Holiday Lesson Plans and Resources
Index:
Multiple Holiday Resources/Lessons
Fall (September, October, November)
Winter (December, January, February)
Spring (March, April, May, June)
Multiple Holiday Lessons and Resource Sites:
Holidays Around the World: A Festival of Lessons
Lesson plans and activities from Education World. See also Holidays Around the World for more ideas and resources.Official and Religious Mexican Holidays
Celebrate Mexican holidays with your Spanish class.Holidays
Lots of holiday lesson plans and resources from Mr. Donn.
Holidays on the Net
A collection of multimedia holiday celebrations.
Guide to Jewish Holidays
From the Jewish Children's Learning Network.
Holiday Lesson Plans
From Teachnology.
Holidays Around the World
A holiday glossary from Kid's Turn Central.
Wilstar's Holiday World
Excellent site for holiday history and customs.
Fall Holidays
September
A Short History of American Labor
A "lesson guide" from the American Labor Studies Center.
Child Labor in America
A lesson plan for grades 6-12 from the Library of Congress.
Labor Day Lesson Plan: Unions Today
A lesson plan for grades 7-12 from PBS News Hour Extra.Labor Day Scavenger Hunt
An Internet Scavenger hunt from Education World.
American Holidays: Labor Day
A reading comprehension lesson plan for grades 3-5. It includes printable worksheet.
How Labor Got Its Day
Another lesson plan for grades 3-5.
Labor Day Lesson Plan
An Internet-based lesson plan designed for homeschoolers.
Labor Day Workers Cube
|From Crayola.
Daily Writing Prompts- September
This list, from the Teachers Corner, includes a writing prompt for Labor Day.Ten Grand Activities for Grandparents Day
Teaching Children about Rosh Hashanah
Information and activities.
October
What is German-American Day?
Information about the significance and history of German-American Day.
German-American Internet Scavenger Hunt
A site I developed for a middle school celebrating German-American Day.
Discoverer's Day
Lesson ideas from Education World.
Teaching About Columbus Day: Myth Busters
Information from Teaching History.
Columbus Day PowerPoint Presentations
For both Kids and teachers.
Columbus Day Theme
Many activities and lesson ideas from A to Z Teacher Stuff.
What Was Columbus Thinking?
A lesson plan for grades 3-5 from Edsitement.
Critical Thinking about the Arrival of Columbus
A lesson for grades 6-8.
4 Ways to Celebrate Columbus Day (Without celebrating Columbus Day)
Lesson ideas from Everyday Feminism. See also Resources for Reexamining Columbus Day.
Should We Celebrate Columbus Day?
In this inquiry-based lesson plan for grades 6-12, students gather information and try to answer this question.
You may have to close the advertisement to get to the lesson!
Should Columbus Day Be Celebrated?
Different from the above lesson, this one asks students to analyze a primary source and then draw conclusions about Columbus' legacy.
The People Versus Columbus, et al
An interesting role play exploring the impact of Columbus on the people of Hispaniola.
Human Settlement Patterns - Rethinking Columbus
A high school lesson plan.
Beyond Columbus: Teaching the Lessons of 1492
Links to lesson plans and web sites for teaching about Columbus across the grades.
Let's Celebrate Diwali
A lesson plan for grades 1-2 on this festival observed by many Hindus in late October or early November.
Halloween Lesson Plans and Resources
A Quick Guide to the Origin and History of Halloween
Not a lesson plan, but concise information for lesson planning. See also Halloween: The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows.
Zombie-Based Learning
Not just for Halloween, but many lesson ideas from Edutopia. See also Zombie Autopsies: The Neuroanatomy of a Zombie.
Halloween
Articles, ideas and a lesson plan from Scholastic.
Halloween Lesson Plan
For ESL. See also Spooky Halloween Fun for Your ESL Class and 10 Ideas for Teaching Halloween English.
