Customs and Traditions

Objectives

Students will: 

  • Knows ways in which people view and relate to places and regions differently.
  • Understands contributions of immigrants to history of U.S.
  • knows measurement and applies concept to solve real world problems through use of concrete materials.

Procedure

1. Refer back to the story The Keeping Quilt and discuss how the tradition started.  Also, what made the tradition last so long.

2. Read the story Anthony Reynoso: Born to Rope by Martha Cooper and Ginger Gordon

3.Discuss all the traditions Anthony's family has: (Roping, piņatas, family picture reunion, Ceremonies for Easter, Holiday celebrations at Grandfather's ranch.)

4. Discuss different holidays which are celebrated differently around the world.  Like Christmas, birthdays, weddings, etc.

3.  Tell students that they will be interviewing their parents to find out how Christmas, Easter, Birthdays and Weddings are celebrated in their country.

4.  Also find out about holidays in other countries that are not celebrated in the U.S. and Visa Versa.

5. Students will also research to find out about these traditions in their culture, visiting websites in Student handout. 

6.Students will write an expository on each of these celebrations and make a book of their customs and traditions.

7.  Then the students will find out about a tradition that is unique to their family and write about it.

8.  Students will pair up to  share and compare their customs and traditions.

Materials

  • The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco   *
  • Anthony Reynoso: Born to Rope by Martha Cooper and Ginger Gordon   *
  • Construction Paper
  • Writing Software
  • Copies of Handouts

*  These stories can be found in Houghton Mifflin Third Grade Reading Book, 2003

Vocabulary

  • custom
  • tradition
  • celebration
  • unique
  • native
  • cultural

 

Assessment

  • Book of Customs and Tradition
  • Venn Diagram comparing two different customs.
  • Paper Quilt

 

Remind students that all work will be displayed at the Family Heritage Day.

Homework

Student will be interviewing parents and getting information on their cultural customs and traditions.

Extension

The student will create a paper quilt of their family customs and traditions. 

1.  Students will cut out 6 squares from construction paper, each square measuring 8"x8".

2. The student will decorate each square to represent 6 different family customs or traditions including the holidays that they wrote about. 

3.  Then the students will connect all 6 squares unto an 18" x 28" piece of paper, to look like a quilt.

Fieldtrips and Activities

The student will visit kids world  and choose an activity native to their country to do.