Lesson Title:​ ​ ​Hanukkah ​ esson #:​ 1

L ​Date: ​November 2018

Name:​ ​Nika Younesi Subject:​ Social Studies/English Language Arts/Math ​Grade:​ Kindergarten

Rationale​: ​ ​ Lesson extends from a unit on winter family traditions. The activities will expose children to
learning about different cultures and the ways in which individuals and families differ and are the same.
With a focus on some traditions in the celebration of Hanukkah, lighting candles, playing games,
exchanging gifts, and eating fried foods, children will ​practice skills in language arts - reading, active
listening, and speaking. Students will practice skills in math - ​change in quantity to 10, using concrete
materials.​ Knowledge of and exposure to different cultural traditions will engender an understanding of
diversities in traditions.
Essential Question(s)​: ​In what ways do you and your family celebrate during the winter? What are some of your
family traditions? What are some ways that people around the world celebrate winter together with their families?
Curriculum Connections :
Big Idea:
● Our communities are diverse and made of individuals who have a lot in common.
● Stories and traditions about ourselves and our families reflect who we are and where we are from.
Curricular Competency:
● Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and
communicate findings and decisions
● Use developmentally appropriate reading, listening, and viewing strategies to make meaning
● Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity,
and community
Content:
● Ways in which individuals and families differ and are the same
● Personal and family history and traditions
● Change in quantity to 10, using concrete materials
Core Competency:
● Communication, Thinking, Personal and Social
Learning Intentions
- ​I can ask questions related to the
topic; I can make personal
connections; and I can make
relevant contributions to
discussion
- I can identity activities/games I
play with my family during the
winter
- I can make connections between
activities that my family and I do
during the winter, and activities
people from other cultures do in
the winter
- I can demonstrate active listening
- I can change quantities to 10,
using concrete materials
Activity
- Introduction/Group discussion
- Listen to story ‘Clifford
Celebrates Hanukkah’
- Hanukkah Song
- Students will play dreidel game
- Brainstorm/discussion: “​An
activity my family and I do during
winter is:”
- Students will draw picture of an
activity they do with their families
during winter, and receive the
‘Orca’ stamp in their stamp
booklets.
- Students will help make flour
pancakes and compare them to
potato pancakes (latkes).
- Potato pancake v.s. Flour
pancake bar graph
Assessment
-Observation Tool:​ Class discussion
and participation regarding winter
traditions, cultures and family:
- Demonstrates use of personal
experience and knowledge to connect
to stories and other texts to make
meaning.
- Identifies events, objects, people, and
traditions that are significant to self and
to family.
- Exchanges ideas and contributes to a
class collection of information on the
topic of family and winter traditions:
similarities and differences across
cultures.
- Demonstrates active listening.
Legend
Checkmark​: able to do so without
reminders or help
P​:​ some prompting required
H:​ needs help
+:​ developed response
Observation Checklist for Dreidel:
- Demonstrates ability to take 1
- Demonstrates ability to take 2
- Demonstrates ability to give 3
Legend
Checkmark​: able to do so without
reminders or help
P​:​ some prompting required
H:​ needs help
Stamp Booklet for writing activity:
To demonstrate understanding,
students are to draw a picture of an
activity they do with their families
during the winter. Students are to
communicate what they would like to
draw to a teacher/student-teacher. The
teacher will then scribe, or support
them in writing the description of what
they do with their families during
winter, at the bottom of this page in
 their booklet. Once students are
finished their drawings, the teacher will
provide them with the ‘Orca’ stamp on
that page, which represents ‘family’ in
the Indigenous value system. As part of
the whole unit plan, students are
working to obtain all five stamps: Orca
= Family, Salmon = Strength, Eagle =
Respect, Cedar = Tree of Life, Bear =
Caring for Others.

