Texas Performance Standards Project
OLIDAY PUON
ROPOSAL
EHVERYBODY
THEDM
OVE!
TOPIAN
ESTINATION
PRIMARY
PRIMARYTASKS
TASKS
INTERMEDIATE TASKS
$ £$ £Ψ
¥¢
¥¢
∑
MATHEMATICS
cot(πx)Ψ
SOCIAL STUDIES
SOCIAL
STUDIES
π
a+b=c
Texas
Standards
Project
TexasPerformance
Performance
Standards
Project
3
sinθ
K
32
KINDERGARTEN
GRADE
GRADE32
This guide links the Holiday Proposal unit to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for
kindergarteners. Holiday Proposal is a social studies unit that allows students to study important events
and individuals honored through national celebrations as well as discover shared traditions common to
the whole class. Holiday Proposal also has interdisciplinary connections to English language arts and fine
arts. For example, students will research information, draft ideas and communicate through word and
text, and work productively in teams, as outlined in the English language arts and reading TEKS. The
following document includes the applicable TEKS and the details of the Holiday Proposal unit. The final
section of this document presents the applicable Texas College and Career Readiness Standards adopted
by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on January 24, 2008.
Description of Unit
In this task, students will explore and analyze holidays. Students will examine various approaches to
celebrating national holidays as well as symbols and traditions. They will research how holidays are
related to important events and the contributions of individuals. Finally, their learning will culminate
with the creation of their own holiday complete with a full event plan, map, and budget describing the
celebration.
Goals
Students will meet these goals in their explorations:





Explain the purpose of national holiday celebrations.
Describe common activities occurring on these holidays and associated symbols and customs.
Develop a proposal for a new holiday celebrating an important event in the classroom.
Create an event plan, timeline, messaging materials, budget, and map for the celebration.
Work productively in teams to create and present original ideas.
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
1
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
Texas Performance Standards Project
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Teacher Directions
Additional Teacher
Preparation & Notes
Elicit
Lead students in a discussion about holidays. Ask students, “How
many holidays can we identify as a class? What are some things you
like about holidays? What are some of your favorite holidays?”
Ask students if they can identify national holidays that relate to
history and important contributions made by individuals in a society.
For example, you may wish to ask students where they were during
Independence Day and how they celebrated the event and write
down students’ answers for everyone to see similarities and
differences. National holidays celebrate important events in our
country’s history. Circles the holidays listed on the board that are
national holidays and add to the list any that students may have
missed.
Examples of national
holidays:
 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day, third Monday in
January
 George Washington's
Birthday, third Monday in
February
 Memorial Day, Last
Monday in May
 Flag Day–June 14
 Juneteenth–June 19
 Independence Day–July 4
 Labor Day - first Monday
in September
 Constitution Day–
September 17
 Columbus Day - second
Monday in October
 Veterans Day–November
11
Engage
Ask students to think about how they celebrate when good things
happen. Do they eat special food or go certain places? Holidays have
their own traditional celebrations.
Read a book about the history behind a national holiday such as
Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags by James Giblin (Independence Day). Ask
students to analyze why they think people celebrate this holiday with
parades and fireworks instead of by other means.
Play a video from the
Internet of an Independence
Day firework show, for
instance, to get students
excited about the topic.
Explore
Examine the purpose for other national holidays such as Constitution
Day and Veterans Day and how these two holidays relate to
Independence Day. Check to see if students can identify what the
Constitution is and why it was important to have a day to honor it.
Ask students, “What is a veteran? Why would we celebrate veterans?
What do these have in common with America’s independence?”
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
2
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
Suggested books related to
Veterans:
Pepper’s Purple Heart: A
Veterans Day Story by
Texas Performance Standards Project
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Consider reading one of the suggested books for each holiday.
Heather French Henry
Students split into small groups and make posters documenting
symbols and customs used to celebrate these three holidays
(Independence Day, Constitution Day, and Veterans Day).
After the first poster has been completed, ask students to work
together to create a second poster that highlights important
individuals related to the holiday depicted on the first poster (e.g.,
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams).
Veterans Day (Rookie ReadAbout Holidays) by
Jacqueline S. Cotton
In Flanders Field by Linda
Granfield
The Wall by Eve Bunting
Suggested books related to
the Constitution:
Shh We’re Writing the
Constitution by Jean Fritz
We the Kids The Preamble to
the Constitution of the United
States by David Catrow
Explain
Take a field trip to a local veteran’s memorial or project photos of
memorials like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC,
the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii and the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Wall.
Discuss different traditions for celebrations of holidays.
•
What foods are common to many celebrations? What foods
might be unique to individual families or cultures?
•
What colors, sights, and sounds represent different holidays?
•
What is the mood, tone, or feeling expressed by different
holidays?

