Holidays and Observances

New Year’s Day (January 1st)

Groundhog Day (February 2nd)

Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year, January/February)

Valentine’s Day (February 14th)

St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th)

Earth Day (April 22nd)

Easter (March 22nd–April 25th)

Arbor Day (last Friday of April)

Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday in May)

Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June)

Canada Day (July 1st)

Independence Day (July 4th)

Halloween (October 31st)

Thanksgiving (2nd Mon in October, 4th Thurs in November)

Remembrance Day (November 11th )

Christmas (December 25th)

Thanksgiving

Level: Beginner- IntermediateAims: Learn about the origins of Thanksgiving and traditional foods in North AmericaMaterials: handout, copies of Thanksgiving History

Vocabulary:

England, English, North America, Indians, ship, die-died, traditional, turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, bread, wine, butter, pumpkin pie, buns, eat-ate

Steps:

1. Preparation: Photocopy “Thanksgiving History” page twice, making 6 separate copies of the paragraph.

2. Distribute handout and introduce topic by asking students when Thanksgiving is in Canada/ United States and Korea. Look on the map and tell the students that the map shows continents. Explain the difference between countries and continents. Ask questions to be sure they understand, “What continent is Korea in?”, “Name 2 countries in North America”, etc.

3. Have 5 or 6 groups of students sit together for a dictation race. Put the “Thanksgiving History” on the board in 6 separate areas. Assign each team to an area on the board. One by one in their groups, they must run to the board, memorize a sentence and run back to dictate it to their team. They cannot write it down on their hand and they cannot shout the answer from the board! They can go back and

forth as often as needed. When a team has successfully finished, read the paragraph together and explain any necessary vocabulary.

4. Talk about the meaning of Thanksgiving and ask the students what they are most thankful for in life. They should write their answers down on the handout. 5. Using the picture as a guide, talk about traditional Thanksgiving food in North America. You may have to explain how things are made and what ingredients go in them. What traditional food do Koreans eat on Chuseok?

6. What am I? Have students guess which food you are. Make the descriptions more difficult if your kids are higher level.

a) You cut me into slices. I am delicious with butter or jam. b) I am made of grapes. Only adults can drink me.c) I am yellow and sweet. I am a vegetable.d) My cousin is a chicken.e) I am a vegetable, but I am also a dessert.f) I am yellow and I come from cream.g) I sit inside the turkey.h) I am a brown and delicious sauce. I taste good with meat.I) I am hard before I am cooked, but I am soft after I am cooked.j) I am small and round. I look like a woman’s hairstyle!

7. Where am I? Looking at the picture have the students tell you where each item is on the table (in, on, under, next to, left, right).

8. Memory Game: “At My Thanksgiving Dinner”Rules: *Each team has 10 seconds to answer in unison. *They cannot write the answers.

*If a team is wrong 3 times, they are out of the game

On September 6th, 1620, people from England went to North America. They traveled on a ship for 65 days. The weather was very cold and rainy, so many people got sick and died. There were many Indians who lived in North America for a long time. They helped the English grow corn. They also helped them build houses. The English were very thankful to the Indians, so they invited them to a big dinner. Nowadays, people have a big dinner in Autumn to say thank you. People say thank you for good health, good friends, and good family!

On September 6th, 1620, people from England went to North America. They traveled on a ship for 65 days. The weather was very cold and rainy, so many people got sick and died. There were many Indians who lived in North America for a long time. They helped the English grow corn. They also helped them build houses. The English were very thankful to the Indians, so they invited them to a big dinner. Nowadays, people have a big dinner in Autumn to say thank you. People say thank you for good health, good friends, and good family!

_______________________________________________________

On September 6th, 1620, people from England went to North America. They traveled on a ship for 65 days. The weather was very cold and rainy, so many people got sick and died. There were

many Indians who lived in North America for a long time. They helped the English grow corn. They also helped them build houses. The English were very thankful to the Indians, so they invited them to a big dinner. Nowadays, people have a big dinner in Autumn to say thank you. People say thank you for good health, good friends, and good family!