Bar Graph Sheet:​ Complete sheet for

comparison between pancakes
Prerequisite Concepts and Skill :(for student success)
● Numbers represent quantities that can be decomposed into smaller parts.
Materials and Resources with References/Sources:
For Teacher For Students

Activity 1: Activity 2:
- Book: ‘Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah’ By - 1 Dreidel Piece per pair
Norman Bridwell - Flat backed marbles
- Pictures that represent traditions of Hanukkah - Value reference sheet
- Hanukkah song (Tune of Three Blind Mice) Activity 3:
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jYN9c-_GXQ - Stamp Booklet
(Optional) - Pencils
Activity 2: - Crayons
- 10 Dreidel pieces Activity 4:
- Flat backed marbles - Sample of flour pancakes
- Value reference sheet - Sample of potato pancakes
Activity 3: - Plate
- Whiteboard / Big paper for brainstorming - Fork
- Stamp Booklet/Stamp - Bar graph recording sheet
Activity 4:
- Pre-made potato pancakes
- Ingredients for flour pancakes & cooking
supplies
- Potato pancake v.s. Flour pancake bar graph
Differentiated Instruction (DI): (accommodations)
● Dreidel Game - Math Buddies
Organizational/Management Strategies: (anything special to consider?)
● Dreidel - Math Buddies
● Drawing activity - Teacher/Student-Teacher at each table of four students
● Stamp booklets on tables already - after brainstorming session

Lesson Activities:
Teacher Activities
Introduction (hook/motivation/lesson overview)
Activity 1: Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah
- Lead class discussion on ​how our family
traditions and cultural celebrations can be
similar and different.
- Introduce Hanukkah ‘Festival of Lights’
winter celebration.
- Read ‘Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah’,
ensuring to stop and explain some of the
vocabulary.
- Have students practice sounding out
‘Hanukkah’ together.
- Scavenger Hunt for Hanukkah related
pictures and discussion
- Sing Hanukkah Song:
Hanukkah, Hanukkah
Hanukkah is here, Hanukkah is here
Light eight candles in a row,
Light eight candles and see them glow,
Light eight candles so we all know
That Hanukkah is here.
Activity 2: Dreidel Game
- Introduce/discuss significance of dreidel.
- Demonstrate dreidel game.
Activity 3: Drawing Activity
- On big white paper sheet lead
brainstorm/discussion: “​An activity my
family and I do during winter is:”
- Distribute stamp booklets
Activity 4: Pancakes
- Introduce/discuss significance of potato
pancakes
Body (lesson flow/ management)
Activity 2: Dreidel Game
- Groups students into pairs - math buddies
- Students need 10 pieces of flat backed
marble
- Start with 10 pieces of marble in the pot
(center)
- Take 1, Take 2, Give 3, Do nothing
Student Activities pacing
Introduction
Activity 1: Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah 20 mins
- Participate in class discussion on how
our family traditions and cultural
celebrations can be similar and different.
- Listen to ‘Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah’
and participate in sounding out new
vocabulary.
- Search for Hanukkah pictures/discussion
- Sing Hanukkah Song
5-10 mins
Activity 2: Dreidel Game
- Listen to instructions/learn game
Activity 3: Drawing Activity
5-10 mins
- Contribute to discussion: “​An activity
my family and I do during winter is:”
Activity 4: Pancakes
5 mins
- Listen, participate in discussion
Body (lesson flow/ management)
Activity 2: Dreidel Game 10 mins
- Participate in playing dreidel
Activity 3: Drawing Activity 10-15
mins
- Communicate what they would like to
draw to a teacher/student-teacher, so that
they may scribe
- Draw a picture of an activity they do
with their families during the winter.
10 mins
Activity 4: Pancakes
- Help make pancakes (while drawing)
- Try pancakes
Closure ( connections within lesson or between
lessons, sharing successes, summaries)
1 min
Activity 3: Drawing Activity
- Communicate drawing with
teacher/student-teacher to receive ‘Orca’
stamp.
10 mins
Activity 4: Pancakes
 - No pieces left, game is over, or just ends
when time is up.
Activity 3: Drawing activity
- Support students in drawings
- Participate in vote on preferred pancake
- Fill in personal bar graph sheet
- Participate in closing discussion

Activity 4: Pancakes
- Have students help in making pancakes
(while they work on their drawings)
- Have students try each type of pancake
when they are ready

Closure ( connections within lesson or between

lessons, sharing successes, summaries)
Activity 3: Drawing Activity
- Conference with students about intended,
and then completed drawing
- Give ‘Orca’ stamp in booklet.

Activity 4: Pancakes
- Potato pancake v.s. Flour pancake bar
graph
- Distribute personal bar graph sheets
- Closing discussion

Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jYN9c-_GXQ

http://www.preschooleducation.com/shanukkah.shtml