ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBonos Thinking Hats
ETE 335
Elementary Social Studies Lesson
deBonos Thinking Hats
Ashley Roth
History-Holidays
3
rd
grade
Exploring Holidays

ETE 335
Elementary Social Studies Lesson
deBonos Thinking Hats
Goals:
Students will learn why local, national and state holidays
are recognized.
Students will create a poster board of the holiday they
were chose, and will share with the class why they chose
that holiday.
Objectives:
Content/Knowledge:
Students will be able to explain why holidays are
celebrated or recognized.
Process/Skills:
Students will create a poster (choosing a holiday that their
family celebrates or a holiday they are interested in
learning about).
Values/Dispositions:
Students will learn the importance of holidays (state, local
and national), which can be linked to historical events.
ETE 335
Elementary Social Studies Lesson
deBonos Thinking Hats
Rationale:
This lesson is important because students should know
why we celebrate or recognize holidays. They should also
know what may have caused the holiday to be created.

Standards: State/Illinois Common Core or Learning
Standards
STATE GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and
movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and
other nations.
16.B.1b (US) Explain why individuals, groups, issues and events are
celebrated with local, state or national holidays or days of
recognition (e.g., Lincolns Birthday, Martin Luther Kings Birthday,
Pulaski Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day,
Thanksgiving)

National NCSS Themes
Culture, People/Places/Environment and Identity/Groups
and Institutions.
Objective
The students will be able to explain and demonstrate why
holidays are celebrated and recognized.
Objective
Intuitive
Intuitive
Students will listen to music or poems that talk
about and describe certain holidays (the teacher
could also read the poems/teach students the
songs). The students will the write down how they
are feeling and what kind of emotions they are
feeling after listening.
The students will then talk about how they felt about
the poem/song, discussing how the author may have
felt while writing.
Materials: pencil, paper, YouTube clip, different
poems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Au81aHuSg
http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/holiday/
Positive/Strengths
Positive/Strengths
Have the students write a letter(2-3 sentences) to the
President, explaining why a holiday is a good idea. For
example, a student could write about Earth Day and
why it is good to have that as a national holiday. The
teacher will help the students set up their letter and
give them a list of holidays to choose from.
Materials:
Paper, Pencil, colored pencils,
Envelope for each student and
stamps.
Negatives/Weaknesses
Each student will choose a local or state holiday, and give 1
reason why they think it needs to be changed or improved.
The class will then participate in a discussion, where each
student will read their holiday and why it needs to be
improved. Students will then be able to defend or agree with
the person presenting.

Materials:

Negatives/Weaknesses
http://www2.illinois.gov/cms/
employees/personnel/pages/s
tateholidays.aspx
Creative
Creative
Students will create a holiday of their
own, but there has to be a reason why he
or she created it. Before letting the
students get to work, the teacher can give
the students an example- to get them
thinking.
Material:
Paper
Pencil
http://holidayinsights.com/mo
reholidays/createaday.htm
Thinking About Thinking
Thinking About Thinking
With a partner, students will go on the computer and
look up the steps or process it takes for a holiday to
become recognized and on the national calendar.
Students will then look deeper, what if this holiday wasnt
invented how would life be different OR the same?

Materials:
Computer access
Paper, Pencil
Timeline worksheet


ETE 335
Elementary Social Studies Lesson
deBonos Thinking Hats
Visual Learning, Assessment, and Online Resources:
Visual Learning:
NOTE: Be sure to include one image that is germane to the
focus of your lesson on each of the 6 lesson activity
PowerPoint slides.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the poster that they have created,
how well they collaborated with others and participation
throughout the lesson.

Online Resources:

https://delicious.com/ashleynicole21