Pumpkin and Ghost Garland
An activity from Crayola.The Pumpkin Patch
A collection of pumpkin poetry compiled by 2nd-graders. Click on About This Project for the lesson plan that inspired the poetry.
Pumpkin Science Experiments
Classics with a twist!. See also Pumpkin Exploration.
Halloween Creative Writing Project
For grades 3-5.
What Would Halloween Be Like without the Ecuadorian Rainforest?
An interesting 4th-grade lesson plan from the Rainforest Alliance. You will need to download the pdf file.
SPOOKtacular Lessons
Five new lesson plans from Education World. See also Happy Halloween!
The Explorers' Graveyard
A history-related 5th-grade lesson plan.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
A middle school lesson plan from Edsitement using Washington Irving's tale of the Headless Horseman.
Halloween Activities and Lesson Plans
A long list of activities and links from the Teacher's Corner.
Halloween from Mr. Donn
Halloween history, recipes, clip art, games, and many lessons and activities.
Thrills, Chills! Using Scary Stories to Motivate Students to Read
A middle-school unit from Read-Write-Think.
Teaching the Epic through Ghost Stories
A high school lesson plan from Read-Write-Think examining the oral traditions of ghost stories and epics. See also Scary Halloween Stories.
Ghosts and Fear in Language Arts: Exploring Ways Writers Scare Readers
Another high school lesson plan from Read-Write-Think. See also Celebrate Halloween! for one more classroom activity from this same source.
Halloween Then and Now
An Internet-based lesson idea for grades 9-12.
Origins of Halloween and Day of the Dead
Information from EDSITEment. See also Day of the Dead vs. Halloween.Day of the Dead
Lesson ideas for this Mexican holiday celebrated October 31 through November 2.
November
Veterans Day - November 11
Extensive resource from the V. A. including the History of Veterans Day and the Veterans Day Poster Gallery.
Veterans Day Teachers Resource Guide
More from the VA. Dated 2020, but may still be useful.
History of Veterans Day Video
This four-minute video about the history of Veterans Day from History.com might be a good addition to your lesson.
Veterans Day 2020 Lesson Plans
From World History Digital Education. Another resource from 2020 that may still be of use.
Veterans Day from Teaching History.org
Teaching and learning resources.
Veterans' Day Lesson Plan
A brief lesson plan for grades 3-5.Veterans Day is Celebrated in the United States Today
A 'calendar event" for grades 3-12 from Read-Write-Think.
The Greatest Sacrifice - A lesson Plan for Veterans Day
Aligned with the Common core Standards. this lesson plan from PBS is appropriate for grades 6-12. See also The Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on Veterans and their Families and Combat PTSD and Art as Therapy for other lesson plans from PBS.
Veterans Day and Patriotism
A lesson plan from Scholastic.com.
Veterans Day Activities to Try in Your Class
Several ideas from Teach Hub.
Veterans Day Listening Lesson
From Mrs. King's Music CalssEducation World @ Holidays Center: Veterans Day
Links to many lesson plans and teaching resources.
Mission Accomplished: Exploring Veteran's Challenges and Achievements
A lesson plan from the NY Times.
Resources about Veterans and Veterans Day
Many resources from Operation Here We Are.
Thanksgiving Lesson Plans and Resources
The Thanksgiving Story: The Pilgrims Revisited
Information and links for teachers from Education World. See also Pilgrim Projects for more ideas from this same source.
Thanksgiving Mourning
Students will explore the perspectives of two Native American authors about the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday and then write journal entries.
PreK-2 Thanksgiving Activities
From Scholastic. See also The First Thanksgiving Teacher's Guide.
Franklin's Thanksgiving
A K-3 lesson plan from Scholastic using this book.
Thanksgiving Acrostic Lesson Plan
A brief lesson plan combining language arts and character building.
Squanto Helps the Pigrims
A lesson plan for grade 5 using the book, Molly's Pilgrim.