Histo ry On _______ 6th, 1620, people from ______ went to ________. They traveled on a _____ for_____ days. The weather was very ______ and _______, so many people got _____ and ______. There were many Indians who lived in North America for a ____time. They _____ the ______ grow _____. They also helped them build _______. The English were very thankful to the ________, so they invited them to a big _______. Nowadays, people have a big dinner in _______ to say thank you. People say thank you for good ________, good ________, and good _________!

What Are You Thankful For?:

Thanksgiving Dinner: Traditional Food in North America

1. turkey 6. bread 2. corn 7. wine 3. mashed potatoes 8. butter

4. stuffing 9. pumpkin pie 5. gravy 10. buns

Memory Game: At My Thanksgiving Dinner

Team 1. “ At My Thanksgiving Dinner I ate turkey.”

Team 2. “At my Thanksgiving Dinner I ate turkey and corn. ”

Team 3. “At my Thanksgiving Dinner I ate turkey, corn and mashed potatoes. ”

Team 4. “At my Thanksgiving Dinner I ate turkey, corn, mashed potatoes and stuffing …… .. ”

Thanksgiving Word Scramble

Level: High Beginner-AdvancedAims: Learn Thanksgiving vocabulary, spellingMaterials: Print outs of each word

Vocabulary:

Pilgrims, stuffing, pumpkins, scarecrow, cornucopia, pumpkin pie, corn squash, roast turkey, Thanksgiving, mashed potato, football game, holiday feast

Steps:

1. Make four groups of eight or nine students to unscramble the words.

2. Make individual letter sheets for each of the word groups.

3. Hand one word to each team. Each team will have one word to unscramble.

4. The students hold the letters in front of them and try to figure out

what the word is. Then they line up with the letters in the right order and raise they’re letters for the teacher to see the finished word. The first group to be correct wins.

THANKSGIVING WORD SCRAMBLE

Make four groups of eight or nine students to unscramble the words. Make individual letter sheets for each of the word groups.

Hand out to the teams.

Round One 8 or 9 Letters

PilgrimsStuffing

PumpkinsScarecrow

Round Two 10 or 11 Letters

CornucopiaPumpkin pieCorn squashRoast turkey

Round Three 12 Letters

Thanksgiving

Mashed potatoFootball gameHoliday feast

Halloween (History + Make a Jack O ’ Lantern)

Level: Intermediate-Advanced –Adult

Time: 1 to 1.5 hours

Expectations: 1. Students will understand the cultural roots of Halloween.

2. Students will learn a variety of new vocabulary for Halloween and everyday life.3. Students will learn how to make a Jack O’ Lantern.

Materials: Worksheet, newspapers, large knife, plastic bag, spoons, and candle

Vocabulary:

Trick-or-treat(ing) Sweets Haunted houseTossed Ember Hollowed outRoam(ed) Turnip GourdsBeets Carve out InsidesPorch

Procedure:

1. Ask the students what they already know about Halloween and discuss.

2. Read the article and talk about Halloween in the native teacher’s homeland and in Korea.

3. Read the directions for how to make a Jack O’ Lantern.4. Make a Jack O’ Lantern. 5. Take a picture with you and your co-teachers!

History of Halloween

Halloween is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other treats. Apart from this trick-or-treating, there are many other traditional Halloween activities.

Some of these include costume parties, watching horror films, going to “haunted” houses and traditional autumn activities such as hayrides .

Halloween originated as a Pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain with Irish, Scots, Welsh and other immigrants transporting versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th century. Most other Western countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture in the late 20th century.

Halloween is celebrated in most parts of the Western world, most commonly in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and with increasing popularity in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Philippines. In recent years, Halloween has also been celebrated in parts of Western Europe, such as Belgium, France and Spain (Wikipedia, 2006).

History of the Jack O' Lantern

The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O' Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O' Lantern was not a pumpkin. The Jack O 'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack quickly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the Devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.

Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the gates of heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to hell. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave because there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell. Jack put the ember in a hollowed out turnip. From that day on, Stingy Jack roamed the earth, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O' Lantern".

