Kate Freeman Professor Hendricks, Cooperating Teacher: Mrs.

Hopke 11 AM-12 PM, December 5th, 2013 Mott Elementary School ELE 301-02 1. Title or Topic of the Lesson and Grade Level Kwanzaa: Traditions and Symbols, Kindergarten 2. Lesson Essential Question(s): What are the traditions that families celebrate on Kwanzaa? 3. Standards: 6.1.P.D.2. Demonstrate an understanding of family roles and traditions. 4. A. Learning Objectives and Assessments: B. Assessments: Learning Objectives Students will be able to describe and recall the four main traditions of Kwanzaa: music, decorations, food, and gifts. They will be able to describe their favorite part of Kwanzaas traditions. Assessments Successful choice of a favorite thing shape which students will color for the graph. Oral description of students preferences, and answers to teacher questions such as what are the symbols/traditions associated with Kwanzaa? Students will be able to state that there are Student oral answers to questions, and seven days of Kwanzaa each represented by ability to recall and describe the values of a candle on the Kinara; they will know that Kwanzaa when questioned/reminded about these candles are Kwanzaa colors: red, black, key details of the holiday. and green. 5. Materials: Pointer Objectives/Standards on Sentence Strips Kwanzaa poster Velcro pieces of: Mazao (crops), Mkeka (mat), Kinara (candleholder), Candles, Kikombe (unity cup), Muhindi (corn), Zawadi (gifts), and a drum The Gifts of Kwanzaa (Synthia Saint James) Kikombes filled with grape juice (30-one per student) Zawadi bags filled with candy corn, which represents the Muhindi, or corn (30-one per student) Prop Table with: Mazao, a Mkeka, a Kinara, a Kikombe, Muhindi, Zawadi, a small drum Poster of the Song of the Day (Kwanzaas Here) Blank poster (for class I like THIS best about Kwanzaa graph poster) Assorted shapes (drum, Mkeka, corn, presents) 8 bins filled with crayons/pencils

6 . Pre-lesson assignments and/or prior knowledge: On the day prior to this lesson, the teacher has taught an overview of the history of Kwanzaa. She has introduced the Kinara (and connected it to Hanukkahs Menorah), and explained that there are seven days to the holiday-each associated with a value. She has discussed Kwanzaa colors, the language of Kwanzaa, and that Kwanzaa is celebrated to bring people of African-American descent together, and is a celebration of grown (or harvested food). Students will build off of this information to learn key Kwanzaa traditions. 7. Lesson Beginning: To begin the lesson, the teacher will question/remind students of several of the things that they learned the day before about Kwanzaa. She will state that Kwanzaa is a celebration of African-American culture, and is a celebration of harvesting food (collecting grown food), and stresses the importance of bringing people or communities (people with the same ideas) together. She will use this review to segway into an activity where she describes several key traditions/symbols of Kwanzaa, and velcroes pictures of these items to a teacher-made poster. 8. Instructional Plan: I will begin my lesson by asking students to come to the carpet, and sit in their rows criss-cross applesauce with their hands in their laps. I will state my objectives for the lesson to students; today we will learn about the important ways people celebrate Kwanzaa, and about the music, food, presents, and decorations that people give one another on Kwanzaa. First, the teacher will review the previous lesson, and will ask students What are the two reasons that people celebrate Kwanzaa? (Harvest and community) She will remind students that Kwanzaa is celebrated in order to celebrate the culture of African Americans, and is based off of Harvest ceremonies (food that has been grown and collected)/celebrations that return to African roots. In any Kwanzaa celebration, Kwanzaa is celebrated to bring people (communities or people with the same ideas) together. She will also remind students that the key colors of Kwanzaa are red, black, and green. The teacher will then define the following terms (some of which are review), which are necessary to understand Kwanzaa, and the read aloud, and will coordinate explanation of these terms with a poster of Africa (on which she will velcro several manipulatives). The teacher will explain that when celebrating Kwanzaa crops (Mazao) are celebrated, because they are food-or a harvest. Students will model teacher instruction, and will repeat Mazao. The teacher will put the Mazao card on the poster. (She will explain that this is the harvest or grown food) Next, the teacher will explain that Muhindi (Corn) is always present/eaten in Kwanzaa feasts and is used for decoration. Students will model teacher instruction, and will repeat Muhindi. The teacher will put the Muhindi card on the board. The teacher will discuss how people decorate for Kwanzaa. She will say that families often make their tables feature a tablecloth/decorations made of Kwanzaa colors. She will state that in Kwanzaa the Mkeka or mat is under the food on peoples tables,