America Celebrates Thanksgiving Day Today
More lesson ideas from Read-Write-Think.
Top Ten Authors I Want at My Thanksgiving Dinner
An article that might be the basis for a Thanksgiving-related discussion activity.
What Really Happened? Comparing Stories of the First Thanksgiving
A lesson plan for grades 4-12 in which students analyze several versions of the Thanksgiving story.
After Helping Pilgrims, Today's Wampanoag Tribe Fight for their Ancestral Lands
A lesson plan for grades 9-12 from PBS.
Relearning Thanksgiving
An interesting lesson plans from Arts and Justice that challenges students and teachers to "examine the way the Thanksgiving holiday and its history are taught in K-12 schools and in popular media."
Catholic Thanksgiving Day Lesson Plans on the Eucharist as Thanksgiving
An elementary, middle, and high school lesson plan.
Including Culture in Thanksgiving Lessons
Ideas for including Latino culture in your Thanksgiving lesson. See also Dia de Gracias.
ESL Thanksgiving Lesson
From EL Civics.
Thanksgiving Themes
Thematic units on Thanksgiving, Native Americans, and Pilgrims.Bountiful Thanksgiving
A directory of Thanksgiving links.Thanksgiving 2020
Information on the history of Thanksgiving from History.com.
Winter Holidays
December
Bill of Rights Day (December 15)
Use this lesson plan from the Constitution Center to celebrate Bill of Rights day.
Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa Lesson Plans and Resources
Hanukkah: Free Resources, Craft Ideas, Lessons, and Activities
Lots of ideas.
The Chanukah Mystery Webquest
For grades 3-5..
Celebrate Hanukkah in Israel!
A lesson plan from Scholastic.
Hanukkah in the Classroom
Also from Scholastic.
What is Hanukkah?
Information from the Society for Humanistic Judaism.
Let's celebrate Cultural Holidays
A unit from Scholastic about how people celebrate Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.
What is Kwanzaa?
A lesson plan for grades K-2 from Learning to Give.
Kwanzaa: A Holiday of Principles
Background information and a multi-day lesson plan.
Kwanzaa Lesson Plan: Habari Gani (What's the News)?
Information and activities from Education World.
Classroom Lessons Deliver Holiday "Presence"
Seven activities from Education World.
Christmas Activities for Kids!
Lots of printables, crafts, coloring pages, etc.
A Holly Jolly Field Guide
Not a lesson plan, but a a fun way of showing your students how different cultures and countries celebrate Christmas.
Operation Christmas Child
Lesson ideas for teachers who want to include Operation Christmas Child in the classroom.
Reindeer Training
A primary-grade movement lesson. See also Chop Down the Christmas Trees for another motor-skills lesson for grades 3-5.The Polar Express
A unit plan with a train theme using this Christmas book by Chris Van Allsburg. See also Take the Polar Express to Learning.
The Magic School Bus in the Arctic
A lesson plan for grades K-5 from Scholastic.Christmas Around the World
Lessons and activities from Education World.The Christmas Lesson
ESL/EFL activities.Feliz Navidad: A Mexican Christmas Unit
An interdisciplinary unit for grades K-2.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
An art lesson plan for grade 1-2.The History of Christmas Trees
A lesson plan from the Chrictmas Tee Farmers of Ontario. See parts Two, and Three as well as Discover Natural Resources in Christmas Decorations.Merry Christmas
Lesson plans and resources from Mr. Donn's pages.
Twelve Days of Christmas - Love= Cost
A 6th-grade math lesson plan.
Introducing Basic Media Literacy Education Skills with Greeting Cards
A lesson plan for grades 5-6 from Read-Write-Think.
A Colonial Christmas in Williamsburg
An intermediate to middle-grade lesson plan in which students learn about Christmas during colonial times.
Writing About a Christmas Day Celebration
A middle school lesson plan. See What Does Christmas Mean to Me? for another middle school lesson.
Deck the Halls with Science
A junior high activity complete with worksheet.