On All Hallows Eve (Halloween), the Irish hollowed out turnips, gourds ( 박 ) , potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to keep evil spirits and Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O' Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out.

Adaptations:

Turn this class into a simple, cooking type class. Teach your students 10 to 15 words needed to make a Jack O’Lantern, demonstrate how to

do it, step by step, with the students repeating key words as you do them (ex. CUT, SCOOP, Etc) then have the students do it. Walk around and ask them what they are doing. At the end of the class, ask for a volunteer to come to the front and explain what they did (prize is necessary).

By Roberta T. Stanley

How to make a Jack O’ Lantern:

1. First, cut a circle out of the top of the pumpkin. This circle will be the lid for the lantern. Make sure to cut the lid on an angle.

2. Next, clean out the pumpkin by scooping out all of the insides with a spoon.

3. Then, you can draw a design on the outside of your pumpkin. Most people usually make a design of a scary face. Next, carve out your design.

4.

Finally, put a candle in your pumpkin and put the lid on the pumpkin. You can put your Jack O’ Lantern on your porch on Halloween Day.

Remembrance Day

Level: Beginner-Intermediate Aims: Learn about Remembrance Day and the custom of wearing a poppyMaterials: handout, red paper, green paper, scissors and small pins

Vocabulary:remember, war, soldiers, poppy, blood, fight-fought, heart, fold, pin, half, draw, cut, wear, left, find, missile, airplane, maple leaf, gun, tank, ship, helmet, in, on, under,

next to, back

Steps:1. Preparation: Cut out small (2 by 2) squares of red paper. There should be enough to give 2 to each student. For each group of 4, provide 2 pairs of scissors, 4 pins and a piece of green paper.

2. Write Remembrance Day on the board. Ask the students what the word “remember” means and tell them that Remembrance Day is a day to remember something. Let them guess what it is, and then briefly explain that it is a day to remember soldiers who fought in the war. Ask them when Korean “Remembrance Day” is and what they do on that day.

3. Distribute the handout. Tell the students that in North America people wear poppies on Remembrance Day. Have them answer the questions on the handout, “What is a poppy?” (a flower), “Why is it red?” (color of blood), and “Why do people wear it on the left side of their shirt?” (near the heart).

4. Make poppies using the handout as a guide. Review the vocabulary to be sure they understand the instructions given. Make a demonstration poppy first to explain the steps. When you fold the

square into a triangle, be sure that you fold it on the center of the paper. Don’t cut the side that is folded, or your poppy will fall apart! Good Luck!!

What is a poppy? ____________ Why is it red? ____________________

Why do people wear it on the left side of their shirt?_________________

Let ’ s Make a Poppy! 1. Fold: ___________ 4. Cut: _____________2. Half: __________ 5. Put: _____________3. Draw: __________ 6. Wear: ____________

1. FOLD 2 red papers in HALF. 2. FOLD them in half again!3. MAKE a triangle (fold on the center).

4. DRAW a big line on one triangle.

5. DRAW a small line on the other triangle.

6. CUT the lines and open the paper.

7. PUT the small paper on the big paper.

8. CUT a small green circle.9. PUT the green circle in

the middle of the flower.10.WEAR your poppy on

the left side with a pin!

Find these things

in the picture:1. missile 2. airplane 3. poppy 4. maple

leaf5. gun 6. tank 7. two ships 8.

helmet

(lamp, table, box, hair, small door, hair, chair, shirt, table, box)

1. The ________ is on the woman’s ____________.2. The ________ is in the woman’s ____________.3. The ________ is under the _________ __________.4. The ________ is on the __________________.5. The ________ ________is in the __________________.6. The ________ are under the _______ and next to the _______.7. The ________ is on the _____________.

