• In this lesson, students, working in pairs, will choose the holiday that they will research and will begin the research process. Introduce the book Celebrate! Connections Among Cultures by Jan Reynolds, if available. Explain that while every culture has its own reasons for celebrating and special traditions, there are many commonalities. Have students conduct research on the holiday or festival of their choice, paying close attention to the following themes from the book and how they relate to their chosen holiday:
  
  1. When we celebrate we eat and drink (food and drink);
  2. When we celebrate we decorate ourselves (special clothing);
  3. When we celebrate we play music (special music);
  4. When we celebrate we dance (dance, pageants, events or parades);
  5. When we celebrate we use "fire" (light and decorations).
     
     
• Provide each student pair with five large index cards (notebook paper or preprinted documents will work too) and instruct them to write the above topic titles, one on each card. Students will put the information that they find, and the source, on these cards.
  
  
• As a whole class activity, brainstorm a list of possible sources for the holiday and festival research. Ask students to think about what kind of information they are going to need and where they can find it. The list might include: books, websites, magazines, videos, expert interviews, maps, etc. Accept all answers as this is a brainstorming session. Circle the best choices. See Related Resources for specific resources that will be helpful in this stage of the project.
  
  
• You may want to introduce ePals student forums as a source for first hand information from students who celebrate various festivals and holidays. Students with ePals access can post specific questions on the forums and, as ePals is a global community, students from around the world can answer their questions. ePals Student Talk Forums can be found?here.? Students will need to be logged in to post questions. The best forums for these types of questions are?Culture,?Homework Help?and?Looking for Information on??
  
  

Allow student pairs as much time as needed for research of their holiday or festival, providing support as needed. As students find information they should record it on the appropriate index card along with its source. Email Exchange: Share with your ePal what holiday or festival you have chosen to research and what avenues you plan to pursue to find your information. If your ePal lives in a country that celebrates this holiday or festival ask him/her for information about how it is celebrated.

? Project Elements: Part 3 | Project Elements: Part 5 ?