Shannon E. Oneto
This unit will help my first grade Spanish dominant students find new ways to connect to their cultures by teaching them more about Latino holidays, traditions, and celebrations. Students will be encouraged to take a closer look at how and what they celebrate at home, and through various lessons, I will provide my students with the background as to how these holidays and traditions came to be. Because Latino cultures are also unique in themselves, I hope to expose students to different celebrations that they might not be aware of in order to increase their understanding. I plan to use various pieces of fiction and non-fiction children's literature to aid in their understanding. Students will also play games, sing songs, and make crafts to learn more about these celebrations.
More specifically, I intend for this unit to:
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· Have students reflect on their own family values and traditions, and begin to understand and express why these things are important to them.
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· Increase the oral language/vocabulary of my Spanish dominant students.
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· Increase the confidence of my Spanish dominant students when speaking English and responding in class.
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· Build a feeling of unity among the students, while also recognizing the difference within their culture.
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· Increase my students' understanding of Latino holidays and celebrations (how they are celebrated and why).
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· Have students experience aspects of these holidays through art, music, and food.
I will begin this unit by having students take a closer look at the Latino family unit - more specifically, their family unit - to see what their families value, how they celebrate, and what traditions make their families unique. Although there are numerous holidays and celebrations in Latino cultures that I could discuss with my students, I have chosen to focus on five main celebrations: Day of the Dead, Christmas, Three Kings Day, Easter, and Cinco de Mayo/Puerto Rican Day.
The first lessons of the unit, which focus on students' families, will take place at the beginning of the year, when we are all getting to know one another (and to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month). However, the remaining lessons will take place throughout the year, at the time the holiday occurs. This will help to make them more meaningful for my students.