8. The _________ is on the back of the ____________.We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Level: Beginner-IntermediateAims: Learn about the origins of Christmas, sing a carol and brainstorm adjectives to make Christmas messages on ornamentsMaterials: handout, music for ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’, green garland, colored paper, markers, scissors, tape

Vocabulary:

Carol, traditional, modern, carolers, merry, good tidings, bring, kin, figgy pudding, dessert, cup of good cheer, ornament, decorate

Steps:

1. Preparation: Buy a long strand of green garland to make the outline of a Christmas tree, or cut out a Christmas tree shape from a large piece of green paper. Cut small (3 by 3) squares of colored paper (one for each student) to make ornaments to decorate the tree. Keep this aside for later!

Part I: Singing a carol

1. Write Merry Christmas on the board and ask the students to tell you words associated with Christmas. Eventually one of them should hit, “Carols”. Tell the students that there are 2 kinds of carols- traditional carols (old) and modern carols (new). Differentiate the difference between traditional and modern things through Korean examples (Hanbok is traditional clothing, but jeans are modern). Once they seem to catch your drift, ask them which of these carols is traditional (We Wish you a Merry Christmas) and which is modern

(Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer).

2. Distribute the handout and explain the meaning of the song, helping them understand some Christmas traditions in western culture. Tell them that Christmas carols were sung by groups of people called “carolers” who used to go to houses and sing songs for money or food (like figgy pudding).

a) carol: “song of joy” (What is joy?)b) merry: an old word for “happy”c) good tidings: “good news” (What’s the good news?…a baby was born! Who?)d) bring: e) kin: familyf) figgy pudding: traditional dessert from Englandg) cup of good cheer: cheer=happiness, so.. what makes adults happy? Alcohol!

3. Play the tune and have the students sing along. Make sure that the version you use corresponds to the lyrics on the handout. To be fool proof, use a midi file on the computer (http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/2510/) **the long version is better.

Part II: Making Ornaments1. Show them examples of Christmas ornaments, or have them think about Christmas images (star, angel, ball, tree, stocking, sleigh, Santa). They should write a message modeled on “We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” If your co-teacher is there, have him/her explain to the students what an adjective is. The students should be able to identify the adjectives in the phrase “We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”, and replace them with new adjectives for their ornament message. You can help them think of adjectives by showing them pictures of things and describing them. Using the adjectives they brainstormed, write example messages on the board such as: We wish you a funny Christmas and a fantastic New Year.

While they are making their ornaments, put the tree outline up on the classroom wall and hang the ornaments as they finish. Play some Christmas music to get them into the spirit!

We Wish You A Merry ChristmasWe wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer.

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We won't go until we get some;

We won't go until we get some;

We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here.

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Holidays around the World

Level: Advanced

Expectations: 1. Students communicate ORALLY in groups. 2. Students learn about other cultures and holidays.

Materials: World holiday worksheet, country holiday worksheets, projector.

Vocabulary:

Holiday related words from 8 different countries/cultures.

Procedure:

1. Warm-up 1: Brainstorming holiday words on the board.2. Warm-up 2: Visual images of Christmas (printed pictures or from

the computer), but toss in a few images from around the world…example: African-American Santa Claus, Santa on a surfboard,

Santa on a camel and ask where these images are from. Since Chanukah is in this activity, you can show them a menorah and a star of David. Images are readily available on the internet.

3. Hand out the worksheet.4. On your projector, show the “Canada” text (the one with the

highlighted words) or simply provide handouts and demonstrate how to fill in the worksheet grid. Do the Korea line yourselves (no handout necessary). By the way, nobody eats turkey for Christmas in Korea, but they do eat cake.

5. Separate the class into 7 groups. Each group has a different country worksheet to read. For visual support, you can also make up a page of color images to go with each countries information, which they should be used to doing in class.

6. In each country group, assign A-B-C-D. Now, all the A’s get together, all the B’s, etc. This should reunite one student from each country together. Now, they need to ORALLY share (NOT COPYING) the information so that everyone’s grid is filled in correctly.

7. Correct together as a class.8. If time permits, have a quick game or something (which country

celebrates on December 5th? Which holidays are not about Christmas?)

Holidays Around the World: AUSTRALIA

Instructions: Read the text; You should take notes about the following information:

When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

We like to think about Christmas during the winter, when it is cold. But, in some parts of the world, Christmas comes during the summer, when it is very very hot. Australia is a place like this.

