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Because people eat lots of cookies this time of the year

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By completing this challenge and sharing you are helping us raise awareness of mesothelioma - aka asbestos cancer.

Despite its UK ban in 1999, asbestos-related illnesses still claim 107,000 lives a year.

13 people die every day in the UK, yet asbestos can STILL be found in over 50% of UK homes, 9 out of 10 hospital trusts and over 70% of UK schools!

There is no safe level of asbestos exposure...and mesothelioma presents its symptoms 20-40 years later..usually too late.

Asbestos cancer is terminal. There is still no cure with very little funding.. so we're aiming to fund a cure via research.

Huge thanks for reading and helping us.

Team Erase Meso x

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By completing this challenge and sharing you are helping us raise awareness of mesothelioma - aka asbestos cancer. Despite its UK ban in 1999, asbestos-related illnesses still claim 107,000 lives a year. 13 people die every day in the UK, yet asbestos can STILL be found in over 50% of UK homes, 9 out of 10 hospital trusts and over 70% of UK schools!

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Creating a Kahoot Game laying out concise pockets of information on the winter holidays celebrated by our classmates, followed by a conversation on how they personally celebrate the occasion.

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A reference to traditions around lunar new year

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This article was most recently revised and updated by

Lunar New Year, festival typically celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, so the dates of the holiday vary slightly from year to year, beginning some time between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars. Approximately 10 days before the beginning of the new lunar year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to remove any bad luck that might be lingering inside, a custom called "sweeping of the grounds." Traditionally, New Year's eve and New Year's day are reserved for family celebrations, including religious ceremonies honouring ancestors. Also on New Year's day, family members receive red envelopes ( lai see) containing small amounts of money. Dances and fireworks are prevalent throughout the holidays, culminating in the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the last day of the New Year's celebrations. On this night colourful lanterns light up the houses, and traditional foods such as yuanxiao (sticky rice balls that symbolize family unity), fagao (prosperity cake), and yusheng (raw fish and vegetable salad) are served.

The origins of the Lunar New Year festival are thousands of years old and are steeped in legends. One legend is that of Nian, a hideous beast believed to feast on human flesh on New Year's day. Because Nian feared the colour red, loud noises, and fire, red paper decorations were pasted to doors, lanterns were burned all night, and firecrackers were lit to frighten the beast away.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Adam Augustyn.

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Lunar New Year | Traditions, Legend, & Facts

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Lunar New Year, festival typically celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. The dates of the holiday vary from year to year, beginning some time between January 21 and February 20.

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6th grade community meeting- Judaism in Africa

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6th grade community meeting- Judaism in Africa

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Made a calendar that is on google classroom, where students can click on each day as we count down to winter break and it shows different videos or games related to the holidays.

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The Proud Family - Kwanzaa Episode

Kid-friendly show about the history and traditions of Kwanzaa

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The PROUD Family Season 1 Episode 11 (S01 E11) - Seven Days of Kwanzaa | Full Screen

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Just the start of an idea, but building a task around the length of day based on the time of year and how longitude effects the amount of daylight, particularly during the winter and summer solstice. This might also delve into the idea of summer/winter seasons in the northern and southern half of the planet. Or how the length of daylight affects the different regions, their celebrations (of the various winder holidays), and how the two are or are not connected.

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alice

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Each year, hundreds of volunteers join us on the Day of Service for service projects throughout Baltimore

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After seeing a teacher do it on intervisitations, I'm starting to put emojis next to student names who have either participated or have their camera on- but keeping the theme of holidays! So I want to start talking about how the emoji represents one of the holidays, and what it is to raise that awareness in a fun way that they'll get reminded about during their morning/afternoon class!

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Alice - Making a Chinese New Year Dragon

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Alice - Making a Chinese New Year Dragon

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This connects to rigid transformations

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Make this gorgeous Chinese Dragon Craft to add a touch of good fortune and wealth to your home! Chinese Dragons are symbols of wealth, wisdom, power and nobility, they are a must to welcome the New Year and at all Chinese celebrations. Chinese Dragons are the ultimate "good luck" symbol!

Here we show you how to make this red and gold Chinese dragon, you can use it as decoration and it also makes a cute puppet.

Although all the steps are quite simple, it does take a little time since there is a lot of cutting and glueing together but the results are definitely worth it!

You can stick with the traditional red and gold theme as well as experiment with different colors, patterns and types of paper for more lively variations. Origami paper in oriental motifs also works nicely.

We have included templates you can use to trace all the different parts you will need to build the dragon.

So let's get started!

Materials needed:

Red paper for the body and head

Paper in a variety of colors, textures, patterns, gold, red, origami, etc.

