces in 2 different stacks.
4. Assigned a puzzle to each team.
5. A representative of each team will take turns to take a puzzle-piece.
6. Read aloud (for the students) the information in the back side of
the puzzle-piece
7. Have the team guess the holiday or celebration accordingly.
8. If any member of the team guesses correctly, they can post that
piece on the puzzle.
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
HANDOUT 2
October 31
We celebrate cultural diversity
We decórate work places,houses
and houses with nationalsymbols
We remember courage and
bravery of many Costa
Ricans in 1956 campaign
We remember when CR
embraced a new province
July 25
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
People walk to Cartago
April 11
Rivas Battle
Nicoya´s Party
Annexation
There are “cimarronas” and
typical dances
Traditional
Masquerade
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
we remember the arrival of
Christopher Columbus
October 12
We remember when CR
embraced a new province
We remember our National Hero
Juan Santamaría
We attend a school meeting and
go to parades
September 15
Catholics honor and make
promises to the Virgin
August 2
There are cimarronas and typical
dances
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
Virgin of Los
Angeles’Day
Independence
Day
Culture
Encounter
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical
University of Costa Rica/ MEP/ TCU-501
Fifth Grade
______________________________________________________________
I: Individual, G: Groups, R: Rows, P: Pairs, W: Whole class, C: Circle Hmwk:
Homework
L: Listening, S: Speaking, R: Reading
VL: Verbal Linguistic, Inter: Interpersonal, Intra: Intrapersonal, LM: Logical Mathematical,
VS: Visual Spatial, N: Naturalistic, B: Bodily, M: Musical