Inquiry Design Model (IDM) Blueprint™

Compelling What United States holidays are celebrated in other countries? How are they celebrated?
Question

1.C.1.1 Compare the language, traditions, and holidays of various culture.

1.C.1.2 Use literature to help people understand diverse cultures.
Standards 1.H.1.2 Explain the importance of folklore and celebrations and their impact on local
and Practices communities.
W1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the
topic, and provide some sense of closure.
Brainstorm as many holiday traditions your family has as possible. Traditions from any holiday will do. A
class list of holiday tradition will be made.
Staging the Next, we will watch Holidays Around the World Video We will add to our anchor chart on holiday
Question traditions
Last, we will watch this fun video: Holiday Greetings Around the World Students will have a chance to
practice these holiday greetings.

Supporting Supporting Supporting Supporting Supporting

Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5

How do people in Germany How do people
celebrate Christmas?
celebrate Kwanzaa and
Hanukkah?
How do people in How does Chinese
How do people in Spain
Sweden celebrate culture celebrate the
celebrate the new year?
Christmas? new year?

Formative Formative Formative Summative

Taking Informed Action
Performance Task Performance Task Performance Task Performance Task

Students will construct

Students will write an
informative piece about a
holiday tradition using the
facts they have gathered.
Students will fill out a Students will create a an argument about Students will present
Venn diagram poster presentation whether a certain their posters at a world
comparing their about one specific holiday’s traditions are holiday fair to other
traditions to others’ holiday tradition. similar or different to students and their
traditions. their own traditions families.
and explain why.

Featured Sources Featured Sources Featured Sources Featured Sources Featured Sources

Christmas in Germany Hanukkah Video Christmas in Sweden The Story of Chinese New Year Tradition in
Video Video New Year video Spain article
Hanukkah book
Sweden book (pg.24) Chinese New Year
Kwanzaa Video
book

Grant, Lee, and Swan, 2014

 Kwanzaa book

Are American holidays similar or different from other countries or cultures’ holidays? Students
will summarize their learning by using the question stem, “________(holiday) is
Argu (different/similar) to my own holiday traditions. They will choose a holiday to write about and
ment
will explain why this holiday is similar or different from their own.
Summative
Performance
Task
Students can publish their argument to their SeeSaw digital portfolio in order to publish it for an
Exten authentic audience. If possible, students may publish their argument to the classroom SeeSaw
sion blog and connect with an international class to receive feedback on their ideas.

Understand: Students will investigate different holidays from other cultures and countries. They will
analyze the similarities and differences between these holiday traditions and their own.

Taking Assess: Students will examine a holiday tradition and construct an argument on whether their holiday
Informed traditions are similar or different to this tradition.
Action

Act: Students will create a poster presentation on a new holiday tradition they learned about during the
unit. They will present their poster to peers and family members at a grade-level holiday fair.

Grant, Lee, and Swan, 2014