Rationale:
All children, those with and without disabilities, are excited about the holidays, whatever faith they are. This year (2009) the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha begins on November 27th and runs for 3 or more days, depending on the country in which it is celebrated. This is an excellent time to learn about all three holidays, how they are celebrated, their similarities and differences. There is a week for each of the faiths, to be followed by a short week of Kwanzaa and comparing the celebrations.
This unit is planned for my own class of middle school aged autistic support students with reading skills in the late first, second grade level.
Objectives:
- Children will identify each holiday with the faith from which it comes.
- Children will learn about the customs surrounding the holidays of the three faiths.
- Children will compare and contrast the holidays of the three faiths.
- Children will respond to the activities in written form.
Standards:
North Carolina Grade 2 Social Studies Competency 3: The learner will analyze how individuals, families, and communities are alike and different. (This is just to illustrate how to link your unit plan to state standards.)
Scope and Sequence
Week One Eid al Adha
This festival falls at the end of the Hajj , or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The festival celebrates the obedience of Ibrahim, known as Abraham in Judeo Christian tradition, when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael. This story is similar to a story found in the Ketavim, or Jewish writings, and Old Testament, as Christians refer to the same scripture. Allah commanded Ibrahim to take Ishmael to the top of a mountain, and to sacrifice Ishmael there. Just as Ibrahim is to sacrifice his son, an angel of God (Allah) stops his hand and points out that God (Allah) has provided a sacrifice in Ishmael's place.
This festival is very family oriented. After attending prayers and the Mosque to which the family wears their newest and best clothing, they gather at homes for three days of feasting and celebration. If they are not farmers, the family may go to a farm where an animal is sacrificed, in memory of the sacrifice provided by Allah. The meat is then distributed among family members to be eaten at home.
Gifts are also exchanged at Eid al Adha, as are gifts of charity (or Zakat), one of the five "Pillars" of Islamic practice.
This week features a book about the festival, retelling the story, sampling of some food and sharing some first hand experiences.
The details of this weeks plans are found at Eid Al Adha.
Week Two-Hanukah
The festival of Hanukah commemorates a period after the writing of the Old Testament or "Ketavim" during the Alexandrian Rule of the Middle East, about 2200 years ago. Jewish people celebrate the rise of the Maccabees as they drove the successors of Alexander the Great out of Israel and re-established a Jewish nation. They also purified the temple, removing Greek images and other desecrations. Unfortunately, they had only enough pure oil to burn in the temple lamps for one day, but it would take a week to make new, pure oil suitable to burn in the temple. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, thus the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah lasts eight days, and a candle is lit in the Menorah on each of the eight days.
Today the festival is celebrated by lighting a candle each night on the Menorah and the exchange of gifts. Although this holiday does not have the religious significance of Passover or the High Holy Days, it is a celebration of the bravery of the Maccabee's as well as the Jewish freedom. It is associated with playing the Dreidel and eating traditional foods, especially latkes, or potato pancakes. The details of this week’s plans are found at Hanukah.
Week Three—Christmas
Because Christianity is the dominant religion in the United States, Christmas is the most widely celebrated. Since it has both secular and religious components, it has components which are not specifically Christian, such as Santa Claus, Christmas trees and Christmas gifts. There are other generalized non-Christian symbols, such as sleighs, snowmen, snowflakes.
The central story of Christmas focuses on the miraculous birth of a baby boy to a young girl, a virgin, in a place far from her home in Bethlehem. The baby is believed by Christians to be the son of God, and was named Jesus. It is a story of the faithfulness of Mary, the mother, and the providence of God, who sent Jesus to die for the sins of many. Christians usually do spend time either Christmas eve or Christmas day in their churches, hearing the story being retold and singing favorite religious songs of the seasons, called carols.
Christmas is also celebrated in different ways in different cultures. The bringer of gifts is Santa Claus in the United States, but it is Father Christmas in England. St. Nicholas is the bringer of gifts in Northern Europe, but the Christkindl brings gifts to children in central and southern Germany. In Australia, Christmas is spent at the beach, and each country has traditional foods that are special for different times of the year.
The details of this weeks plans are found at Christmas.
