Count on a Celebration!

Content Objectives

Children will:

• Learn about the concept of celebrations.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about traditions.
• Explore and apply the concept of the reasons why people celebrate.

Language Objectives

Children will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of celebrations.
• Orally use words that describe different kinds of celebrations.
• Extend oral vocabulary by talking about celebrations in their own families.
• Use key concept words [birthday, holiday, party, celebration, anniversary].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that children are going to learn about:
• What a celebration is.
• How we celebrate birthdays.
• How we celebrate national holidays.
• How people have different traditions.
• What an anniversary is.

Model

• After the host introduces the slideshow, point to the photo on screen. Ask children: What do you see in this picture? (children, balloons, children are dressed up). What might these children be going to celebrate? (answers will vary).
• Ask children: What is your favorite celebration? (answers will vary).
• Proceed to the next slide. Say: One special day we celebrate every year is our birthday. Why do you think we celebrate birthdays? (answers will vary).

Guided Practice

• Guide children through the next three slides, showing the different kinds of celebrations. Always have the children talk about traditions they have for celebrating that day.

Apply

• Have children play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask children to name other national holidays and how their families celebrate and help them learn more about the holidays they're interested in. After the second game, have them discuss whether they share the same traditions for those holidays.

Close

• Ask children: What new celebration would you like to create? Explain.
• Summarize for children that we have celebrations for special events in our own lives like birthdays and anniversaries. We also celebrate holidays for our country. Encourage children to think about what famous person in history should have a holiday named after them.