Pencil and Black Marker

Scissors

Scissors with fun shape

Glue

Tape

Hole puncher

Paper/envelope fasteners

Bamboo Chopsticks

Template

Step 1:

Step 2:

Trace and cut in red paper:

Head 2 pieces

Body 4 pieces

Tail 2 pieces

In gold or white paper:

In black paper (optional, you can simply draw it with a black marker)

Step 3 - Making the Body and Tail:

Cut stripes of color paper about one inch wide using the fun shape scissors.

Use a variety of colors, textures, patterns, for a striking look

Step 4:

Glue the stripes to the body and tail, mixing colors and patterns, make sure it covers the body and don't worry about any excess, it will be trimmed on the next step.

Before you start glueing, pay special attention to which side of the body or tail to glue, you will need one front and one back piece rather than two of the same.

Step 5:

Cut any excess paper

Repeat with remaining body and tail pieces

Step 6:

Cut small triangles of red paper and glue a few pieces to the top of the body from the inside

Do the same with the tail

Step 7:

Tape one chopstick to the back of one of the tail pieces

Glue together both front and back pieces for the tail and body

Step 8 - Putting the Dragon head together:

Cut the eye or just draw it with a black marker

Cut the nostril or just draw it with a black marker

Cut the teeth and glue to one side only from the inside

Step 9:

Now let's decorate the head and make it a bit more colorful

Cut small "flame-like" pieces, same shape as the eye but smaller, in all the different papers

Glue to the head to create the "mane" of the dragon

Step 10:

Tape the other chopstick to the inside of the head

Glue the front and back of the head together, chopstick is in between.

Step 11 - Putting the Dragon Together:

You should now have all four pieces ready

Punch holes on the segments to put them together

The back of the head

Both ends of both body parts

The front of the tail

Step 12:

Join the segments using the paper fasteners through the holes

Your Chinese Dragon is ready!

Chinese Dragons are lucky symbols, here's to Good Fortune and Prosperity!

To learn more about Chinese Dragons click here!

More Easy Chinese Crafts - Try these next!

Let's Celebrate!

You can decorate easily with traditional or battery-operated lanterns, paper cuttings, lucky coins and banners to add a splash to the celebrations!

More Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations

Most Popular Excursions

Book with confidence! Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund

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Chinese Dragon Craft, easy and stunning!

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Make this gorgeous Chinese Dragon Craft to add a touch of good fortune and wealth to your home! Chinese Dragons are symbols of wealth, wisdom, power and nobility, they are a must to welcome the New Year and at all Chinese celebrations. Chinese Dragons are the ultimate "good luck" symbol!

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KWANZAA, the African-American cultural holiday conceived and developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, was first celebrated on December 26, 1966. Kwanzaa is traditionally celebrated from December 26 through January 1, with each day focused on Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles. Derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits", Kwanzaa is rooted in the first harvest celebrations practiced in various cultures in Africa. Kwanzaa seeks to enforce a connectedness to African cultural identity, provide a focal point for the gathering of African peoples, and to reflect upon the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles, that have sustained Africans. Africans and African-Americans of all religious faiths and backgrounds practice Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa was born out of the whirlwind of social and political changes of the sixties decade. The sixties represent one of many eras during which the African and African-American struggle for freedom and self-identity reached its historical peak, spawning multiple revolutionary movements.

By creating Kwanzaa, African-Americans sought to rectify the cultural and economic exploitation perpetrated against us during the months of October, November, and December (the Christmas season). During this season, corporate America typically ignored the quality of life concerns of African-Americans, yet encouraged participation in the commercialism of Christmas. Additionally, African-Americans did not observe a holiday that was specific to our needs. A review of the major holidays celebrated in the United States would reveal that not one related specifically to the growth and development of African-Americans. The development of Kwanzaa assumed a reassessment, reclaiming, recommitment, remembrance, retrieval, resumption, resurrection, and rejuvenation of the "Way of Life" principles recognized by African-Americans. These principles have strengthened African-Americans during our worldwide sojourn.

Today, Kwanzaa is recognized by millions throughout America and the world. It is celebrated often in community settings provided by homes, churches, mosques, temples, community centers, schools, and places of work. Kwanzaa allows us to celebrate the season without shame or fear of embracing our history, our culture, and ourselves.

Kwanzaa is a spiritual, festive and joyous celebration of the oneness and goodness of life, which claims no ties with any religion.

The focus of Kwanzaa is centered around the seven principles (Nguzo Saba) with particular emphasis on the unity of our Black families. It is a time for gathering of our families, and for a rededication to manifesting the principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba) as a way of life for Black Americans.

Kwanzaa has definite principles, practices and symbols which are geared to the social and spiritual needs of African-Americans. The reinforcing gestures are designed to strengthen our collective self-concept as a people, honor our past, critically evaluate our present and commit ourselves to a fuller, more productive future.

