Learning Activity

Holiday Narrative and Comparison - Phase 2

Subject Area

World Languages

Grade(s)

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

Students will research a holiday in the target language to identify key information and compare and contrast traditions of the target culture(s) to those here in the United States.

This activity was created as a result of the World Languages COS Resource Development Summit.

World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.2

Interpret what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar topics using the past tense.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.2

Knowledge

Students know: how to:
  • interpret audio and visual documents in the target language
  • identify key information and details from the target language materials
  • explain how the target language is connected to other content areas through geography, history, etc.
  • recognize basic products of the target language culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • identify the key idea presented by a speaker or published work on a familiar topic.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify patterns in the contruction of past tense verbs and how this impacts meaning of texts.
  • how to recognize and use descriptors in basic conversations
  • restate key information.
  • use cognates to assist in comprehension of target language materials.

Understanding

Students understand that:
Novice High Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Students understand that:
Intermediate Low Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.4

Identify perspectives through practices of the target cultures.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.4

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to appropriately greet and address a variety of people within the target culture.
  • how to explain why specific holidays, celebrations and events are important to the target language culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • identify practices associated with specific target language culture events such as celebrations and holidays.
  • identify practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • dentify and explain practices associated with specific target language culture events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • identify and explain practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.

Understanding

Students understand that:
    an ability to communicate in another language fosters a better.
  • understanding of my own language and culture.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • similarities and differences in the practices of another culture often stem from the perspective of that culture.
  • other understandings will vary according to theme taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.9

Compare products, practices, and perspectives of the target culture and the native culture.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.9

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how people in the target culture tend to spend their days.
  • what holidays are celebrated in the target culture and how they are celebrated.
  • a few games, fairy tales, songs, and rhymes in the target culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • identify the products, practices, and perspectives that are unique to native culture.
  • identify the products, practices, and perspectives that are unique to the target language culture including celebrations, music, games, and rhymes.
  • compare and contrast native and target culture products, practices and perspectives.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • compare and contrast daily life activities in the target and native cultures, such as schooling, working, freetime activities, and daily routines.
  • compare and contrast holiday celebrations and traditions in the target and native cultures.
  • identify games, fairy tales, songs, and rhymes from the target culture and compare them with those of the native culture.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • daily routines may differ between cultures as a result of several contributing factors.
  • different cultures may celebrate holidays in diverse ways.
  • different cultures may celebrate different holidays.
  • different cultures have original games, stories, songs, and rhymes.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • by studying another culture, one can better understand and appreciate their own.
  • other understanding will depend on theme being taught.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

*Students can interpret what is read or viewed on target language websites about holiday celebrations.

*Students can locate key information about holiday celebrations on a target language website.

*Students can describe the celebration of traditional religious and national holidays.

*Students can compare holiday celebrations of the target culture and the native culture.

Activity Details

Phase 2: Target Culture Holiday Research

*Students will research the holiday they choose (one that they celebrate and that has a target culture equivalent) on target language websites, listing ways that people celebrate the holiday in various regions.

*Students will fill in a table with information about the holiday in the target culture, listing the following information in the target language: date(s), locations where it is celebrated, typical traditions (food & drink, events, games, etc.), similarities and differences to their own celebration.

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Informally assess whether the students are able to read and interpret the required information on the target language informational websites, using context clues, cognates, and prior learned vocabulary by moving around the room during the research to make sure students are staying only on target language websites and by checking for completion of the table of information on the holiday.

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Teachers should:

*view all 3 phases of this lesson. Phase 1, Phase 3 

*compile a list of holidays celebrated here and in the target culture for students to choose from.

*compile a list of suggested websites for students to use to research their holidays, such as: 

https://publicholidays.de/de/ 

https://www.feiertage-oesterreich.at/2018/

https://www.timeanddate.de/feiertage/schweiz/

*create a table that the students will fill in with information about the holiday in the target culture, listing the following information in the target language: date(s), locations where it is celebrated, typical traditions (food & drink, events, games, etc.), similarities and differences to their own celebration.

Digital Tools / Resources

Public Holidays Global
https://publicholidays.de/de/

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

buderlj
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