Identifying And Describing National Holidays Lesson Plan for Kindergarten Example Students

Topic: Identifying and Describing National Holidays

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and describe the 11 National Holidays. (Columbus Day, Independence Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, President's Day, New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day, Veterans Day, Christmas Day)

Materials

• Pictures of each of the 11 National Holidays (e.g. Christmas, New Year's Day, Juneteenth, etc.)
• Note cards with the names of the 11 National Holidays written on them
• Pencils and paper for each student

Warm-Up

• Ask students if they know what a national holiday is.
• Ask for a few volunteers to share what they think a national holiday is.
• Write the word "national holiday" on the board and ask students to brainstorm a list of what they think are national holidays.

Direct Instruction

• Show the students the list of national holidays that you have compiled.
• Ask them to read the names of the holidays out loud.
• Explain that these are the 11 national holidays in the United States and that they are days that we set aside to celebrate important events or people in our history.
• Ask a few volunteers to share what they know about a specific national holiday.

Guided Practice:

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of the holiday cards.
• Ask the students to work together to identify the national holidays represented by the cards.
• As they work, circulate around the room to assist and to answer any questions.

Independent Practice:

• Provide each student with a copy of the holiday calendar and some colored pencils or markers.
• Ask them to color in the national holidays that they have learned about and to write the name of the holiday underneath each one.
• Provide a bulletin board or wall space for students to display their work.

Closure:

• Ask students to share their findings with the class, explaining which holidays they have colored in and why they think these holidays are important.
• Review the 11 national holidays and their significance as a group.

Assessment:

• Observe students during independent practice and give feedback on their posters and explanations.
• Use a checklist to evaluate student understanding of the 11 national holidays and their significance.