Social Studies · Grade 2

Active learning ideas

Global Celebrations in Canada

Active learning helps students connect cultural traditions to their own lives by moving beyond textbook descriptions. When students share their own experiences or investigate local celebrations, they see how global customs shape Canadian communities in tangible ways.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: People and Environments: Global Communities - Grade 2

• 15–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Peer Teaching
• 50 min · Small Groups

Peer Teaching: Celebration Experts

Students who celebrate a specific global holiday (or those who want to research one) create a 'mini-booth' using a shoebox. They then 'teach' small groups of classmates about the most important parts of that celebration.

Compare global celebrations observed in Canada to those in their countries of origin.

Facilitation Tip

During Peer Teaching: Celebration Experts, assign each expert pair a specific celebration so students prepare focused, accurate information to share.

What to look for

Provide students with a graphic organizer with two columns: 'Celebration A' and 'Celebration B'. Ask them to list two similarities and two differences between the celebrations, focusing on activities or foods.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Theme Hunt

Provide groups with short descriptions of three different global celebrations. Students must find one thing all three have in common (e.g., 'They all use special lights' or 'They all have a special meal') and share it with the class.

Explain how diverse celebrations enrich Canadian society.

Facilitation Tip

While students complete Collaborative Investigation: The Theme Hunt, circulate to clarify that themes like 'light' might appear in different forms across celebrations.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How does learning about celebrations like Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Eid make our classroom and school a more welcoming place?' Encourage students to share specific examples of how understanding different traditions fosters respect.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: A New Celebration to Learn

Students look at a global calendar of festivals. They pick one they have never heard of and share with a partner one question they would like to ask someone who celebrates it.

Assess the role of celebrations in fostering cultural understanding.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: A New Celebration to Learn, provide sentence starters to help students articulate connections between new celebrations and ones they already know.

What to look for

Show images or short video clips of different global celebrations. Ask students to identify the celebration and name one key element (e.g., a specific food, decoration, or activity) they observe.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should ground these lessons in local examples first, using neighborhood events or community centers as starting points. Avoid assuming prior knowledge; instead, build understanding by comparing celebrations side-by-side. Research shows that when students connect new cultural knowledge to their own experiences, retention and empathy both increase.

Students will recognize that global celebrations are lived experiences in Canada, not just distant traditions. They will identify common themes like light, food, and family across cultures and explain why these themes matter to people who practice them.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Peer Teaching: Celebration Experts, watch for students who assume celebrations like Diwali or Lunar New Year are only celebrated in their countries of origin.

  Ask experts to include examples of local celebrations, such as a Toronto Diwali market or a Vancouver Lunar New Year parade, to emphasize that these traditions are part of Canadian life.

• During Collaborative Investigation: The Theme Hunt, watch for students who generalize that 'all people from India celebrate Diwali in the same way.'

  Direct students to compare two different sources about Diwali observances, such as a Hindu family’s celebration and a Sikh celebration of Bandi Chhor Divas, to highlight regional and religious diversity.

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Methods used in this brief

• Peer Teaching
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share