Celebrations in Community

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 2 of 6), students explore holidays and celebrations by sharing one from their own family or local community. They practise simple speaking and listening skills, create a picture to represent their celebration, and learn that different people celebrate in different ways.

Learning intentions

WALT (Year 0–2):

• tell others about a celebration from their own family or community
• describe what they do and/or see during the celebration (with support)
• listen respectfully to others and notice similarities and differences
• create an illustration to represent their celebration and share it with the class

Success criteria

I can …

• share a celebration using a few spoken words or a sentence about what happens
• show my celebration in a drawing (people, food, colours, symbols, place)
• listen when others speak and respond appropriately (e.g., “Thank you”, “That looks …”, “I noticed …”)
• say one way my celebration is similar or different to another person’s

Curriculum links

• Social sciences: Students develop understanding of how people live together, and how communities celebrate and show identity.
• NCEA alignment (for teacher planning): Skills in inquiry include communication of evidence and recognising different perspectives about events/places of significance to people.
• Key competencies (NZC): Thinking (sharing ideas), Communicating (talking and listening), Participating and contributing (sharing respectfully), Relating to others (valuing diversity).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and routine. Teacher greets students, reviews class listening rules (e.g., eyes watching, ears listening, kind voice) and shows one example picture of a celebration. Students sit in a sharing circle and point to the teacher’s picture while naming something they notice (e.g., colours, people, activity).

2. 5–12 min · Share time (model). Teacher models a short sharing using a sentence frame: “In my family/community, we celebrate ___.” and “We ___ (eat/play/pray/dance)”. Students repeat the sentence frame chorally and then practise once with a think-time (no volunteering yet).

3. 12–18 min · Mini-lesson: What is a celebration? Teacher explains celebrations can be holidays, special days, or community events, and significance matters to people in the moment and across time. Students respond to quick prompts by pointing to a set of classroom cards (e.g., “food”, “music”, “people together”, “special place”).

4. 18–30 min · Create an illustration. Teacher hands out an A4 “My Celebration” page with prompts: “My celebration is: ____”, “What we do: ____”, “Who is there: ____”, “Draw it here”. Students draw their chosen celebration; teacher circulates and uses prompts and sentence starters with individual support.

5. 30–40 min · Pair rehearsal (speaking practice). Teacher models turning to a partner, taking turns, and using one “I noticed…” comment card. Students rehearse their 1–2 sentences in pairs, using the sentence frames; teacher listens in and gives gentle feedback.

6. 40–45 min · Quick class share (selection). Teacher selects 3–5 students to share briefly; remaining students will share in the next part of the unit. Students share their drawing and one sentence, while classmates use a “kind response” (e.g., “Thank you”, “That looks fun”, “I noticed …”).

Resources

• A4 “My Celebration” drawing worksheet (one per student)
• Crayons/coloured pencils/markers
• Sentence starter cards: “In my family/community, we celebrate…”, “We…”
• “I noticed…” response cards
• Visual example picture of a celebration (teacher-prepared)
• Celebration symbol cards (e.g., food, music, flag/colour, people together)
• Timer or visual schedule chart
• Optional: class word bank with simple celebration words (teacher-created)

Assessment

• Teacher observation during creation: note if students can communicate what the celebration is and one activity/feature.
• Formative checks during pair rehearsal: listen for use of the sentence frame and respectful turn-taking.
• Quick exit check (during final share): each sharing student states one clear idea and shows it in the drawing.

Differentiation

• Support for early speakers: provide thicker sentence starter strips, allow single-word answers (“Diwali!”, “Christmas!”, “Eid!”), and accept gestures if needed.
• Support for students needing structure: offer a choice of drawing prompts (food/music/people/place) and provide pre-drawn icons to colour in.
• Extension: invite students to add one extra detail in the drawing (who celebrates, where, what they wear) and add a second sentence (“We feel ___.”).
• EAL/SEN: use visuals, gestures, and partner support; keep expectations age-appropriate (short sharing, emphasis on listening and respect rather than complex grammar).

Alignment to inquiry and significance (teacher note)

As students share, the class builds understanding that celebrations are events of significance to people and communities. In later lessons, students will compare celebrations and explore similarities/differences more deeply, using evidence from their own sharing and class materials.