This lesson was planned to introduce American holidays to the students in Level II culture class. The students were assigned to watch video clips in which native speakers talk about how they celebrate a holiday and then answer questions provided by the teacher. The video clips taped by the teacher were authentic materials and became an alternative way for the students to listen to Americans talking about a subject. After they finished answering the questions, they also checked their answer with other students practicing speaking skills. Except for two students, all students were able to complete the task within the class hour.

• Lesson Plan
• Student Handout: Holiday Questions
• Student Handout: Vocabulary List
• Handout: Clip Scripts

LessonPlan

Class & Level: Culture II (computer lab)
Objectives:
Students will be able to listen for understanding the general idea.
Students will be able to recognize that individuals celebrate differently on holidays.
Students will be able to build vocabulary related to holidays.
Students will be able to acknowledge how Americans use body language when they talk.
Vocabulary: Vocabulary list
Materials Needed: worksheet, video clips, vocabulary list
Procedure:

• Warm-up/Review (5 min): The students will learn how to pronounce some words on the vocabulary list online.
• Introduction (2 min): The teacher will explain to the students that they are going to watch video clips and answer questions about Americans’ celebrating holidays.
• Presentation: video clips (30 min): The students will be given a worksheet and will access video files saved in the teacher’s folder. They will watch the video clips and answer questions about how some Americans celebrate a holiday.
• *The teacher has a written transcription of the video clips. Students who have trouble understanding what is said in the clips can ask the teacher to show them the script.
• Practice: Pair work (5 min)
  The students who finish early will check their answer with the teacher or their classmates.
• Application: (8 min)
  The students will research a holiday.
• Evaluation: The teacher will check students’ understanding by having themcompleting the worksheet.
• Contingency Plan: Eleven CDs saving the video clips will be prepared in case the saved files in the teacher’s folder do not work.
• Homework: Find pictures and information about one of holidays listed in the book. The students will present them in the class then.

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Student Handout: Holiday Questions

Date: _____________________

Name: ____________________

I. Watch the video clips and answer the following questions.

Independence Day

1. When is Independence Day?
2. Who does she usually stay with on Independence Day?
3. Where does her family live?
4. What kind of food does she have on Independence Day?
5. Why does she eat potato salad on this day?
6. What does she do when the sun sets?
7. What size of fireworks does she set off?

Thanksgiving Day

1. Why is Thanksgiving one of his favorite holidays?
2. How often does he see his family?
3. What are some his traditional food on Thanksgiving?
4. What are some desserts he has on this day?

Valentine’s Day

1. Who is Valentine’s Day for?
2. Who is Valentine’s Day named after?
3. What do people do on Valentine’s Day?
4. When is Valentine’s Day?
5. What does she say about Valentine’s Day related to the winter?

Halloween Day

1. What are two different levels of Halloween that she talks about?
2. What do kids do on Halloween?
3. Where do kids buy their costumes?
4. In modern days, do kids walk around the neighborhood during day or night?
5. What do adults do on Halloween?

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Student Handout: Vocabulary List
Date: ___________________

Name: __________________

* Write the definition of the words. Don’t forget bring this to the lab tomorrow!

Independence Day
definitely
fireworks (image)
come over
set off

Thanksgiving Day
spread out
get together
serve
break up the monotony
ritual
dough
pecan (image)
broccoli (image)
casserole (image)

Valentine’s Day
affection
tend to
shade

Halloween Day
costumes
tampering with
hang around
bobbing for apples
fake
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Handout: Clip Scripts
Independence Day
On the fourth of July, I usually spend it with my family. My family lives in New York State. Not too far away from Canadian border. We live on the lake. All of my cousins come and my sister and her family and my mom and dad and my grandparents. We have barbeque of course out by the lake. We have hot dogs and hamburgers. We always have potato salad because that is the summer American salad at least in the Northeast. Especially on the fourth of July, we definitely have potato salad. So we eat together and we go swimming. When the sun sets, we get out our fireworks. All of our neighbors come over. We set off small fireworks not really big ones. We sit around the lake and we watch other people setting off fireworks, so the fireworks are going off all around the lake. Sometimes we go out on our boat and watch the fireworks that may be in the town at the end of the lake is setting off and it’s a lot of fun!

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is time when all of the family comes together. My family spread out all over the United States, so I don’t get to see my family but two or three times a year. Thanksgiving is one of the times when I especially like to get together with them. We have some traditional food must be served on Thanksgiving. You must have turkey, of course. Now occasionally we will have ham just to break up the monotony. Another thing that is a must are dinner rules. We have a ritual where we all sit around the table and we take the dough from the rolls and we talk and tell jokes as we roll the dough into little balls and place them in the pan. That’s the tradition that our family has for many years both on Christmas and Thanksgiving. We also have a pumpkin pie, a pecan pie for dessert and broccoli casserole.

Valentine’s Day
Today, I am gonna talk about Valentine’s Day. It’s a day for boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, or people who care about each other to express their affection for each other. It’s named after St. Valentine and the holiday actually dates back to thousands of years of Greek times even before the Catholic Church. People on Valentine’s Day tend to, people of all years, tend to send cards, they send flowers, they send candies, especially chocolate, that’s classic one. The colors of things associated with Valentine’s Day are red, pink, white and different shades of purple, so all the warm colors. And the part of effect of the holiday, which is always February 14, is that it happens at the end of the winter. So things are.. in other parts of country.. things are cold and snowy.. Then, you have this stay full of hearts and angels and decorations. It, just kind of warms up the winter with love.

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