Social:
Author: Dorothy Martin
School/Organization:
W. Rhodes Elementary
Year: 2022
Seminar: Asian Americans in U.S. Schools
Grade Level: 1-2
Keywords: Asia, Culture, customs, Diwali, holiday, Lunar New Year, New Year
School Subject(s): Social Studies
The purpose of these lessons is to teach students to celebrate diversity. The student population of our American classrooms is becoming more culturally diverse, with the Asian student enrollment growing each year. It is important to encourage our students to develop an understanding and appreciation of cultures other than their own. Through the use of books, videos, and activities, students will learn that the holidays celebrated in other cultures, while they have their differences, can be quite similar to the holidays that they celebrate themselves.
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I have been a teacher in the School District of Philadelphia for twelve years. In all my years of teaching, we have celebrated the usual holidays in the district, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, otherwise known as Spring Break. During the 2021-2022 school year, for the first time, the district recognized Lunar New Year and Eid-al-Fitr as official holidays. Finally, holidays out of the “American” norm are being acknowledged, giving Asian and Muslim students who celebrate these holidays the oppurtunity to spend time with their families. This also allows students, as well as teachers, who celebrate these holidays to feel included, opening the door for learning and discussion about these topics which may be new to many students. Every student in a classroom should feel represented and included in lessons and school activities. It is important to consider the diverse cultural backgrounds of your students and think creatively about how to celebrate those differences. (Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies: Importance, Benefits & Tips; Thursday, December 5, 2019). The School District of Philadelphia is the largest school district in Pennsylvania. Based on 2021-2022 SDP data, The school District of Philadelphia consists of 198,645 students. There are 169 different languages spoken by students in the district. 7% of the students are Asian. This curriculum unit is designed to consider the diverse cultural backgrounds of the students in the classrooms in Philadelphia. Every student in a classroom should feel represented and included in lessons and school activities. Consider the diverse cultural backgrounds of your students and think creatively about how to celebrate those differences. This Unit is designed to introduce young students to the culture and customs of Asian countries. American schools are becoming increasingly diverse. According to the United States Census Bureau, our classrooms are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. In fall 2018, of the 50.7 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, 23.8 million were White, 13.8 million were Hispanic, 7.7 million were Black, 2.7 million were Asian, 2.1 million were of Two or more races, 0.5 million were American Indian/Alaska Native, and 186,000 were Pacific Islander. Between 2009 and 2018, public school enrollments among White students decreased from 26.7 million to 23.8 million. Similarly, the number of Black students decreased from 8.2 million to 7.7 million. (National Center for Education Statistics 2021). This is in contrast to the numbers of Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian/Alaska Native and Pacific Islander students which are on the rise during the same time period. Teachers and administrators must rethink school curriculums to accommodate the changing demographics of students in the classroom. The number of Asian students in American classrooms is on the rise. These students come from diverse backgrounds and countries including China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, as well as other Southeast Asian countries. Sometimes these students are new to the culture and customs of the American classroom, and sometimes their families have lived in America for several generations. In an effort to create an inclusive environment in the classroom, we as teachers have to provide diversity and cultural awareness in the classroom. Inclusion and awareness of other cultures is beneficial to all students. Teaching about the culture and traditions of people from other countries encourages acceptance and prepares students to thrive in our very diverse world. Creating a climate of cultural diversity does require extra effort on the teachers part. It is important to get to know the students, to form a relationship that allows them to open up about topics that they may never have shared with anyone outside of their inner circle. It may not be easy for some students at first, but creating a welcoming, inclusive classroom environment will benefit all students. Fostering an awareness for and creating a connection with diverse cultures will teach students to empathize with people who are different from them, and can help prevent prejudices towards other cultures in the future. Asian Americans have recently been reported as the largest incoming immigrant population and the fastest growing racial group. (Historical Perspectives on Diverse Asian American Communities: Immigration, Incorporation, and Education, Susan J. Paik, Stacy M. Kula, L. Erica Saito, Zahyna Rahman, Matthew A. Witenstein). By 1960, the first time census respondents could choose their own race, 980,000 individuals self-identified as Asian. The nation’s Asian population rose to 11.9 million by 2000 and then nearly doubled to 22.4 million by 2019 – an 88% increase within two decades. Asians now make up about 7% of the nation’s overall population, and their numbers are projected to surpass 46 million by 2060, nearly four times their current total. With the Asian population in the United States on the rise, the probability of classrooms containing Asian student’s from multiple Asian countries is on the rise too. In the name of inclusion, it is important to celebrate diversity in the classroom.