and is used for decoration. Students will model teacher instruction, and will repeat Mkeka. She will put the Mkeka card on the poster. The teacher will ask students to remind her, What candleholder did we learn about yesterday? (She will pick one student to answer the question using the popsicle cup) She will then remind students about the Menorah, and will ask, What other holiday had a candleholder called the Menorah which was lit during each night of the holiday? (She will pick one student to answer the question using the popsicle cup) She will remind students that when people celebrate Kwanzaa they use a similar candleholder called the Kinara. She will explain that there are several variations of the Kinara but most importantly there must be red, one black, and green candles, and there are seven candles-one for each day of Kwanzaa. (the black candle is always in the middle) The teacher will put the Kinara card on the poster. Students will model teacher instruction, and will repeat Kinara. The teacher will then explain that the Kikombe or Kikombe cha Umoja is used during ceremonies (when music is played while celebrating the values of Kwanzaa) each person drinks from the Kikombe as it is passed around the room, and will drink juice while music is played. The teacher will put the Kikombe on the board. Students will model teacher instruction, and will repeat Kikombe. The teacher will explain that Zawadi (gifts) are given on the last day of Kwanzaa (called Kuumba) and are related to school or education-or can be artwork. The teacher will put the Zawadi card on the poster. Students will model teacher instruction, and will repeat Zawadi. Last, the teacher will explain that drum music is very popular and associated with Kwanzaa celebrations and dances, and will velcro a drum to the board. The teacher will then read The Gifts of Kwanzaa aloud to students. She will use it to review, and help students to learn key Kwanzaa concepts. The poster will remain up during these questions/the read aloud. On page 2, the instructor will ask what two Kwanzaa decorations are in the picture. (Mkeka and Kikombe). On page 3, the instructor will ask students what Kwanzaa food (or vegetable is in the picture/is introduced). The teacher will also ask students what Kwanzaa decoration (the Mkeka) is in the picture/is underneath the food. On page 4, the instructor will ask students to identify the Kinara. On page 12, the instructor will point out different types of Zawadi, and how they include books (education) and music (drums). After the read aloud, the instructor will play/sing the song of the day (which is written on poster board). KWANZAAS HERE Tune: If Youre Happy And You Know It If youre happy and you know it, Kwanzaas here. If youre happy and you know it, Kwanzaas here. Time to gather in first fruits, and celebrate our roots. If youre happy and you know it, Kwanzaas here. Jean Warren

The teacher will then explain that we are going to have a Karamu (feast that occurs on the last night of Kwanzaa). She will have set up a table with props (Mazao, a Mkeka, a Kinara, a Kikombe, Muhindi, Zawadi, and drums). The teacher will dismiss students by row to their tables. She will play traditional drum music on a traditional African drum, and students will get to drink grape juice and will pass around a Zawadi bag (each student will take one small bag filled with candy corn which will represent the Muhindi.) While students are eating their snacks, each of them will decide if Kwanzaas music, decorations, food, or gifts are their favorite part of the holiday. They will be given a shape of their choice (Drums, Mkeka, Corn, or present box) to color at their tables, and will be instructed to write their name in the shape and then color it in. When students are done coloring their shapes the instructor will use the popsicle stick to ask them to come up one by one to share their favorite part of Kwanzaa, and put their shape on a class graph called I like THIS best about Kwanzaa The teacher will then dismiss students to look at the prop table, and explore different things associated with Kwanzaa. This will help make the holiday more relateable to students. Differentiation: If students are struggling to write their names, the teacher will give them assistance. Because there are many different parts to Kwanzaa, and it may be difficult for students to remember everything, the poster will be left up to reinforce main ideas/help students to remember important symbols/traditions associated with Kwanzaa. Students who complete the activity quickly will be allowed to look at/touch items on the prop table. o Questions: o What are the two reasons that people celebrate Kwanzaa? o What are the key traditions and symbols of Kwanzaa? o What food do you eat on the Holidays? o What food is eaten on Kwanzaa? o How do people decorate for Kwanzaa? o What is corn used for during Kwanzaa? o What types of gifts does your family typically give one another when you celebrate a holiday? o What gifts are given on Kwanzaa? o What type of music does your family listen to on the holidays? o What is the importance of the Kinara and its candles? What do they represent? o What is the role of the Kikombe? o How is music incorporated into Kwanzaa celebrations? Classroom Management: To regroup students, get the class attention, or quiet them down, the teacher will clap out a rhythm that the students know to repeat and quiet down when they hear. (*clap-clap-clapclapclap*) Students will be reminded to not disrupt the flow of the story/lesson by talking amongst themselves. The teacher will distribute materials before the lesson so that students will not be disrupted by the distribution of materials. Transitions: First transition: Students will be asked to come and sit on the carpet o

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criss-cross apple sauce for the start of the lesson. The teacher will explain behavioral expectations (students are expected to be quiet/listen to the lesson silently) and objectives for the lesson. Second transition: The teacher will review important information about Kwanzaa. Third transition: The teacher will teach students important traditions/symbols associated with Kwanzaa using the poster/velcro manipulatives. Fourth transition: The teacher will sing the song of the day with students. Fifth transition: The teacher will explain that we will now have an African Kwanzaa feast called a Karamu. Students will be dismissed to their tables and will be given Zawadi, Muhindi, and a Kikombe. Sixth transition: Students will complete the individual activity. (Coloring shapes that represent what they like best about Kwanzaa) When finished, the students will share their favorite things with the class, and the teacher will construct a graph of the class preferences. Students will be allowed to explore a prop table with items used in Kwanzaa celebrations.

9. Closure: The teacher will give students shapes to color that represent Kwanzaas music, decorations, food, or gifts. Students will have to choose their favorite part of Kwanzaa, and will color their shape (after writing their name in the shape). The students will share their favorite part of Kwanzaa with the class, and we will make a class graph of students favorite parts of the holiday. Also, to make Kwanzaa more relatable, the teacher will bring in physical props that students will be able to touch/explore that are related to Kwanzaa celebrations including Mazao, a Mkeka, a Kinara, a Kikombe, Muhindi, Zawadi, and a small drum. This will help students (none of whom have celebrated Kwanzaa before according to the Parent surveys) to connect to the holiday.