Created by Arlene Cianelli

A lesson plan for an adult literacy student that integrates the Internet.

Learners will research the history, customs and similarities/differences of the three widely-celebrated December holidays, Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa.

Level: Literacy/ABE

Materials: Handout, Internet access

Objectives:

• Learners will gain confidence in using the Yahoo Internet directory to research information on the three holidays.

• Learners will gain an appreciation of the history, customs, and similarities/differences of the three holidays.

• Learners will practice comparing, contrasting, and reading for details.

Internet Activity: Searching in Yahoo Directory

This activity is best used with students who’ve already completed the curriculum for learning the basics of the Internet. Since the Yahoo Directory is set up differently from the search engines, this activity provides practice in searching via the hierarchical categories.

Procedures:

• Instructor begins discussion with the statement: "There are three major holidays that are widely celebrated in December. Who knows what they are? What do you know about them?"

Group discussion of what is already known about each holiday.

• Instructor passes around the handout of questions and goes over them, spending time to explain the differences between compare and contrast.

• Group logs on to the Internet and clicks on net search and Yahoo.

• Instructor explains how Yahoo is organized differently from other search engines they have used. Instructs the group to go to Society--Holidays--then to each holiday to find answers to the handout questions.

• Group shares the answers at the end of the session. Instructor makes certain that each learner participates. Discussion of the final question is a nice way to end this session.

Evaluation: Since this is a light-hearted topic, completion of the majority of the handout questions and participation in the group discussion are the only measures of success.

Handout

Why is each holiday celebrated?

Chanukah

Christmas

Kwanzaa

Is it a somber or joyous holiday?

Chanukah

Christmas

Kwanzaa

What date does each holiday start on this year? How long does it last?

Chanukah

Christmas

Kwanzaa

Compare the three holidays. In what ways are they similar?

Chanukah Christmas Kwanzaa

Contrast the three holidays. In what ways are they different?

Chanukah Christmas Kwanzaa

Do you celebrate any of these holidays? On the back, tell about some of the holiday traditions you practice now or when you were growing up.