On December 25, Australians enjoy their Christmas holiday at the beach! They do not eat turkey, instead, they eat seafood cooked on a BBQ. For activities, they will go surfing, or play cricket (a special sport that is similar to baseball).

Some of the Christmas traditions, like hanging up a Christmas stocking for Santa Claus, are the same as the USA and Canada. But, Santa Claus arrives in a sleigh that is pulled by the “Six White Boomers” or six white kangaroos!

Holidays Around the World: CANADA

Instructions: Read the text;

You should take notes about the following information: When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

Christmas in Canada is very important. Everyone loves Christmas because most offices and schools are closed for the whole week – this means that it is a big holiday and nobody works all week.

The main celebration is on December 24 and 25. On these days, Canadian families get together to eat delicious turkey, potatoes and lots of different kinds of cookies.

On December 24, children hang up Christmas stockings. In the night, Santa Claus will arrive in his sleigh pulled by reindeer to deliver presents to good boys and girls. Family members also give each other gifts.

It is a very special time for all Canadians.

Holidays Around the World: CHANUKAH

Instructions: Read the text; You should take notes about the following information:

When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

Chanukah is a Jewish tradition. It is more than 2,000 years old. A long time ago, the Syrians invaded and occupied the Jewish lands. They destroyed the temples and tried to force the Jewish people to change their traditions and their culture. Judah and his brothers fought against the Syrians for three years. Finally, they took back the most important temple: The Temple of Jerusalem.

Jews celebrate Chanukah to mark the victory of the Jewish people over the Syrian invaders. The Festival of Lights, Chanukah, lasts for eight days; this year, it will be celebrated from December 16 to December 24.

In America, families celebrate Chanukah at home. They exchange gifts with friends and family, play with a dreidel, and eat special food like potato latkes (pancakes). Every day, they light one candle on the menorah – one for each day in this Festival of Lights.

Holidays Around the World: ITALY

Instructions: Read the text; You should take notes about the following information:

When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

In Italy, there are two special holidays around Christmas.Italian families decorate their homes with statues of Joseph,

Mary and Jesus. They believe that Jesus brings presents on December 25 and that he rides on a camel!

Italians love to eat lots of delicious food. At Christmas, they enjoy eating dried fruit and nuts with their espresso.

Usually, we think that witches come around at Halloween. In Italy, the Befana is a good witch who visits children on January 6. She flies in through the chimney of the house, and brings them many presents.

Holidays Around the World: GERMANY

Instructions: Read the text; You should take notes about the following information:

When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

In Germany, there is a tradition of the Christ Kinde (Baby Jesus). On the night of December 5, you should put your boots outside the door of your house. If you were good all year, Christ Kinde will arrive on his white horse and fill up your boots with fruit, nuts and chocolate. If you have been a bad boy or bad girl, Christ Kinde will leave a stick so

that your parents can spank you! Sometimes, children leave a piece of bread for Christ Kinde’s horse.

A long time ago, the traditional German meal was a boar’s head. Now, Germans eat pork sausages and roasted chestnuts… and lots of chocolate! The most important decoration is the Christmas tree. In fact, Germany is where the Christmas tree is from.

Holidays Around the World: KWANZAA

Instructions: Read the text; You should take notes about the following information:

When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

Kwanzaa is a very special African celebration. It has been celebrated in the USA for about 30 years. Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven essential principles) of Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work, Cooperation, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. It is closely linked to African traditions.

From December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa is celebrated. On each day, a candle is lit on the Kinara. There are three red candles, three green candles and one black candle. These colors are very important because they represent African nations.

The Kwanzaa Karamu is a big feast on December 31st. During

the Karamu, there is music, dancing, prayers and lots of traditional African food like spicy fish, carrot salad and vegetable curry.

Gifts are exchanged between parents and children on January 1, the last day of Kwanzaa.

Holidays Around the World: CANADA (QUEBEC)

Instructions: Read the text; You should take notes about the following information:

When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

Canada has many different Christmas traditions. French-Canadians, in the province of Quebec, celebrate Christmas a bit differently than English Canadians.

