Holidays around the World
2nd grade students at Brentwood Elementary spent the last couple of days before their holiday break rotating to different classrooms learning about winter holidays around the world. Mrs. Emily Baker and her fellow 2nd grade teaching team feel it is important that students become more aware of cultures around the world as our “world gets smaller.” Teachers used interactive learning activities to demonstrate various traditions of other cultures.
Germany
(Mrs. Edwards)
“The country that we studied was Germany. We talked about how some of their traditions are similar to those celebrated in the United States. The students learned three German words: Guten Tag=hello, Tannenbaum=Christmas tree, and Stollen=fruit cake. They learned that the Christmas tree originated in Germany, and that people hide a pickle ornament so that someone can find it for a year of good luck. Finally, they used Tanagram pieces to figure out how to make a Christmas tree. ”
Chinese New Year
(Mrs. Henry)
“Through literature and video, the students learned about some of the customs and traditions of the Chinese New Year. Then the students created their own dragons since dragons are a symbol of good luck in the Chinese culture.”
Kwanzaa
(Mrs. Baker)
“In my room students were learning about Kwanzaa. Students made a straw mat which is used during the Kwanzaa celebration. Students read books about the African culture and traditions associated with this holiday.”
Hanukkah
(Mrs. Carmichael)
“Students learned about Hanukkah. We compared and contrasted Hanukkah with Christmas. Then we made a card.”
Feliz Navidad
(Mrs. Gootee)
"We studied Christmas in Mexico. We used our Promethean Board to look at some of the customs that are different from those in the United States. We then read the book The Legend of the Poinsettia and made paper flowers for the students to take home. Of course we also included a spirited singing of Feliz Navidad!"