Lesson Title: New Years Day

Day Number: 10
Author: Monica Fitzpatrick
Grade Level: 3rd
Background Information
In this lesson students will learn about New Year traditions around the globe, and compare and
contrast similarities and differences.
Concepts:
New Years celebrations in different parts of the world
Vocabulary: (none)
Skills:
Writing, reading, measuring, comparing
Lesson Duration- 1 hour
Integration of Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to compare and contrast how people of different cultures celebrate the
New Year with different traditions.
Standards
PA Standards:
Geography- 7.1.3.B: Identify and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human
features
PA Core English Language Arts- CC.1.1.3.E: Read with accuracy and fluency to support
comprehension
PA Core Mathematics- CC.2.4.3.A.1: Solve Problems involving measurement and estimation of
temperature, liquid volume, mass or length

NCSS Themes:
- Culture
o guide learners as they predict how experiences may be interpreted by people
from diverse cultural perspectives and frames of reference
o assist learners to understand and apply the concept of culture as an integrated
whole that governs the functions and interactions of language, literature, arts,
traditions, beliefs, values, and behavior patterns
- People, Places & Environment
o Enable learners to use, interpret, and distinguish various representations of
Earth such as maps, globes, and photographs, and to use appropriate
geographic tools
- Global Connections
o enable learners to explain how interactions among language, art, music, belief
systems, and other cultural elements can facilitate global understanding or
cause misunderstanding

Anticipatory Set

-As a class, we will watch a thirty second countdown to Happy New Years!
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woUxVig45w8) This will lead into a discussion about what
the students already know about New Years and what their families at home do to celebrate.
Procedures
-The teacher will explain how different cultures around the world celebrate differently.
-Teacher will explain the centers
-The class will be split into centers so the students can explore the differences in New Years
celebrations.
-At each center there will be a world map. When students first arrive at each center they will be
instructed to find the location of that country using Google Earth on their tablet.
-Students will rotate every 10 minutes, clockwise. (teacher directed)
Center 1: New Years Resolutions (New York/United States)
- Students will write three resolutions. (home, school, community).
- Students can also draw a picture accompany their resolutions.
- Share with each other at group.
Center 2: Chinese New Year
- Students will read article found at
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/Chinese-New-Year-LanternColors.htm on the tablet to learn about the lantern tradition.
- There will also be pictures of the lantern festival placed on table as a visual
- Lantern Craft
o Materials: Colored cardstock, tissue paper, glue sticks,
thread to hang, stapler, hole punch
o Fold paper in half
o Cut strips on folded edge, do not cut all the way to the
top
o Glue tissue paper strips along bottom edge
o Round to form lantern shape and staple
o Hole punch two holds at top across from each other
o Tie string to holes to create handle
Center 3: Thailand New Year
- Students will first read about Thailand New Year: See Attached
- Students will complete an activity involving water
- They will take different size sponges and fill them with water.
- They will then squeeze out the water into a granulated cylinder
- The students will record measurements for each sponge
- Answer question- Which sponge would you want with you at the festival in
Thailand? Why?
Center 4: Belgium New Year
- Students will write letters to their parents, very similar to children in Belgium. The
topic will be focused on good wishes to go along with the start of a new year.
- Illustrate

Differentiation
Visual Learners- will be engaged through videos and graphics
Kinesthetic Learners- will be engaged through measurement activity with sponges, as well as
moving around the classroom
Artistic Learners- will be engaged through an art project about the Chinese New Year
Logical Learners- will be engaged through logical step by step worksheets
Linguistic Learners- will be engaged during writing activities
Closure
-As a class, the teacher will guide students through a discussion about the different cultures that
the class experienced at each center.
- What culture did you like best?
- What were some similarities between the different cultures?
- What were some differences between the different cultures?
Exit Ticket: On a piece of notebook paper, answer: Do different cultures celebrate New Years
differently? Explain?

Formative / Summative Assessment

Formative:
- As students are in centers, teacher will observe student responses to the activities
to make sure that they realize similarities and differences.
- Teacher will listen to responses during closing discussion to check understanding.
- Collect exit ticket
Materials / Equipment
- Labels of each country to place at center
- Tablet
- pencils and crayons
- Resolutions worksheet
- colored cardstock
- tissue paper
- glue sticks
- thread
- stapler
- hole punch
- Thailand handout
- Large bowl of water
- Four different sponges
- Granulated cylinders
- Recording sheets
- Belgium letter writing sheets
Resources:
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/Chinese-New-Year-Lantern-Colors.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woUxVig45w8
Textbook

Technology
Tablet
Google Earth
Website articles
Reflection on Planning
As I was planning this lesson I was thinking carefully about my diverse learners. I wanted a
lesson that would engage a variety of students, but also content based. For this particular
lesson, students needed to compare multiple areas of the globe, so it made sense for me to
create small centers that students could explore. Children learn by doing, and I think this lesson
will be memorable for students and they will take something away from it. It also hits a variety
of content standards and is developmentally appropriate.
Content Outline
o

New Years Day

Beginning of a new calendar year
New York City
Gather in Times Square to watch a giant crystal ball lowered
Belgium
Children write messages on decorated paper for their parents to
read
Well wishes
Chinese New Year
Falls on a different date each year between January 21 and
February 20
Families gather for a special meal on New Years Eve
Children receive red packets with money inside for good luck
Lantern Festival
Thai New Year
Songkran which means to move or to change place
April (which is a hot month in Thailand)
People walk on the streets with bowls of water or even garden
hoses, anyone who passes by is likely to get wet