2.8 Some festive days

English home language

Grade 4

Children like me

Module 15

Some festive days

Time to go to the library - this may be in your school building, in a public building or on your computer. You need to go searching!

Activity 1

To do research [lo 3.12]

Let us take a look at how children all around the world celebrate special events in their lives. Try to find out how the day originated and what people do to celebrate that special day. Make notes about what you find.

1. MOTHER’S DAY

2. EID UL-FITR

3. HALLOWE’EN

4. HANUKKAH

5. DIWALI

6. CHRISTMAS

(A book that will be of huge help to you with this exercise is “Children Just Like Me CELEBRATION!” by Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley)

FOR THE EDUCATOR: You might like to make this a group project. Maybe you have children of different religions in your class who would be able to give first hand information on these topics. Or you could invite guest speakers. Make this as much fun as possible with the opportunity to SHOW AND TELL and to DRESS UP and to EAT and to MAKE decorations and cards or invitations for each occasion. You could do the research this term and do the traditional celebration in the term in which it occurs.

Activity 2

To read and relate the text to own experience [lo 1.2]

Listen to the following poem about MOTHER’S DAY and then answer the questions by highlighting the best answer supplied below.

• Here is the poem about Mother’s Day for you to read and enjoy.

ON MOTHER’S DAY

On Mother’s Day we got up first,

so full of plans we almost burst.

We started breakfast right away

as our surprise for Mother’s Day.

We picked some flowers, then hurried back

to make the coffee - rather black.

We wrapped our gifts and wrote a card

and boiled the eggs - a little hard.

And then we sang a serenade,

which burned the toast, I am afraid.

But Mother said, amidst our cheers,

“Oh, what a big surprise, my dears.

I’ve not had such a treat in years.”

And she was smiling to her ears!

Aileen Fisher

Questions

1. Who got up first on Mother’s Day?

(a) Mother …….

(b) Gran …….

(c) the children …….

1. What was the surprise?

(a) breakfast …….

(b) flowers …….

(c) a song …….

1. Mother

(a) cried …….

(b) laughed …….

(c) smiled …….

1. The card was

(a) bought …….

(b) handmade …….

1. The flowers were

(a) freshly picked

(b) bought

6. What did they make for breakfast?

(a)

(b)

(c)

7. What did they give Mother?

(a)

(b)

(c)

8. What happened to the toast?

We have been noticing things that are SIMILAR and things that are DIFFERENT. Now try these word exercises.

Remember that words that mean the same are called SYNONYMS and words that have the opposite meanings are called ANTONYMS.

• Change the words in bold print to their antonym to make the sentence correct.

a. The boy put on his dress to go from the birthday party.

b. The foolish man carelessly spent all of his money.

Assessment

LEARNING OUTCOME 1: LISTENING The learner is able to listen for information and enjoyment, and respond appropriately and critically in a wider range of situations.

Assessment standard

We know this when the learner:

1.2 discusses the central idea and specific details of the text and relates them to own experience.

LEARNING OUTCOME 3: READING AND VIEWING The learner is able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and to respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts.

Assessment Standard

We know this when the learner:

3.12 selects relevant texts for own information needs, (e.g. dictionaries, children’s encyclopaedias and reference books).

Memorandum

Activity 2

1. (c)

2. (a)

3. (c)

4. (b)

5. (a)

6. (a) boiled eggs

(b) toast

(c) coffee

7. (a) gifts

(b) a card

(c) some flowers

8. They burned it.

a. boy - girl

his - her

from - to

b. foolish - wise (or other acceptable word)

man - woman

carefully - carelessly

spent - saved

his - her