First, on December 24, they do not eat anything all day. At midnight, French-Canadians go to church. After church, all the members of a family go to one person’s house – sometimes, there are over a hundred people there. They eat delicious Quebec food, like meat pies, ham, turkey, potatoes and sugar pie. They drink lots of red wine and beer. The French-Canadians eat and drink all night.

After they finish eating and drinking, family members exchange gifts with each other. Then, they go off to look in their Christmas stockings, to see if Santa Claus left something for them too.

The families in Quebec are so big that, sometimes, the Christmas celebrations can last for over three days.

Holidays Around the World: SWEDEN

Instructions: Read the text; You should take notes about the following information:

When is the holiday? What kind of food do they eat? Who brings presents? What special things do they do?

You will be the specialist who tells your team about this tradition.Be sure you know all about the holiday!

December 13 is also known as Saint Lucia Day. This celebration starts very very early in the morning, before the sunrise. A girl from the town will dress up as Saint Lucia. She wears a long white dress and candles in her hair. She arrives in the town in a carriage, pulled by horses. Behind her, riding a white horse, is Santa Claus. Behind them, is a parade of young boys and girls, all dressed in white and carrying candles.

They all sing traditional Christmas songs. After the ceremony, everyone eats ginger cookies and saffron bread. This celebration is very important for Swedish people.

Country When do What do Who Which animal What is

they celebrate?

they eat? brings presents?

is used to deliver

presents?

special or different?

Canada (English)

December 24 and 25

Turkey, potatoes, cookies

Santa Claus

Reindeer Nobody works all week.

Korea December 25

There is no school!

Germany December 5 and 6

Sweden A white horse

Italy There are two holidays.

Canada (French)

Santa Claus

Chanukah*

Potato latkes (pancakes)

Kwanzaa* No animal is used.

Australia Seafood on a BBQ

* Chanukah and Kwanzaa are NOT Christmas celebrations

Secret Valentine

Level: Beginner-IntermediateAims: Learn about Valentine’s Day traditions, expressions, and cursive writing

Materials: handout, colored paper or magazines, scissors, glue, markers or colored pencils, candy, (stickers and glitter optional)

Vocabulary:

envelope, fold, cut, glue, scissors, heart, cupid, be mine, solid, dotted, line, secret

Steps:

1. Preparation: Photocopy the envelope template on colored or white paper. If you have a lot of students, you could give each one a page from an old magazine and have them trace and cut out the template themselves. Provide scissors, glue and any other embellishments you’d like for them to decorate and create with. Make a copy of the Valentine card sheet for each student and a copy of the cursive writing template.

2. Introduce Valentines Day by drawing a big heart on the board and asking the students what holiday it is. Ask questions like, “What day is Valentine’s Day?”, “What color is a heart?”, “What do you do on Valentine’s Day?”, “What do people say on Valentine’s Day?” (Be Mine, I Love You, Be My Valentine) etc.

3. Tell the students that in North America, students make Valentine envelopes and exchange cards. Pass out the envelope supplies and make the envelopes together, reinforcing any new vocabulary. If possible, have the students write their name in cursive on the front of the envelope, using the template provided. They may need to practice a little first!A. Cut the solid lines with scissors.B. Fold the dotted lines.C. Glue the 2 small sides to the back of the envelope.D. Write your name in English and decorate the envelope.4. When they have finished their creations, have each student write

their full name on a small piece of paper and put it in a hat. Give them a copy of the Valentine card sheet. Look at each Valentine and see if they can tell you what the mistake is (Ex: “You’re beary cute” should be “You’re very cute”). Tell them to choose a card and cut it out.

5. Next, they should choose a Valentine name from the hat. Be sure it’s a secret! They must not tell anyone the name they picked! On the front of the card they should write the Valentine name they chose. On the back of the card they should write 3 hints about themselves, such as what they look like, the name of their apartment, how many brothers or sisters they have, their hobby, favorite color, nick-name etc.