Kwanzaa is a way of life; not just a celebration. As a living social practice, it is a week of actual remembering, reassessing, recommitting, rewarding and rejoicing. For evaluation of ourselves and our history, we relate to our past, reassess our thoughts and practices, and recommit ourselves to the achievement of Black liberation and the betterment of life for all Black Americans.

Finally, the concept of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday, is to help Black Americans relate to the past in order to understand the present and deal with the future.

This is on-line Kwanzaa Information Center is designed to provide you with vital information to help in your understanding of the concept of Kwanzaa.

Whenever new information is presented to an individual or a group of people, the information must be accurate, clear and have a specific meaning for that particular individual or particular group. Therefore, the information should be presented in a specific format and should include certain factors. These factors are:

GoalsThe things that will be achieved.

To develop self and facilitate a positive Black self-esteem by exposing individuals to "KWANZAA", a culturally desirable pattern of principles, to help them live their lives and to encourage the highest level of positive Black self-esteem and spiritual development. To establish a culturally oriented "WAY OF LIFE."

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KWANZAA, the African-American cultural holiday conceived and developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, was first celebrated on December 26, 1966. Kwanzaa is traditionally celebrated from December 26 through January 1, with each day focused on Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles.

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Math. In 1997, the U.S. Postal Service printed 133 million Kwanzaa stamps. At $.32 each, how much did 10 stamps cost? ($3.20) How much did one sheet (50 stamps) cost? ($16.00) How much money in all did the stamps bring in? (133 million stamps X .32 = $42,560,000.00) In 2004, a new 37-cent Kwanzaa stamp was made available. At $.37 each, how much did 10 stamps cost? ($3.70) How much did a sheet of 20 stamps cost? ($7.40) How much more did 10 stamps cost in 2004? ($.50)

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Habari Gani? Those Swahili words, meaning What's the News?, may soon become as familiar a holiday message as Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy New Year. For Habari Gani? is the ritual greeting of Kwanzaa and Kwanzaa is the world's fastest-growing holiday.

This year, millions of people are expected to celebrate Kwanzaa, a non-religious event honoring African American culture and community. The holiday was created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, an African American scholar and activist. Discouraged by the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and dismayed by the 1965 Watts riots, Karenga based the ceremonies of Kwanzaa around the belief that lasting social change for black Americans would only come about through reacquainting African Americans with their cultural heritage and uniting them in a spirit of family and community.

Seven days, seven principles, seven symbols

Kwanzaa's seven days of celebration, which begin on December 26 and end on January 1, focus on seven principles or goals: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). The ultimate goal is that those principles, reviewed and reinforced during Kwanzaa, will become a way of life throughout the entire year.

The word Kwanzaa is derived from Swahili words meaning "first fruits of the harvest," and the holiday includes many elements of traditional African harvest celebrations. The most important symbols of Kwanzaa are:

the mishumaa -- seven candles (3 red, 3 green, 1 black), standing for Kwanzaa's seven principles

the kinara -- a candleholder, representing the stalk of corn from which the family grows

the mkeka -- a straw placemat, recalling tradition and history

the mazao -- a variety of fruit, symbolizing the harvest

the vibunzi -- an ear of corn for each child, celebrating the child's potential

the kikombe cha umoja -- a cup of unity, commemorating one's ancestors

the zawadi -- modest gifts, encouraging creativity, achievement, and success

Celebrating Kwanzaa

On each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa, celebrants gather to light the candles and share their thoughts about that day's principle. Each gathering includes discussions and activities representing Kwanzaa's five fundamental concepts:

unity of family, friends, and community

reverence for the creator and creation, which encompasses an appreciation of, and respect for, the environment

commemoration of the past, which includes honoring one's ancestors and valuing one's heritage

commitment to the cultural ideals of the African community, which include truth, justice, and mutual respect

a celebration of the "Good of Life" and appreciation for the blessings of achievement, family, and community

The most joyous and elaborate of Kwanzaa's gatherings takes place on December 31, the 6th day of the holiday period. On that night, a great feast (karamu) is held. Families and friends gather to eat, drink, sing, dance, and read stories and poems celebrating their cultural heritage. Everyone sips from the unity cup and many people exchange gifts.

Celebrating Kwanzaa in the classroom

Current events. Point out to students that in 1997 the U.S. Postal Service issued a Kwanzaa stamp to commemorate the holiday. An even newer Kwanzaa stamp was introduced on October 16, 2004. Talk about why the USPS might have issued Kwanzaa stamps in addition to its other holiday stamps. Ask students to search newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, or online resources for news stories related to Africa. Encourage students to share the news stories they find with their classmates. Identify on an Africa map the country(s) involved in those stories.

