Social Studies · Grade 1

Active learning ideas

Global Heritage Celebrations

Active learning works well for this topic because heritage celebrations connect deeply to personal identity and lived experience. When students share their own traditions and explore others through hands-on activities, they move beyond passive observation to genuine understanding. Movement, discussion, and creation help students recognize the universal values of joy, community, and tradition that unite diverse celebrations.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Heritage and Identity: Our Families and Stories - Grade 1

• 15–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Celebration Symbols

Students draw a symbol of a holiday they celebrate (a diya, a star, a cedar branch). These are posted around the room, and students circulate to find symbols that look different but represent similar feelings like 'light' or 'joy'.

Compare the celebrations your family enjoys with those of others.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, assign each group a quiet zone where they can observe without interruption, allowing them to focus on details before discussing.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'What is one thing you learned about another family's celebration that surprised you?' Encourage students to share specific details and explain why it was surprising, connecting it to their own family traditions.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why We Celebrate

Students think of their favorite holiday food or activity. They pair up to describe it to a friend and then work together to find one thing their celebrations have in common.

Explain why different families celebrate different holidays.

Facilitation Tip

For the Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence stems to help students frame their responses, such as 'This celebration matters because...' or 'I connect to this tradition because...'.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple chart with two columns: 'My Family's Celebrations' and 'Other Families' Celebrations.' Ask them to draw or write one example in each column, focusing on a specific activity or food item.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 35 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Planning a Feast

In small groups, students 'plan' a community feast. They must include one food or tradition from each group member's heritage, practicing negotiation and inclusive decision-making.

Assess what we can learn from each other's celebrations.

Facilitation Tip

When running the Simulation, set a timer for planning so students practice decision-making under realistic time constraints.

What to look for

Ask students to write or draw one symbol or object that represents a celebration they learned about today. Below it, they should write one sentence explaining what that symbol or object means to the people who celebrate it.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic with cultural humility, recognizing that celebrations are not 'exotic' but integral parts of students' lives. Avoid framing celebrations as 'fun facts' about cultures—focus instead on the values they uphold. Research shows that students learn best when they see their identities reflected in curriculum, so invite students to lead discussions about their own traditions whenever possible.

Successful learning looks like students confidently sharing their family traditions while also listening with curiosity to peers. They should be able to explain not just what a celebration includes, but why it matters to the people who observe it. By the end, students will see cultural celebrations as living practices rather than static traditions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students assuming their family’s calendar is the only one that matters.

  Use the 'Year of Celebrations' visual to guide students in placing their own family celebrations on a class timeline, then explicitly compare to others to highlight differences in timing and meaning.

• During the Think-Pair-Share, listen for students describing celebrations as just food or gifts.

  Provide sentence stems that emphasize values, such as 'This celebration honors...' or 'People gather to remember...' to redirect conversations toward deeper purposes.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share
• Simulation Game