Philanthropy in A Christmas Carol
One more middle grade lesson. See also Beyond the Story: A Dickens of a Party.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Many lesson plans and activities from Varsity Tutors.
Natural Resources an d Your Christmas Tree
An article with a short quiz.
Eight Great Christmas Stories for Use in High School Language Arts Lessons
Lesson ideas from Bright Hub.
Christmas Lesson Plans for ESL
Two lesson plans from ESL Kids Stuff.
Christmas, Kwanza, and Hanukkah
Holiday words from Vocabulary.com.Help Others on Boxing Day
A lesson plan for this holiday celebrated December 26 in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
January
New Year Celebrations Around the World
A lesson plan for grades 2 and up. See also New Year Traditions, New Year Celebrations Around the World, and Saying Happy New Year Around the World.New Year's Lesson Plans and Activities
From the Teacher's Corner.
New Years Resolution Lesson Plan
An activity from About.com.
Happy New Year!
A primary-grade lesson from Scholastic.
Happy New Year! Calendar-Based Ideas
Lesson ideas from Education World exploring the world's different calendars.
The Origin of New Year's Eve Traditions
Not a lesson plan, but interesting information that could be used in a lesson.
Breaking News English - New York's "green" New Year
An ESL/EFL lesson plan.
New Year's Eve Worksheet
A middle school activity.
Dr King's Dream
A K-2 lesson plan from EDSITEment. For other lesson plans from EDSITEment, see also Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Power of Nonviolence for a middle school lesson plan and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nonviolent Resistance for a high school lesson plan.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute
See their lesson plans and resources.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Legacy of Racial and Social Justice: A Curriculum for Empowerment
Lesson plans and teacher guides from the National Park Service.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Three lesson plans for middle school and high school from the Center for Civic Education.
Commemorate the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Articles and lesson plans from Scholastic.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: Identifying with a Hero
A primary-grade lesson plan from Read-Write-Think.Martin Luther King, Jr. Biographical
Great information for lesson planning.
Martin Luther King Teaches Many Lessons
Lesson plans and links Education World.
King & Civil Rights Lesson Plan Using the Web
A 10th-grade activity. Click here for the accompanying web resources.Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
A list of lesson plans and links from Mrs. Donn's pages. See also Teaching Resources for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Australia Day Teacher Guide
Student activities and links. See also Australia Day.
February
Groundhog Day Lessons and Resources
Groundhog Day is February 2
An activity from Read-Write-Think.
Groundhog Day Teacher Page
Activities and lesson plans from Groundhog.org.
Ground Hog day Activities
From Scholastic. See also Groundhog: 15 Fun Teaching Resources.
Education world Celebrates Groundhog Day
Activities for a variety of grades.Groundhog Day - February 2nd
Information and lesson ideas from the Donns.
Groundhog Day History
From 123Holiday.net. See also Stormfax Weather Almanac Groundhog Day.
Valentine's Day Lesson Plans and Resources (Scroll down for Presidents Day and Mardi Gras)
The History of Valentine's Day
From History.com.
Ten Free Things for Valentine's Day
From Connecticut Education Association.
10 Teacher-Tested Valentine's Day Classroom Activities
Several lesson ideas from TeachHub.com.
Teaching Kindness for Valentine's Day
A lesson plan for grades 1-2 from Scholastic. See also Valentine's Day Ideas for the Classroom for more from Scholastic.
Valentine's Day Theme Unit
Lots of worksheets, stories, and other resources from edHelper.com.Valentine's Day Lesson Plans and Links
More lesson ideas from Debbie's unit factory.
The Language of Love
A lesson plan for grades 6-8 in which students learn about intercultural aspects of love and then create Valentines based on their new knowledge.
All You Need is Love
A lesson plan from the N.Y. Times Learning Network in which students research famous historical couples and make posters illustrating their findings to be displayed for St. Valentine’s Day. See also You're Not My Type? Perfect for another lesson plan from this source.