Geography/Maps. Display a large map of Africa or have students access an online map. Encourage students to study the map by asking them to count the countries, identify coastal and interior countries, find the southernmost country, and so on. Then provide each student with an outline map of Africa. Read aloud clues such as the country in the northeastern corner of the African continent is called Egypt as you write the word "Egypt" on the board. Ask students to label each country as the clue is read. Other clues might include the large island off the eastern coast of Africa is called Madagascar, the country called Libya borders Egypt to its west, and the easternmost country on the continent of Africa is Somalia. Have students compare their results with an accurate map.

Games. Arrange students into pairs to play a Mancala game. Students might even play this online version of the game.

Research and discussion. Discuss with students the many symbols associated with Kwanzaa. Explain that the three colors associated with Kwanzaa -- red, green, and black -- are also symbolic. Black stands for the unity of all black people. Green stands for freedom. Red represents the blood shed in the fight for freedom and unity. Point out that the colors are the same as those in the Bendera Ya Taifa, the African-American flag designed by Marcus Garvey in the early 1900s. Invite students to investigate the meaning of the colors and images in the United States flag and in other flags from around the world.

Home connection. Suggest that students and other family members assemble a "family album" of photographs or original drawings. Encourage students to interview adult family members and then write a news story about one of their ancestors. Students might construct a family tree, prepare a recipe representing their cultural heritage, or write a letter to another family member describing a favorite family memory.

Critical thinking. You might ask students: Why do people celebrate holidays? What symbols are part of the holidays you celebrate? What can you share about your ethnic or cultural heritage? How might knowledge of, and appreciation for, the past affect the future?

Puzzles. Try a Kwanzaa word search. On this Web page you will find a number of word puzzles.

Art. Make a Kwanzaa greeting card. Distribute heavy paper and crayons or colored markers. Ask students to create a Kwanzaa card to send to a friend or family member. Remind them to decorate their cards with appropriate African images or with symbols of Kwanzaa. Encourage them to include a greeting that reflects the spirit and purpose of the holiday. Students might like to write their greeting in English and in Swahili.

More art. Provide students with rulers, pencils, scissors, glue or tape, and red, green, and black construction paper. Print and distribute the detailed directions from the Weave a Kwanzaa mat web page so students can make their own Kwanzaa mats.

Math. In 1997, the U.S. Postal Service printed 133 million Kwanzaa stamps. At $.32 each, how much did 10 stamps cost? ($3.20) How much did one sheet (50 stamps) cost? ($16.00) How much money in all did the stamps bring in? (133 million stamps X .32 = $42,560,000.00) In 2004, a new 37-cent Kwanzaa stamp was made available. At $.37 each, how much did 10 stamps cost? ($3.70) How much did a sheet of 20 stamps cost? ($7.40) How much more did 10 stamps cost in 2004? ($.50)

Read aloud. Read aloud examples of African or African-American poetry. Younger children may enjoy poems from Scholastic's anthology African-American Poetry for Children or from the collection In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers (illustrated by Jack Steptoe). Older students may appreciate selections from Black Out Loud: An Anthology of Modern Poems by Black Americans, edited by Arnold Adoff or The Black Family Pledge by Maya Angelou.

Language/Writing. Read aloud from Langston Hughes' Sweet and Sour Animal Book and then tell children they are going to create their own alphabet-based poetry book(s). Assign a letter to each child or allow each child to pick a letter. Choose an appropriate theme, such as Kwanzaa, Africa, holidays, or December. Have each child write and illustrate a poem on that theme. Explain that the poem should begin with, or prominently feature, their assigned letter. Use yarn to combine the poems into a book.

Related resources

Kwanzaa: Everything You Always Wanted to Know But Didn't Know Where to Ask, by Cedric McClester (Gumbs and Thomas) includes information about the history, symbols, and celebrations of Kwanzaa.

More Kwanzaa links on the Internet

The history of Kwanzaa
Maintained by CNN Interactive, the site provides factual, news-based information about the history, symbolism, and celebrations of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa Information Center
The Kwanzaa Information Center is a year-round site offering in-depth background information about the holiday and its origins, specific suggestions for celebrating Kwanzaa, a calendar of Kwanzaa events, a chat room, and many additional Kwanzaa links.

From the Education World archive

Don't miss Education World's December holidays archive page. There you will find dozens of ideas for teaching about the holidays as well as craft activities, resources, and more.

Article by Linda Starr
Education World®
Copyright © 2016 Education World

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Kwanzaa Lesson: Habari Gani (What's the News)? | Education World

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Habari Gani? Those Swahili words, meaning What's the News?, may soon become as familiar a holiday message as Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy New Year. For Habari Gani? is the ritual greeting of Kwanzaa and Kwanzaa is the world's fastest-growing holiday.

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Learn about unique traditions, celebrations, and holidays that occur around the world.