The document describes a lesson plan for teaching 4th grade students about various winter holiday traditions. There are 20 students total, ranging in age from 8 to 10 years old. The lesson plan involves students watching short videos, doing arts and crafts, singing songs, and creating a scrapbook to document their learning about the key concepts and traditions of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan. Activities will include making a Christmas tree, menorah, mkeka (African mat), and lantern. The teacher will evaluate students based on their participation in activities and the completion of their scrapbooks to show their understanding of the different holidays.

1. Nathaniel Searls
Analyze Learners
General Characteristics
The students whom this lesson is attended for are 4th
graders learning holiday traditions. The students
range in age from 8 to 10 years. There are 20 students total, 11 girls and 9 boys. Most of the students are
Christian however there are 2 Muslims, 3 Jewish, and 2 African Americans. These students celebrate
different holidays for their particular ethnicity.
Entry Competencies
The 4th
graders are able to do the following:
 Form literate and complete sentences.
 Use various tools associated in arts and crafts.
 Discuss various topics in classroom discussions.
 Participate in various activities such as singing, writing, and discussion.
 Work in a group.
Learning Styles
The students dislike using a textbook or listening to long lectures. Using a textbook is a waste because
most of the students will more than likely not read it. Lectures are also a bad idea because the students
just become bored and you lose their attention. As 4th
graders,they like to do hands-on activities and
participate in discussions themselves. Implementing activates into the lesson and having the students
participate in classroom discussions is the only way to keep their attention so that they can learn these
holiday traditions.
State Objectives
The objective for this lesson is as follows:
1. My students will identify the key concepts and traditions of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,and
Ramadan by watching short videos, doing arts and crafts,and singing songs for each holiday
tradition that will be collected into a scrapbook at the end of December with 80% accuracy.
Select Methods, Media, and Materials
The teacher first selects a teaching method, followed by materials and equipment that are available at the
school. He also uses materials found at local supply stores and modifies them for classroom use. The
method he chooses to use is classroom discussions and activities developed in large and small groups that
will be documented into a scrapbook.
 Short Videos. The teacher needs a way to show the class what each holiday tradition is about and
their key concepts. He will use a short video for each of the fours holiday traditions to introduce
these key concepts. These videos will need to be ordered online or borrowed from the local
library.

2. Nathaniel Searls
 Arts Supplies. The teacher needs a way to demonstrate some of the basic objects found in each
holiday tradition. He will do this by using art supplies to construct some crafts representing each
holiday tradition. These art supplies can be bought at the local arts and crafts store.
 Holiday CDs and YouTube.The teacher needs a way to discuss how holiday songs differ between
each tradition. He will accomplish this by using holiday CDs and videos from YouTube. The
holiday CDs can be found at the teacher’s home and the YouTube videos can be easily accessible
online at the school.
 Scrapbook Supplies. The teacher needs a way to determine if his students have met their
objectives for the class. He will use a scrapbook to catalog all of their projects completed in the
class. This way his students have a way to show that they can identify the key concepts and
traditions of each holiday.
Utilize Media and Materials
Previewthe Materials
The teacher previews the short videos, listens to the songs, does each craft,and completes his own
scrapbook as an example to show the students.
Prepare the Materials
The teacher gathers and organizes all of his videos and CDs for classroom use. He puts each activity in its
own canister so that it is ready when the activity is assigned.
Prepare the Environment
Since most of the lesson is classroom discussion, the teacher arranges the student’s desks into four small
groups consisting of five seats. This will even out the class so that they can have small-group discussions
before each classroom discussion. This also helps stay organized when they do the arts and crafts section
of the lesson. The teacher sets up a projector in the middle of the room so that he can show each video to
the students. The teacher will make sure the projector is working and each student can see the video from
his/her chair.
Prepare the Learners
To prepare the students, the teacher explains the overall lesson plan and objective of the lesson. He shows
them his scrapbook as an example of what is to be completed. The teacher gives the rubric to each student
and previews each activity with his examples. He makes sure every students understands each activity and
answers any questions.
Provide the Learning Experience
The teacher presents each activity as followed:
 Short Videos. Have the students watch the short videos for each holiday tradition. After each
video is over, have a class discussion on what are the key concepts and traditions for that
particular holiday tradition. Have the students write a short paragraph about each holiday tradition
on a sheet of paper. These paragraphs will be graded and implemented into each student’s
scrapbook.
 Art Supplies. The teacher will have the students to use the art supplies to construct crafts
representing each holiday tradition. The students will construct a Christmas tree for Christmas, a