Activating Prior Knowledge: Activating background knowledge helps students make connections with new information and helps them understand concepts. Prior knowledge will help students understand the similarities and differences between holidays that they celebrate and those that are new to them. Think Alouds: The think-aloud strategy is used to model for students how skilled readers construct meaning from a text. This strategy will be used during the read aloud portions of each lesson. Modeling: Modeling will be used during the lessons to demonstrate the skills needed to participate in the activities. New Years Eve (United States) / Lunar New Year (China) / Diwali (India) New Year’s Eve (United States) What is it? New Year’s Eve is the last day of the year in the modern Western calendar. How is it celebrated? New Year’s Eve is usually celebrated with family gatherings, parties Symbols? Baby New Year, Father Time, Times Square Ball When is it celebrated? Western people have a fixed date to celebrate western new year, which is the first day of January on the Gregorian calendar each year. New Year’s Eve, when most of the festivities take place, is celebrated on December 31. The main Western New Year activities include: Celebrating the New Year See PDF for photos.
New Year’s Eve
Lunar New Year
Diwali
Lesson Objectives: Students will: Common Core Standards: 8.4.K.A.Explain how cultures celebrate. 8.4.1.A. Explain why cultures celebrate. Engagement: Ask students how their family celebrates the NewYear Holiday. Where will they celebrate? Who will be there? What activities will the celebration include? What types of food will they eat? New Year’s Eve (United States) What is it? New Year’s Eve is the last day of the year in the modern Western calendar. How is it celebrated? New Year’s Eve is usually celebrated with family gatherings, parties Symbols? Baby New Year, Father Time, Times Square Ball When is it celebrated? Western people have a fixed date to celebrate western new year, which is the first day of January on the Gregorian calendar each year. New Year’s Eve, when most of the festivities take place, is celebrated on December 31. The main Western New Year activities include: Materials: Activity: This lesson will begin by activating students’ prior knowledge of their New Years’ celebrations. Ask students what they do to celebrate the New Year. Ask what their favorite part of the New Year’s celebration is. Show the video New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day for Kids. After watching the video, the class will fill out the New Year’s Eve portion of the “Celebrating The New Year” chart together. Students will take turns giving examples of things that they do with their family and friends to celebrate the holiday. This chart will also be used to record the customs of Lunar New Year and Diwali celebrations. This chart will be used to compare and contrast the customs of New Years’ Celebrations in different countries, allowing the students to visualize the similarities and differences of each country’s celebrations. Extension Activity: Discuss New Years’ Resolutions with the students. Explain that a Resolution is a goal that we set for the New Year. Watch a video about children setting their own resolutions. After watching the video, have students complete the New Year’s Resolutions worksheet. Materials: Lesson Objectives: Students will: Common Core Standards: 8.4.K.A.Explain how cultures celebrate. 8.4.1.A. Explain why cultures celebrate. Engagement: Explain to the students that people in China celebrate a holiday similar to our New Year. Explain that even though the two holidays are similar, they are celebrated at different times of the year. Watch a video in class showing how Lunar New Year is celebrated. Lunar New Year (China) What is it? Lunar New Year is the Chinese festival marking the start of the new year, beginning on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ending on the full moon fifteen days later. It is marked by visits to family and friends, special meals, fireworks, and gift giving. How is it celebrated? Lunar New Year is marked by visits to family and friends, special meals, fireworks, and gift giving. Symbols? The color red, red lanterns, dragons, When is it celebrated? Lunar New Year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ends on the full moon fifteen days later. Chinese people celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year on a different date every year, usually around late January or early February. The main Chinese New Year activities include 1) putting up decorations 2) offering sacrifices to ancestors 3) eating reunion dinner with family on New Year’s Eve 4) giving red envelopes and other gifts 5) firecrackers and fireworks 6) watching lion and dragon dances. Materials: Activity: After watching the videos of Chinese New Year celebrations, the class will fill out the Lunar New Year portion of the “Celebrating The New Year” chart together. Students will take turns stating things that are a part of the Lunar New Year festivities, dragon parade, red envelopes, dinner with family, etc. As each of the examples is written on the chart, students should begin to recognize similarities and differences between the two holidays. Next, tell the students that they will be creating their own dragon mask to look like the dragons in the Lunar New Year celebrations. Have the students color and decorate their masks. When they are finished, cut out the masks and punch holes in each side. Attach string or elastic so that the students can wear the masks. Extension Activities: Local Asian supermarkets are a great source for items that you can use for a Lunar New Year celebration. Paper lanterns, decorations, assorted red envelopes, chopsticks, and tasty treats can all be purchased at a reasonable price at a local Asian market. You can make your classroom Lunar New Year celebration as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Lesson Objectives: Students will: Common Core Standards: 8.4.K.A.Explain how cultures celebrate. 8.4.1.A. Explain why cultures celebrate. Engagement: Explain to students that Diwali is a festival that celebrates the beginning of the Hindu New Year. It is also called the Festival of Lights. The five-day festival of lights is one of the most popular holidays in India. Diwali is celebrated over five days. People clean their homes and decorate their homes with clay lamps and create design patterns called rangoli on the floor using colored powders or sand. Students will watch a video to see how people in India celebrate Diwali. Diwali (India) What is it? Diwali is a festival that celebrates the beginning of the Hindu New Year. It is also called The Festival of Lights How is it celebrated? Diwali is celebrated with family gatherings, parties, food, sweets, gifts and fireworks displays. Symbols? Candles, lanterns, fireworks, rangoli When is it celebrated? Diwali is celebrated on a new moon night sometime in October or November. It takes place on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartika. The main Diwali activities include: Materials: Activity: After watching the videos of Diwali celebrations, the class will fill out the Diwali portion of the “Celebrating The New Year” chart together. Students will take turns stating things that are a part of the Diwali festivities, parties, fireworks, food, candles, and clay lanterns, etc. As each of the examples is written on the chart, students should begin to recognize similarities and differences between all three New Year holidays. Students should now be able to explain how their New Year celebration is similar to the celebrations in China and India. Next, tell the students that they will make their own rangoli design, which is an important part of the Diwali celebration. Rangoli is a sign of welcome during Diwali. Students will be given a simple paper rangoli design template, or they can create their own design on a piece of cardstock. They will proceed to pour glue on the outline of the design. Next, students will pour colored sand on the glue to create a colorful design. When they are finished the rangoli can be placed by the door of the classroom as a sign of welcome to everyone who enters. Extension Activity: Create a venn diagram to visualize the similarities and differences between the three New Year celebrations. Standards: World History 8.2.1.A. Identify groups of people who contribute to a community. 8.4.K.A.Explain how cultures celebrate. 8.4.1.A. Explain why cultures celebrate. 8.4.2.A. Explain why cultures have commemorations and remembrances. 8.4.2.C. Identify how cultures have commemorations and remembrances. 8.4.K.C. Identify different celebrations of different cultures from around the world. 8.4.1.C. Identify holidays and ceremonies of selected world cultures. See PDF for photos.Lesson 1: Happy New Year!
Lesson 2: Celebrating Lunar New Year!
Lesson 3: Celebrating Diwali
Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies: Importance, Benefits & Tips; Thursday, December 5, 2019. “Dragon Mask printable.” supercoloring.com masks Historical Perspectives on Diverse Asian American Communities: Immigration, Incorporation, and Education, Susan J. Paik, Stacy M. Kula, L. Erica Saito, Zahyna Rahman, Matthew A. Witenstein, 2014. Katz, K., 2009. My First Chinese New Year. New York, NY: Scholastic. “Kids Activities and Holiday Printables.” Mrsmerry.com. Lin, Jillian, and Shi Meng. Chinese New Year Wishes. Jade Publications, 2019. Wing, Natasha, and Amy Wummer. The Night Before New Year’s. Scholastic, 2009. See PDF for photos.