Chanukah Suncatcher

1. The Jewish holiday of Chanukah means many things. Some people recommit to their faith. Others retell the holiday’s historic stories. Many Hebrew families gather with loved ones. Some symbols associated with the holiday include the Star of David, oil lamps, menorahs, and dreidels. Here is one way for students to make a suncatcher to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
2. Fold sturdy construction paper in half. Using a bowl as a template, trace a circle with Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils. With Crayola Scissors, cut out both circles at the same time (start by poking a hole inside the circle). Erase any stray colored pencil marks.
3. Place colored tissue paper inside the construction paper "sandwich." Secure it to one side with a Crayola Glue Stick. Glue ribbon inside the folded paper. Glue the sides together. With Crayola Metallic Colored Pencils, decorate the suncatcher with Chanukah symbols. You could also cut paper symbols and glue them on the suncatcher.

LA: Read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the complexity band proficiently.

LA: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade level topic or subject area.

LA: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

LA: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to the situation.

SS: Use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools to generate, manipulate, and interpret information.

SS: Explore and describe similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and cultures address similar human needs and concerns.

SS: Identify and describe ways family, groups, and community influence the individual's daily life and personal choices.

VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.

VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of ideas.

VA: Describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts.

Possible classroom resource: Festival of Lights: The Story of Hanukkah by Maida Silverman

Students investigate the uniqueness of the Chanukah holiday. Ask a community member to visit with the class and share his knowledge of the origins and traditions of the holiday. Prior to the visit, students compose questions. After the visit, students post to a class blog about their new knowledge.

Students investigate winter holidays from other religious groups, identifying the origins and traditions associated with these holidays. Organize research into a presentation to share with classmates.