Teacher+Resources

Here is a list of resources that may be helpful to teachers using these lesson plans.

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 * This is a link to the History Channel's history of Santa Clause. It describes the relation of Santa to St. Nicholas. It then moves to the description of modern Santa Clause. Santa Clause was Americanized by many artists to be depicted as what he is today. This site also describes what a major component in holiday shopping he has become. Santa Clause is vital to this country's economy and the holiday season.

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 * This is a link about the history of Christmas from the History Channel. It talks about every piece of information leading up to the formation of Christmas as a national holiday, major pastime of Americans, and huge pop culture event. It describes the origins from Saturnalia, the Roman holiday worshiping the God of Saturn. This occurred in December, as did Juvenalia, another holiday celebrated in December. It then describes the adoption of Christmas from a European holiday to an American holiday. The history of the Christmas Carol is included, which is a major piece of holiday literature. It ends with the way Christmas is celebrated now.

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 * This is a link about the history of Kwanzaa from the History Channel. It gives an overview of the holiday of Kwanzaa and how it was developed. Kwanzaa is an interesting holiday because it is fairly new and was developed by one person and not by tradition. It is a holiday that celebrates the culture and heritage of African Americans. It explains the Seven Principles and the Seven Symbols.

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 * This is a link about the history of Hanukkah from the History Channel. It gives an overview of the Jewish faith and the reasons why this holiday is celebrated. It tells the story of the Hanukkah miracle which is something everyone should know. There is also a section on the traditions associated. This is helpful with the lesson about Hanukkah because it explains some of the activities done in class.

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 * This is a video from the University of Minnesota by professor Keith Mayes. Mayes is a professor of African-American tradition. The video is Expert Perspectives series at the University of Minnesota. He discusses the history of Kwanzaa and all the traditions and values associated with it. This can be helpful with the Kwanzaa lesson in this unit.

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 * This is a link about the history and rules of the Hanukkah dreidel game. It explains all the symbols that are on the sides of the piece.

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 * This is a link about the history of Santa Clause from a British website. This can be interesting to see the differences in the way Englanders view Santa Clause as opposed to Americans. It can be helpful in the Christmas lesson and the holiday tradition lesson.