Celebrations Welcome

Overview

This is Lesson 1 of 6 in the unit “Celebrations Around the World”. Students explore what a celebration is, why people celebrate, and how celebrations can look different across cultures, using stories and visuals. Students also begin connecting the idea to their own family and community celebrations.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• describe what a celebration is and how it helps people feel connected
• identify common elements of celebrations (people, food, music, symbols, costumes, activities)
• share one celebration from their own life and explain what people do and why it matters

Success criteria

I can…

• tell what happens in a celebration using simple details
• explain (in my own words) why people celebrate
• listen respectfully to others and use kind words when sharing

Curriculum links

• Social sciences: developing understanding of people, cultures, and identities in Aotearoa and the wider world through stories and classroom discussion.
• The New Zealand Curriculum: building knowledge and using it to communicate ideas and make connections between self and others.
• Key competencies: thinking (making meaning of “celebration”), communicating (sharing ideas and responding to questions), relating to others (respectful discussion).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (visual prompt). Teacher shows a large image collage of different celebrations (e.g., birthday, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Matariki, weddings/engagements) and asks: “What do you notice?” Students turn-and-talk to name one thing they can see and one feeling they think people might have.

2. 5–12 min · Storytelling (teacher read-aloud). Teacher reads a short age-appropriate story about a character celebrating something in their community (simple, inclusive language) and pauses to ask “What is happening?” “Why might they be celebrating?” Students share answers with the class using sentence stems: “They are celebrating because…” and “I think it is important because…”

3. 12–20 min · Concept building (whole-class discussion). Teacher creates a class word chart: “Celebration = … (a special time)”, “People feel… (happy, grateful, proud, hopeful)”, “We might see… (food, music, special clothes, symbols)”. Students contribute ideas; teacher records using simple wording and pictures.

4. 20–30 min · Visual compare (small-group activity). Teacher gives each group 3 picture cards (different celebrations) and a simple “Look–Think–Tell” prompt sheet with three boxes:

• Look: What do you see?
• Think: How do people feel?
• Tell: What might be happening and why? Students sort and talk in pairs/groups, then one student per group shares one idea.

5. 30–40 min · My celebration sharing (pair and then share). Teacher models a quick sharing: “In my family, we celebrate ___. We do ___. It is important because ___.” Students complete a “My Celebration” drawing circle: draw their celebration and add 1–2 labels (with support as needed). Then students practise telling a partner using the sentence stems.

6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket + wrap-up. Teacher collects or checks drawings and asks two quick questions:

• “What is one thing you learned about celebrations?”
• “What is one celebration you know about (yours or someone else’s)?” Students answer orally or with a single sticker choice on a class chart (if needed).

Resources

• Celebration image collage (printed or projected)
• Age-appropriate picture cards of several celebrations
• “Look–Think–Tell” prompt sheets (simple, picture-supported)
• “My Celebration” drawing sheets with sentence-starter strips
• Markers, crayons, pencils, glue sticks
• Stickers for exit ticket choices (happy/connected/curious, etc.)
• Timer and display chart for class word bank

Assessment

• Formative during discussion: teacher listens for accurate understanding of “celebration” and reasons people celebrate.
• Formative during group task: checks whether students can describe what happens and suggest why it matters using visuals/sentence stems.
• Exit ticket: one brief response about learning and one personal or shared celebration.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters, picture prompts, and optional vocabulary cards (celebration, special, people, feel, important). Allow students to point to pictures or use one-word responses if needed.
• Support for language learners: pair with a supportive peer; accept home-language responses if the school policy allows, then repeat a key English phrase together.
• Extension: invite students to add an extra detail (e.g., “What food do you eat?” “What music do you hear?” “What symbol shows the celebration?”) or compare two celebrations (“This is similar because…”).
• Behaviour/attention support: clear group roles (talker, picture-pointer, reporter) and short movement breaks within the time blocks.