Valentine's Day is Today!
A classroom activity for grades 3-12 from Read-Write-Think in which students use poetic devices.
5+ Valentine's Day Activities for Special Education
From Breezy Special Ed.
Valentine's Day Lesson Plan
For ESL students.Susan B. Anthony: She's Worth a Mint
Use this lesson plan to celebrate Susan B. Anthony Day.
President's Day Lesson Plans and Resources
Presidents' Day
The history of the holiday. See also Presidents' Day and Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday?
The Presidents of the United States
White House source of information, pictures, etc. for all U. S. presidents. Scroll down to find the president about whom you want information.
President's Day WebQuest Created by Zunal
President's Day in the Classroom
Many activities from Scholastic.
Presidents Day: Growing Up to Be President
A quiz from Teaching History.
Before and Beyond the Constitution: What Should a President Do?
A three-lesson unit for grades 6-8.
Presidents' Day Activities
Ideas from Education World.
Presidents' Day Lesson Plans, Activities, and Clip Art
From Mr. Donn.
Presidents' Day Quiz
An activity for ESL students that could probably be adapted to other student groups. See also Presidents' Day Quiz for Beginners and Presidents' Day Quiz for Experts.
American Presidents
Interesting lesson plan in which students analyze art representing American Presidents.
A President's Day
A lesson plan for grade 5-8 from the JFK Library in which students learn about the roles, daily activities, and responsibilities of a U.S. President
President's Day: A Life Lesson for Students
Teaching ideas from Edutopia.
Mardi Gras 2019 (March 5) Lesson Plans and Resources
Mardi Gras History
Celebrate Mardi Gras
A lesson plan for a variety of grade levels from Education World.
Mardi Gras Mask
An activity for grades 5-12.
Seven Deadly Sins Art Scavenger Hunt
A high school lesson plan.
Activity Plan 4-5: Mardi Gras
Art and music activities from Scholastic.
Leap Year/Leap Day Lesson Plans
Celebrate Leap Day
Science activities and games for multiple grade levels from Scholastic.
10 Activities for Learning About Leap Year and Other Calendar Oddities
From the NY Times.
Leap Year Lessons: Activities for Leap Day
Several ideas from TeachWithMe.com.
Leap Year
An Every Day Edit activity from Education World.
Leap Years
Resources for ESL.
Spring Holidays
St. Patrick's Day Lesson Plans and Resources
St. Patrick's Day Lessons and Activities
From Education World.
Teacher's Guide St. Patrick's Day Page
Lesson plans, printables, clip art, etc.
St Patrick/s Day Worksheets
More than 20 worksheets from Teachnology.
Saint Patrick's Day
A reading comprehension lesson plan for grades 3-6 that comes complete with a worksheet.
Today is St. Patrick's Day
A "calendar activity" from Read-Write-Think.
St. Patrick and the Three Brave Mice
An educator's guide for using this book in grades K-4.
Saint Patrick's Day Classroom Snacks
From Teach Junkie.
Leprechaun Legend
A lesson plan from Crayola.
Who Was Saint Patrick?
Concise information.St. Patrick's Day
Information and links from the Donns.
Saint Patrick's Day Worksheets, Teaching Resources, and Activities
For ESL.
Welcome to Ireland
A WebQuest. See also Discovering Ireland WebQuest.
April
April Fool's Day for Kids
Information on April Fool's Day from the Donns.
April Fool's Day
Lesson for grades 9-12 from PBS on satire's role in current events.
April Fool's Day
An ESL lesson.
April Fools!
A lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network.
April Fools' Day
Activities, worksheets, and crafts from Enchanted Learning.
April Fool's Day
Origins and history. See also April 1 from On-This-Day.com.
April Is National Poetry Month!
Don't want to do a typical "April Fools Day lesson" Try this "Calendar Activity" for April 1 from Read-Write-Think.
