Hanukkah: Festival of Lights
A variety of activities including games, cooking, worksheets, art projects, and stories introduce students to the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.
A lesson plan for grade 1 Social Studies
Learn more
Related pages
- Family traditions: This lesson is a follow-up to the lesson “Who's Your Mama? A Family Who's Who” and is mainly based on The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant; therefore, family structure including titles or roles is assumed to be prior knowledge for this lesson.
- Teaching about Thanksgiving: Resources and activities to help you bring historical accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and a broader context to discussions about the quintessentially American holiday.
- All About ME: Likenesses & Differences: This lesson will help to enhance the self-esteem of students by focusing on each child's individual differences.
Related topics
- Learn more about Hanukkah, Judaism, hands-on, holidays, read-alouds, religion, social studies, and tradition.
Help
Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.
Legal
The text of this page is copyright ©2008. See terms of use. Images and other media may be licensed separately; see captions for more information and read the fine print.
Learning outcomes
Students will actively participate in Hanukkah activities and lessons. They will be able to verbally share the traditions of Hanukkah with others.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
5 Days
Materials/resources
Day 1
- What is Hanukkah? by Harriet Ziefert
- blue playdough
- white birthday candles
- gold and silver glitter
- 2″x12″ white cardboard strip
Day 2
- My Hanukkah Alphabet by Claudia Kunin
- q-tips
- dreidel squares
- 8×12 white paper
- blue paint
- dreidels (can be purchased at party stores)
- lima beans
Day 3
gelt - 20 per child
Day 4
- A Great Miracle Happened There by Karla Kuskin
- apples
- cinnamon
- crock pot
- plastic knives
- sharp knives-adults only
- wooden spoons
- measuring spoons
- potato masher
Day 5
- eggs
- milk
- cottage cheese
- salt
- oil
- flour
- onion
- potatoes
- mixing bowls
- wooden spoons
- blender
- electric frying pans
- spatula
- paper towels
- grater
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- plastic knives
- plastic spoons
- sharp knives-adults only
- paper plates
Pre-activities
Day 1
Gather materials, teacher (or students) make blue playdough and 2″x12″ white cardboard strips
Day 2:
Gather materials, teacher put together q-tip dreidels, set up dreidel game for each group
Day 3
Gather materials, make up a story problem sheet for teacher to use if desired
Day 4
Gather materials, ask for parent volunteers about a week before beginning the unit
Day 5
Gather materials, ask for parent volunteers about a week before beginning the unit
Activities
Day 1
- Discussion-ask students what they know about Hanukkah.
- Read What is Hanukkah? Discuss special vocabulary and the story.
- Distribute an equal amount of playdough per student. Sprinkle glitter on playdough. Let them work the glitter into the playdough. Allow some playtime!
- Guide students into making eight 1-inch balls and one 2-inch ball. Line up the nine balls on the white cardboard with the largest ball (shammash) in the middle.
- Give each child nine birthday candles (with the wicks cut off) to stand up in their menorahs. REMEMBER: Do not light the candles.
Day 2
- Review the previous lesson.
- Read My Hanukkah Alphabet.
- Distribute q-tip dreidels, paint, and paper. Practice spinning the dreidels (without paint). Dip the cotton end of the q-tip into the paint and spin them on paper to create swirling designs.
- Clean up areas.
- Divide class into groups of four. Give one wooden dreidel to each group and an even amount of lima beans to each child (about 20).
- How to play the Dreidel game:
- Each player puts a bean in the center of the circle. Child #1 spins the dreidel.
- If gimmel is up #1 takes all the beans. If hay is up #1 takes half the beans. If nun is up #1 takes no beans. If shin is up #1 adds one bean to the pot.
- Players take turns. Each turn is one game. Be sure each student gets the same number of turns. At the end the player with the most beans wins.
Day 3
Review the previous lessons. Discuss Hanukkah vocabulary. Use gelt to practice addition, subtraction, story problems, and fact families. Allow students to eat a piece of gelt.
Day 4
Review the previous lessons. Read A Great Miracle Happened There. Make applesauce. Simmer all day stirring occasionally. Store to serve with latkes tomorrow.
Day 5
Review the previous lessons. Make the latkes. Heat the applesauce. Serve latkes and applesauce together. Discuss what they have learned, liked, and disliked. Watch “A Rugrats Chanukah”.
Assessment
These activities can be assessed through teacher observation and the results of the finished product.
Supplemental information
Attachments:
Comments
My students love this unit-especially the cooking and eating part! At the beginning of the unit I hand out a Hanukkah packet filled with fun activities. Students work on it each day after they have finished all their work.
North Carolina curriculum alignment
Social Studies (2003)
Grade 1
- Goal 4: The learner will explain different celebrated holidays and special days in communities.
- Objective 4.01: Recognize and describe religious and secular symbols/celebrations associated with special days of diverse cultures.
- Objective 4.02: Explore and cite reasons for observing special days that recognize celebrated individuals of diverse cultures.
