Title – Creating Holiday Fun for Children

By – Christine Miller

Subject – Child Development, Christmas

Grade Level – 9th – 12th grade

Creating Holiday Fun for Children

The students in Child Care/Development will:

(1) Become aware of the history and cultural traditions associated with different holidays.

(2) Describe age appropriate activities (arts and crafts) for children one to five years of age.

(3) Identify food recipes/ ideas for a “holiday” theme.

(4) Identify a song or game (age appropriate) based on a “holiday” theme.

Materials:

Computer with Internet access and printer

Procedures:

– Explain that the class is going to “Publish” a resource of information that families/ caregivers could access for ideas on celebrating or establishing traditions for different holidays. This resource would be in the form of a booklet and would include a history of the holiday and age appropriate activities for children from one to 5 years old. Discuss the process of acquiring information and plagiarism/ copyright.

– Student teams are set up. Through negotiation the students will choose the holiday to research, assign roles (editor, proofreader and recorder) and negotiate the jobs. The requirements for the “resource” (objectives) are displayed. Guidelines for writing footnotes and bibliographies are distributed to the teams. The teacher will facilitate and coach if necessary.

– Students access the web to “e-pal” with a student from another country – discuss traditions of the holiday/exchange recipe or craft idea. Provide students with URLs of sites to visit (Use keywords “Holiday” and “Crafts” to make a list). Record/ print out information for age appropriate ideas for children and information on the “history”/ traditions of the holiday.

– Collaborate as a group and class – share resources, compose / proofread descriptions of holiday traditions. Discuss / sketch idea for use on the cover of booklet.

– Use Microsoft Word and Paint to create the pages/content.

Closure:

Peer evaluation by other groups and revision (if necessary).

Self- evaluation (strengths/weaknesses of group dynamics and format of project). The teacher will facilitate and coach if necessary.

Evaluation:

Check for: Completeness of project (booklet)

Age appropriateness of activities

Resources cited

Supporting Web Information:

http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/Articles/Harris-Copyright.html

Article, “Copyright Issues on the Web”

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/8866/7footnot.html

” A Research Guide for Students”

http://www.epals.com ePals Classroom exchange

http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/kids_crafts “Kids Crafts” (holiday ideas and links to a discussion

forum, chat room)

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/ “Kids Domain Craft Exchange”

http://pages.ivillage.com/pp/wheres2ndgear “Where’s 2nd gear Craft and Recipe Swap”

http://www.members.home.net/leannee/holidays.html “Holiday Crafts”

http://kidexchange.miningco.com/library/blholidays.htm “Holidays At Kid’s Exchange”

http://www.noblenet.org/year.htm “Through the Year Holidays and Celebrations”

http://www.glorysite.com “Gloria’s Creative Ideas”

E-Mail

Christine

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