People all over the world celebrate special days known as festivals or holidays. Some of these days are connected to specific dates, but others are not.
Although the purpose of each festival or holiday is different, they tend to have some things in common. Many are filled with traditions, like decorating a tree at Christmas or setting off fireworks during the Lunar New Year. Festivals and holidays also bring people together.
Use the following activities to help elementary and middle school students appreciate all the wonderful festivals celebrated around the world!
Elementary School
Use this Britannica School (Asia) Elementary level resource pack to help your students explore the significance of international festivals like Christmas, Lunar New Year, Diwali, and more.
Teacher Tip:
Schools subscribed to Britannica School (Asia version in China) can also access this resource pack at:
Britannica School (Asia version in China) Elementary level resource pack↗
Activity
- Using the Venn Diagram Worksheet, compare two festivals from different places around the world.
- Think about what Lunar New Year means. Using creative art materials make an artistic response themed, “What Lunar New Year Means to Me.”
Middle School
Use this Britannica School (Asia) Middle level resource pack to help you with the following activities. It contains articles and multimedia exploring festivals, holidays and traditions from around the world.
Teacher Tip:
Schools subscribed to Britannica School (Asia version in China) can also access this resource pack at:
Britannica School (Asia version in China) Middle level resource pack↗
Activity
- Research how another country celebrates a special day in their culture.
- Using the Timeline Worksheet create a timeline of celebrations throughout the year from around the world.
- In many Asian cultures, each year is associated with one of twelve zodiac animals. Lunar New Year marks the start of the year of the next animal in the cycle. Use the Zodiac Compass found in the resource pack to find out your zodiac animal. Investigate your zodiac animal and think about what positive qualities you associate with that animal. Is a rabbit clever? Is an ox hardworking?
- Write a description or poem, drawing similarities between your zodiac animal and yourself.
Featured Image from Britannica School: a screenshot of “Lunar New Year” (video), Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc..
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