This document provides information about a lesson plan for 4th grade students on holiday traditions. It describes the students' demographics and learning styles. The lesson objectives are for students to learn about different holiday traditions through shadowbox presentations by students and a teacher slideshow. Students will then research an assigned holiday in groups and present their findings. The teaching methods include individual presentations, a teacher lecture, and group work. Students will be evaluated on their shadowbox presentation and group research assignment.

1. Stone 1
Madison Stone
CI 350- 103
Analyze Learners:
General Characteristics
This unit is intended for fourth grade students who are average learners. The boy to girl ratio is
fairly even, with there being eleven girls and nine boys. Most of the students are white, but
there are two African Americans in the classroom. Along with those two children, there are two
Muslim children and three Jewish children. The children’s ages range from eight to ten.
Entry Competencies
The eighth graders have received prior knowledge in:
1. Basic research
2. Keyboarding
3. MS Word and PowerPoint
4. Average reading level of at least third grade
Learning Styles:
The students enjoy working together in groups, usually with a hands on approach. The students
enjoy using different types of media. Generally, students do not like to test, and would rather
do a project or oral presentation.
State Objectives

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1. Students will learn about different Holiday traditions, especially the traditions
celebrated by different religions and ethnicities.
2. Students will be given a day in class to bring in a shadow box made from a shoe box or
whatever type of used box the students can obtain (the teacher will have some for
students who cannot get one) of their favorite Holiday to start off the lesson. The box
should include three things that remind the student of the Holiday, and they will need
to present the box in front of the class. Each box should be decorated for the Holiday
season.
3. After the shadow box presentation, the teacher will begin her lesson on Holiday
traditions. The lesson will start with a slideshow of pictures and music of different
Holiday traditions around the world, specifically Christmas, Hanukah, Ramadan, and
Kwanzaa. The teacher will discuss the different types of foods eaten during the Holidays.
4. The teacher will break the class into groups of four.
5. Each group of four will be given an assignment to do simple, fairly informal research on
a Holiday that wasn’t mentioned during the class shadow box presentations or the
teacher’s presentation.
6. The following day, the entire class will go to the school computer lab for the research
assignment. Each group must find a Holiday that interest them, write it down, and
include three interesting facts. The students are permitted to use the following websites
as a research tool: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/holidays-sampler-
around-world
http://www.worldholidaytraditions.com/

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7. Once back in the classroom, each group will present their favorite holiday tradition to
the class. The presentation should include the name of the Holiday, a photo
representing the Holiday, and the three interesting facts that the group found.
Select Methods, Media, and Materials
The teaching methods chosen range from individual student presentations, a slideshow lesson
from the teacher, and a group research assignment that ends with a short group presentation.
The media that will be used is the use of an LCD projector, some sort of video editor for the
Holiday slideshow and music, and a computer lab. The teacher will also use MSWord to print
out the guidelines and instructions for the individual presentation and group assignment. The
students will use a printer in the computer lab to print the photo of the Holiday, but the
student will not be able to print until getting permission from the teacher. The teacher will
make sure the photo is appropriate before granting access.
Utilize Media and Materials
Preview the Materials
The teacher previews the shadow boxes before allowing the students to present them. The
teacher also previews the slideshow before the lesson to make sure all of the pictures are
showing and that the music is playing in the background. The teacher will preview the group’s
assignment for allowing a presentation.
Prepare the Materials

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The teacher prepares the Word documents for the handouts, the slideshow, lesson about
foods, and a rubric for grading the presentations.
Prepare the Environment
The teacher will group the students accordingly. There will be a computer lab for use, and a
quiet environment for the students to present.
Prepare the Learner
The teacher will go over the objectives and outlines for every assignment. The teacher will help
the students with any computer related issues in the computer lab. The teacher will make sure
that the students are working constructively.
Provide the Learning Experience
The teacher provides the introductory materials, handouts, supervision, and assistance.
Require Learner Participation
The students will have to actively participate in the lesson in order to receive a grade. The
participation in the lesson includes bringing a shadowbox to class, respectively to the fellow
students present their box, providing feedback after presentations, and doing the equal
amount of work in the groups. The teacher walks around the room to ensure the students are
working equally together.
Evaluate and Revise
The following will be used to evaluate the students’ knowledge:

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1. Shadowbox Presentation (50 points)
2. Group Research Assignment (50 points)
Evaluation of Media and Methods
Rather than a total grade for the group, each individual student will receive a grade for the
assignment depending on how much work the teacher witnessed the student doing. The
teacher will evaluate that on the level of participation from the student. This lesson will take
place over the course of three days.