Day+1

Introduction! Day 1
Before Unit: A week before the unit, students will bring home a newsletter that explains that parents are invited to the end of unit holiday celebration. The letter will also ask for shoe box donations.

Pre-assessment   Carpet/Meeting Time:

Pass around holiday objects to get students thinking and discussing.

 * ====Stocking====
 * ====Christmas tree====
 * ====Wreath====
 * Dashiki Vest
 * Menorah
 * Dreidel

==Show students pictures of three different families celebrating each holiday. Explain that people of all cultures celebrate holidays differently. The importance of holidays is to spend time with our families.==



Ask students what special things they do with their families during the holidays.
Weather:

===Pull up the calendar on the IWB board. Discuss what weather is like in December and during the holidays. Have students give answers and then allow a student to come up to the board and drag the picture of the type of weather that is decided on by the class onto the calendar for December. Discuss how a calendar is made up of months and a month is made up of days.===



Importance of Holidays:

Ask students why they think holidays are important. Explain that holidays are a time for families to come together and celebrate people of their past and their heritage.
Play Sesame Street video:

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Transition back to desks by playing music. Students will be asked to be in seats when the music is turned off! [[image:amusic.jpg width="64" height="63"]]
Activity:



Teacher will come around and tape the snowmen to the corners of each students table to remind them of the winter weather.
Accommodations for Gifted:

Students who finish early will be given time to look at books in the classroom or go to the library to check out books about the up coming holidays that will be taught.
Recap:


 * ===Weather===
 * ===Show the pictures of families celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa and remind the students that they will be learning about each holiday this week.===