Lesson Plan

Let's Celebrate Kwanzaa!

In this Kwanzaa lesson plan, students will make a decorative mancala game, listen to relevant readings, write a letter to parents, and compare and contrast Kwanzaa with other holidays.

About this book

Grade Level Equivalent: 1.9
Lexile Measure: 910L
Guided Reading Level: I
Age: Age 6, Age 7, Age 5
Genre: General Nonfiction
Subject: African American History, Africa, Family Life, Holidays and Seasonal Themes, African American

Overview

Students will learn about multicultural celebrations.

 

Objective

  • Students will list prior knowledge of Kwanzaa.
  • Students will listen to books.
  • Students will compare and contrast Kwanzaa to other celebrations.
  • Students will create a project.

Materials

  • My First Kwanzaa Book by Deborah Newton Chocolate and illustrated by Cal Massey
  • Egg carton for each child for the Kwanzaa Mancala game
  • Stapler
  • 48 plus 2 extra (50) small rocks or beans for Mancala game (red beans work well)
  • Plastic zip baggies to store each child's beans
  • Instruction sheet for the game
  • Computer and Inspiration software

Setup and Preparation

  • Cut rectangles of construction paper
  • Make enough bulb patterns out of tag board so that students can share
  • Cut a length of yarn or roving on which to string the lights
  • Plan where to display them in the classroom
  • Check glue bottles
  • Check computer connection to large screen monitor

Directions

Step 1: As a group, list what the children already know about Kwanzaa on the Celebration chart.

Step 2: Read My First Kwanzaa Book by Deborah Newton Chocolate and illustrated by Cal Massey

Step 3: Using Kidspiration®, list what the children learned about Kwanzaa

Step 4: Compare and contrast Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.

Step 5: Make a decorative Mancala game

  • Remove the lid from an egg carton.
  • Cut two separate egg sections from another carton and staple one on each end of the carton.
  • Count out 50 beans and store in baggie
  • The directions for playing Mancala can be found at: http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/mancala.html

Step 6: Teach children how to play the game. (Suggestion: Invite 10 older students to your classroom during a recess and teach them the game. Arrange with their teacher to have them visit your classroom for an hour in the afternoon to work with your students. Have one older student for every two of you students.)

Step 7: As a group create a letter to parents explaining about Kwanzaa and the Mancala game.

Lesson Extensions

As a class, write a final note to parents. Have the children say what they have learned about the fall and winter celebrations and about multiculturalism.

Evaluation

  • How well do the children understand the similarities and differences between Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas?
  • Was the use of Kidspiration® an effective tool for brainstorming?
  • Should I do more with the geographical origin of these celebrations?
  • What was the most difficult part of this unit? What was most successful?

Assess Students

  • Teacher observation will assess student participation in listening to the book and contributing to the discussion.
  • The teacher will also observe how well the children play the game, Mancala.

  • Subjects:
    African and African American, Cooperation and Teamwork, Ceremony and Tradition, Arts and Crafts, Main Idea and Details, Counting and Numbers, Literature, Compare and Contrast, Literature Appreciation, Listening Comprehension, Expository Writing, Letter Writing, Manipulatives, Real-World Math, Social Studies through Literature, Following Directions, Tolerance and Acceptance, Kwanzaa, Winter Themes, Teacher Tips and Strategies
  • Skills:
    Compare and Contrast, Main Idea and Details, Social Studies, Listening Comprehension, Expository Writing
  • Duration:
    1 Class Period
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