April Fool's Day Greeting Cards from 123Greetings.com
Make someone's day by sending them a free April Fool's Day greeting card.
Passover Lesson Plans (Scroll down for Easter)
Haggadah Pesach Unit 1
A lesson plan from the Lookstein Center. Lessons 2, 3, and 4 are linked at the bottom of the page.
Passover Lesson
A lesson plan in which students learn about the Seder Meal and its symbolic meaning.
God's Great Sign (Exodus/Passover Story)
A 3rd-grade lesson plan.
Passover Picture Game
From Crayola. See also Passover Seder Place Cards.Easter Lesson plans and Resources
Easter
Information and teaching ideas from the Donns.
Egg-Related Activities and Lessons for Easter and All Year
Lesson ideas from Education World.
Easter Egg Dribble
A primary-grade P.E. lesson plan.
Easter Lesson Plan Grades 4-6
Comes complete with worksheets.
Easter Petal Pathways
A lesson plan for all grades 5-8 from Crayola.
Lesson Plan on Easter Island
How about this for a geography lesson plan with an Easter connection! Learn about this island named by Admiral Roggeveen, who came upon it on Easter Day in 1722.
Easter Theme
More lesson plans and activities from A to Z Teacher stuff.
Easter Lesson Plans
Religion-based Easter activities for homeschoolers.
The History of Easter
Need some information regarding the history of Easter? Take a look at this page from History.com.A Tale of Two Easters
Explains why in most years Western Christian churches and Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Easter on different dates. See also Easter Date Lesson Plan and Calculate the Date of Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday School Lessons
Several lesson ideas.
Easter Lesson
For ESL Students.
The Teacher's Guide: Arbor DayNational Arbor Day Foundation
Information from the Arbor Day Foundation.
Arbor Day Across the United States
A color-key map activity for grades 3-8 from Education World.
Go to my Life Science/Biology Page for many lesson plans on trees/forestry.
Earth Day Lesson Plans
Many lesson ideas from Education World.
Celebrate Earth Day
From Scholastic.Earth Day - Every Day
Information, links, and a list of lesson plans from the Donns.
May
May Day Activities and Crafts
See also May Day/Beltaine.
Cinco de Mayo
Several lesson ideas from Scholastic.Cinco de Mayo Activities
From Education World. See also Celebrate Mother's Day in a New Way.
Cinco de Mayo
A study guide with information, discussion questions, resources, and extended activities from the History Channel.
Today is Cinco de Mayo
Information and an activity for grades 7-12 from Read-Write-Think.
Mother's Day Lesson Plan
From El Civics.
Mother's Day Story
A lesson pan for grades K-2.
Famous Mothers
A lesson plan for grades 9-12
53 FREE Mother's Day Worksheets
From Busy Teacher.
Mother's Day Arts and Crafts
From KinderArt.
Mother's Day Sunday School Lesson
For grades K-2.
Mother's Day for Kids and Teachers
Information about Mother's Day and suggested classroom activities from Mr. Donn.
Memorial Day Lesson Plans
Memorial Day Lesson Plan
A high-quality lesson from the National Constitution center.
Memorial Day Lesson Ideas
Ideas for all grade levels from NEA.Memorial Day Lesson Ideas
Different from the above, these ideas are from Education World.
Memorial Day Is Observed in the United States Today
Information and an Activity from Read-Write-Think.
7 Memorial Day facts You Probably Didn't Know
A good source of information for lesson planning.Memorial Day
Information and linksJune
Flag Day Lesson Plan
An Internet-based lesson from Education World.Father's Day Brainstorming and Writing
A lesson plan from Teachervision.com.
Father's Day Lesson Plan
Ramadan
From elcivics, this lesson plan is primarily for ESL.
An ESL lesson plan on the Islamic fast of Ramadan. See also What Is Ramadan? For information about Ramadan, go to Ramadan: The Fasting Month for the Moslems.
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