Title – The Importance of Tradition and History

By – Jeff Flowers

Primary Subject – Social Studies

Secondary Subjects – Language Arts, Other

Grade Level – 1-2

Book: London, Jonathan.

The Village Basket Weaver

. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1996.

Description: This activity is designed to help students understand the importance of tradition and culture. To help them better understand why we should not forget our past and culture but embrace it.

Time Required: 1 hr – 1.5 hrs

Goal: Students will have a better understanding and respect for traditional culture and keeping culture alive in the present day world.

Objectives: Students will be able to

• Be able to identify cultural or family secrets (recipes, arts and crafts, words and ways of speaking.) which has been passed down through the generations
  
• Identify why these aspects and traditions in their life as important
  
• Make his/her own basket filled with cultural or family secrets (or just anything they feel is important) that they do not want to forget or lose over time

Background Information: No background information is needed for this lesson plan. This activity can be used with students at lower or higher levels and helps the students explore aspects of their own and others lives which they may have never thought about.

Concepts: Students will be able to

1. identify traditions in family life and society

2. identify differences between cultures and ideas of other students

3. learn to respect the differences of others

4. understand the importance of history and tradition

Materials:

• Jonathan London’s
  
  The Village Basket Weaver
  
  (book)
  
• Scissors
  
• Copy paper with a large basket drawn on it
  
• Crayons

Procedure:

Teacher will:
1. Before reading story ask students if there is anything (traditions, games, concepts) they would not want to forget about or lose over time

2. Read story

3. After reading the story let children discuss why the village needed the tradition of basket weaving to continue.

4. Ask the students what they think would happen to the people of the village if they forgot how to make the basket and other traditions

5. Hand out paper with Basket outline on it along with scissors and crayons

6. Explain to children that they will be making their own basket and be putting one idea/tradition in it they do not want to lose or forget about

Children will:

1. Color basket first

2. Cut out basket

3. Write their personal tradition/ideas on the back of the basket

Assessment:

Students will present their basket to the class and explain why they chose what they did to place in the basket.

Teachers will hang the baskets when the school day is over, so the kids can see them when they return the next day, displaying their thoughts and values on their own traditions/ideas.

E-Mail

Jeff Flowers

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