6. Collect the Valentine cards when they are finished and have 3 students hand them back out to the students whose name is on the front of the card. When everyone has received their secret Valentine, they should stand up, read the 3 hints on their card and guess who their secret Valentine is. If they guess correctly, they get a prize!

7. For the remainder of the class, let them write Valentines to their friends with the other 8 cards. Encourage them to write Valentine messages!

ANCDY

ARCDS

OVLE

DRE

UPCDI

Write the letters that are in circles above.What is the new word?

___ ___ ___ ___

Why? Bekiss I like

you!

Please Owl Be Yours Valentine….

St. Patrick’s Day

L

evel: AnyAims: Learn facts about Ireland by looking at a map, give and follow directions through pair work, make a 4-leaf clover and discuss the meaning of a poem Materials: handout, blindfolds, green paper, glue, scissors, pins

Vocabulary:

Ireland, Irish, leprechaun, lucky, clover, leaf, start, stop, go left, go right, go up, go down, just a little, keep going, map, continent, country, capital, ocean, sea, bay, mountain, miles, km, east, west, north, south

Steps:Introduce St. Patrick’s Day and choose one, two or all three of the following activities, depending on the level of your students.1. St. Patrick’s Day Quiz: Ask facts and general geography questions about Ireland, while students listen and look at the map provided (adapted from enchantedlearning.com). You may need to pre-teach the vocabulary in the key and explain that Ireland is divided into North and South, just like Korea. Any kind of quiz board can be used for this activity (jeopardy, tic-tac-toe, SOS, typhoon, battleship, snakes and ladders, etc).2. Help the Leprechaun Find his Lucky Clover: Reinforce the map activity by having students navigate through a maze by using TPR. Pre-teach vocabulary for giving directions. Have the students work in pairs. One student should be blindfolded and given the blank maze. The other student should verbally give the directions, guiding the blindfolded student to the lucky clover. Switch roles if there is time and award a prize to the students who complete the maze first!3. Lucky Clover Pin and Poem: Have students make a lucky clover from green paper. Explain how 4-leaf clovers are formed and discuss the poem by Ella Higginson. This can be done as a cloze activity,

dictation race, etc.

St. Patrick’s Day Quiz

1. When is St. Patrick’s Day? _______________________2. Where is this holiday celebrated? _________________3. Look at the map and play the quiz game!

Ireland Quiz Questions:

1. People from Ireland are called: a) Italian b) Iraqi c) Irish d) Egyptian

2. What is the capital city of Northern Ireland?

3. Which continent is Ireland in?

4. What is the name of the sea on the east side of Ireland?

5. What is Carrauntoohil?

6. What is the capital city of The Republic of Ireland (north and south)?

7. Which ocean is Ireland in?

8. Which music group comes from Ireland?a) Westlife b) Backstreet Boys c) The Beatles d) N Sync

9. What is the largest city southeast of Killarney?

10. Is Clifden on the east, west, north or south side of Ireland?

11. About how many km is it from Dublin to Cork?a) 2,000 b) 200 c) 20 d) 20,000

12. Which city is southeast of Kilkenny?

13. Which river runs through the middle of Ireland?

14. About how many miles is it from Dublin to Clifden?a) 2,000 b) 200 c) 20 d) 2

15. Which sea is south of Ireland?16. If you wanted to go from Dublin to Galway, which direction would you go?

17. What is the name of the bay near Sligo?

18. Which direction is Carrantoohil?a) northeast b) southwest c) southeast d) northwest

19. Which city is about 50 km south of Belfast?

20. Ireland is:a) a continent b) a capital city c) an island d) next to China

21. What language do people speak in Ireland?a) English b) French c) Spanish d) Italian

22. About how many people live in Ireland?a) 40 b) 40,000 c) 4,000,000 d) 4,000

23. How many colors are there in Ireland’s flag?

24. What does a 4-leaf clover mean?a) thank you b) good luck c) get well soon d) happy birthday

25. Ireland’s weather is usually:a) hot and sunny b) cool and cloudy c) snowy and cold d) warm and rainy

26. How many colors are in a rainbow?a) 5 b) 10 c) 7 d) 6

27. Which country is east of Ireland?a) Canada b) The United States c) Mexico d) England

28. Is St. Patrick’s Day before or after Valentine’s Day?

29. What kind of money do people use in Ireland?a) Euro b) Dollar c) Won d) Yen

Help the Leprechaun find his Lucky Clover!

