Teaching world celebrations beyond the tourist approach, grades 3–5

1. Name the celebration and ask: "Who celebrates it?" For Lunar New Year, find China, Vietnam (where it is called Tết) and South Korea (Seollal) on the map, and note that people celebrate it in many other countries too, including the United States.
2. Ask: "Does every family celebrate the same way?" Read or watch a source that shows different families or places.
3. Ask: "What is everyday life like the rest of the year?" Students find one fact about school, work, sports or food in one of those countries.
4. Ask: "What do we want to know, and who could tell us accurately?" Invite a family speaker only if they volunteer, and never single out a student to represent a culture.
5. Students write one thing they learned and one question they still have.

Differentiation: students who need support answer two of the questions with a partner. Students who are ready compare two celebrations of the new year from different calendars. English learners can share how their own family marks the new year if they want to.

Quick check: ask a student to name two countries where Lunar New Year is celebrated and one thing about everyday life there.

Join the conversation: How do you teach world celebrations so students see real, everyday people and not only costumes and food? What has worked in your classroom?