3. Nathaniel Searls
Menorah for Hanukkah, an Mkeka for Kwanzaa,and a lantern for Ramadan. Participation in
making these craft will be counted as a grade and pictures of them will be implemented into each
students’ scrapbook.
[Christmas tree craft, 2015] [Menorah craft, 2015] [Mkeka craft, 2015] [Ramadan lantern craft, 2015]
 Holiday CDs and YouTube. The teacher will play a CD or YouTube video of a popular song sung
in each holiday. “Ol’ Christmas Tree” will be sung for Christmas, “I Have a Little Dreidel” will
be sung for Hanukkah, the Kwanzaa Song will be sung for Kwanzaa,and a Ramadan Song for
Ramadan. Students will get a grade for participating in singing the songs. Students will also need
to write their own songs for each holiday using the songs they sung as a reference. These made-
up songs will be implemented into the scrapbook.
 Scrapbook Supplies. The teacher will have every student construct a scrapbook at the beginning
of the month. As the students complete and participate in each activity, they will have something
to put in their scrapbook. At the end of the month, each student will have a completed scrapbook
filled with various forms of material representing the key concepts and traditions of each holiday.
This scrapbook will be graded and able to take home so that the students can share with family
and friends what they learned about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,and Ramadan.
Require Learner Participation
Large-Group Activities
The students will have to sing each of the songs as a group. The class will discuss as a group some of the
songs and how they relate to that particular holiday tradition. The students will talk about the style of
instruments and how the works differ from their normally celebrated holiday tradition. The students will
then work on creating their own versions of that holiday song.
Small-Group Activities
The students will be divided up into small groups when they work on their arts and crafts. They will help
each other in constructing the proper object for its corresponding holiday tradition. After they are
completed, each small-group will write a short summery on how their object relates to the holiday and
read it to their classmates. The students will also be put in small-groups when they watch each short
video. Each small group will discuss some of the key concepts and traditions of the holiday and then use
those in-group discussions in the large-group discussion.
Evaluate and Revise
Assessment ofLearner Achievement

4. Nathaniel Searls
The following rating form is used to evaluate students’ knowledge of holiday traditions in the month of
December. The form is to be used as a rubric to show the students accuracy in completing the lesson.
Song Participation (20 points)
 Did the student participate in singing each of the holiday songs?
 Did the student complete a version of their own song?
Arts and Crafts (20 points)
 Did the student construct a craft for each holiday tradition?
 Did the student help other classmates in his/her small-group?
 Did the student participate in his/her small-group discussion?
Video Discussion (20 points)
 Did the student participate in his/her small-group discussion?
 Did the student’s small-group present to the class what they had discussed as a group?
 Did the student write a short paragraph on the key concepts and traditions of each holiday?
Scrapbook (40 points)
 Did the student create a scrapbook to collect his/her projects throughout the month?
 Does the scrapbook have a name?
 Does the scrapbook have a short paragraph on each holiday tradition?
 Does the scrapbook have evidence of a completed craft for each holiday tradition?
 Does the scrapbook have the student’s made-up song for each holiday tradition?
Evaluation of Media and Methods
The successfully evaluate the media and methods utilized, the teacher examines and discusses the
students responses and projects after each activity. The teacher will spend a majority of his time
conducting and listening to classroom discussions. The teacher will supervise the students as they work
on their projects and provide assistance when needed.
Evaluation of Overall Instruction
The teacher will write down what he liked about the lesson and what he thought he could improve. Each
student will take this survey and the teacher will compare these answers with his for future improvement
on the lesson.
References for Images:
[Untitled photograph of a Christmas tree craft]. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from:
http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fam-tree1.jpg
[Untitled photograph of a Menorah craft]. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from:
http://planetforward.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Paper-Plate-Menorah-Eco-friendly-
Craft.jpg
[Untitled photograph of a Mkeka craft]. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from:
http://cdn.tristro.net/uploads/ideas/full/Mkeka-Place-Mat.jpg

5. Nathaniel Searls
[Untitled photograph of a Ramadan lantern craft]. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from:
http://www.familyholiday.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Ramadan-Lantern-Craft-Ideas-For-
Kids_011.jpg