Go right _______________ Go left ______________Go up _______________ Go down ______________keep going _______________ just a little ______________Start _______________ Stop ______________

Start… go right… keep going… stop…. go down… just a little…. stop….

Help the Leprechaun find his Lucky Clover!

Go right _______________ Go left ______________Go up _______________ Go down ______________keep going _______________ just a little ______________Start _______________ Stop ______________

Start… go right… keep going… stop…. go down… just a little…. stop….

1. Cut out 4 hearts.2. Glue the hearts together with the points in the center.3. Write: faith, hope, love and luck on each leaf.4. Pin the clover on your shirt for good luck!

Four-Leaf Clover Poem By Ella Higginson

I know a place where the sun is like goldand the cherries bloom forth in the snow;

And down underneath is the loveliest place,Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

One leaf is for FAITH,And one is for HOPE,

And one is for LOVE you know;And GOD put another in for LUCK:

If you search you will find where they grow.But you must have FAITH,And you must have HOPE,

You must LOVE and be strong and so...If you work and you wait,

You will find the placeWhere the FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS grow!

The Bunny Hop

Level: BeginnerAims: Learn about Easter through a simple craft, TPR activity and chants Materials: White paper, pink paper, scissors, tape or glue, handouts

Vocabulary:

Spring, bunny, cut, glue, wrap, hop, skip, jump, run, walk, slide, quickly, slowly, left, right, forward, backward, toes, knees, shoulders, head, wall, fall

Steps:

1. Introduce Easter by asking students to brainstorm “Spring” words. Write the words on the board and hopefully one of them will name Easter! Talk about secular Easter traditions in North America (Easter bunny leaving gifts, painting Easter eggs, eating chocolate bunnies etc).

2. Make bunny ears with the students. Give each of them a sheet of white A4 paper, 1/2 sheet of pink A4, a long strip of white paper, scissors and glue or tape.

Directions: A) Cut two, long, white ears. B) Cut two, long, pink ears. C) Glue the pink ears inside the white ears. D) Wrap the long white paper around your head and glue. E) Glue the two ears on the long white paper.

3. Pre-teach vocabulary and play a TPR activity, based on ‘Simon Says’. What? How? hop slide quickly right skip walk slowly forward jump run left backwards

Wearing their bunny ears, have the students hop, skip, jump, run, walk and slide!

4. Teach the chant, “Five Chocolate Bunnies” while doing the

actions to emphasize vocabulary and expressions. After a few rounds, put the students in groups of 7. Assign the bunny roles to 5 of the students and the boy and his mother to the other two. Have each group present their skit in front of class, while the remaining groups chant along. Only the bunnies should shout out the narrative lines (even little guys need their 15 minutes)!

5. Review the body parts in the vocabulary list. Cut out the bunny below and teach the kids the “Easter Bunny Chant.” Have the bunny jump on each body part as you name them. Give a copy of the bunny to each student so they can play along!

Five chocolate bunnies sit in a store.

The first one says, " Hey! Look at the door!"

The second one says, " There 's a boy and his mom!"

The third one says, "Let's run, run, run!"

The fourth one says, " Where? I can ’ t see !"

The fifth one says, " He wants to eat, eat me !"

And then, the boy's mouth opens very, very wide.

And the five chocolate bunnies all hide, hide, hide!

The Easter Bunny ChantThe Easter Bunny,

Easter Bunny,Hops, hops, hops.

He jumps to my toes,And hops, hops, hops.He jumps to my knees,And hops, hops, hops.

He jumps to my shoulders,And hops, hops, hops.He jumps to my head,And hops, hops, hops.He jumps to the walland uh oh! He falls!