We began celebrating the Holidays Around the World mini-unit this week. We compared decorations, foods, activities, and purpose for 8 different holidays.
We had a guest visitor come talk to us about Hanukkah yesterday. Mrs. Johnson taught students about the history of the holiday, its meaning, and the activities that families participate in during the celebration. She lit a menorah and taught students how to play dreidel. It is a tradition that while the candle is burning (usually for about 30 minutes) that people rest, play, or meditate. We chose to play.
In the book, Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat, we read about how latkes are made and of the many traditions of Hanukkah. The latkes were delicious! Your student will bring the recipe home tonight. They are quite easy to make and your child will love showing you how to make them.
Today we learned about the holiday of Kwanzaa, which is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. This holiday originated in 1966 in the United States and is a time for those whose ancestors came from Africa to rejoice in their values and honor their heritage. Here is a link to a website to learn more about Kwanzaa. Students gave their own definitions and examples for the seven principles of Kwanzaa. They shared ways they could use the Unity principle and the others in their own lives such as taking cookies to an elderly neighbor or having a friend over for a play date that they don’t normally spend time with outside of school.