Our kindergarten class has been learning about "Cultural celebrations." This unit falls under the transdisciplinary theme of "How we express ourselves," where we have explored the concepts of perspective, causation, and form. The central idea behind this unit is that "People around the world express their cultures and traditions in different ways."
We have focused on the following lines of inquiry:
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The ways personal and cultural events are celebrated
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The reasons cultures have the traditions they do
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Similarities and differences between celebrations
Some of the questions related to the unit are:
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How do we know about other important celebrations around the world?
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Do all countries celebrate things?
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Why are celebrations important?
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Why do we celebrate?
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What are different celebrations about?
Throughout the course of the unit, the children have engaged in a variety of hands-on activities that support different developmental skills and concepts, including fine motor skills, vocabulary, communication skills, and research skills, among others. The children have been exposed to several experiences related to celebrations. For instance, they enjoyed eating baklava as part of celebrating Eid, designed their own Mendhis, danced to Irish music for St. Patrick's Day, decorated Christmas trees and colored Easter eggs, made red envelops for Chinese New year, designed their own hanbok dresses for Chuseok, and made their own diyas for Diwali.
As we wrap up the unit, one of our kindergarten 2 students reflected, saying: "I do not have to be from that country to celebrate this. If my friend celebrates it, I can go to his house and celebrate it too." This sentiment perfectly captures the spirit of cultural celebration—a chance to learn, share, and appreciate the rich tapestry of cultures around us.