What holidays might be celebrated by some people but not
others and in what ways are these celebrations different than
the national holidays?
Ask students to create a list of their favorite things about the holidays
they have discussed.
Elaborate (Phase II)
To introduce the project, share that the students will be in charge in
coming up with ideas for their own class holiday.
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
3
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
Prepare photos to project
ahead of time.
Texas Performance Standards Project
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Research process
1. Selecting a topic. In small groups, students brainstorm a list
of important events that have happened in their classroom
since they started the school year. Of these events, they
discuss which might be worthy of a proposed holiday. Who
are some important people in their classroom, families, or
school communities that they wish to honor through the
celebration? Students use a graphic organizer to collect
ideas, discuss them, and vote on which to pursue for their
plan.
2. Asking guiding questions. What will this holiday be named
and why will it be important to celebrate it? Who will be
honored and how? How will people know about the holiday
and the celebration? What symbols, customs, colors, sights
and sounds will mark this holiday? What games will be
played during the holiday? How will we use the entire
school grounds to educate people on the holiday’s
importance and organize the celebration?
3. Creating a research proposal. Small groups of students
develop a topic proposal for a new holiday, one that will be
celebrated on the school grounds and organized by this
kindergarten classroom.
4. Conducting the research. Conducting the research.
Students work with the teacher and librarian to develop a
map and timelines for the new holiday’s events. Students
research how parades are organized and develop a plan.
Students also research costs involved with funding the
celebration and create a budget.
5. Sharing findings. Each group presents its holiday proposal
to the class. Each student presents one area of the plan. For
instance, one student describes the timeline to classmates
and how they see the events unfolding. Another student
might discuss the costs and budget for the celebration. A
third student might discuss the artwork and music that tie
to the celebration. A fourth student explains how the
events map back to the floor plan so that the entire school
grounds are utilized in the celebration. The group should
take questions or comments at the end of the presentation.
The Q&A session should be impromptu and unscripted in
order to reflect student learning accurately.
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
4
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
You may assign group roles
to promote collaboration.
Texas Performance Standards Project
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Explain
The product
Each small group functions as an event planning team, creating
and developing the content, timeline, budget, and production
plan for the holiday. Students may wish to develop invitations
to the event and/or holiday cards that communicate their
message. Students might also design costumes, flags, or other
props as ways of conveying the special significance of their
holiday.
Communication
Each group presents the holiday proposal to classmates using
appropriate vocabulary and describing where events occur
relative to the location of the classroom. The group should take
questions or comments at the end of the presentation. The
Q&A session should be impromptu and unscripted in order to
reflect student learning accurately.
Evaluate
Use the TPSP Primary Rubric to assess each student’s learning.
Additionally, you may wish to develop self- or peer-assessments
based on the rubric that students could use to evaluate their
products.
A completed project includes all of the following:
1. Messaging materials such as invitations, flyers, posters,
and holiday cards
2. A timeline for the events of the day
3. Map of the school grounds where each part of the
celebration occurs
4. A list of supplies and budget for the celebration
5. Video or audio of the presentation, including the Q&A
session
In what ways did the student:





develop sophisticated, open-ended questions about the selfselected topic;
use a variety of sources that access advanced content and
include multiple perspectives;
collect data using the tools of the discipline;
analyze and interpret the data;
capture and apply their analysis through an original product;
and
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
5
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
The TPSP Primary Rubric can
be downloaded at
http://www.texaspsp.org/pri
mary/primaryassessment.php
Texas Performance Standards Project

HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
communicate his or her research findings, learning, and
ideas to an audience using the language of the discipline.
Extend
In Holiday Proposal, students are asked to design a class holiday. In
addition to celebrating the holiday, the following activities and
guiding questions could provide opportunities to extend student
leaning.
English Language Arts
You may wish to assign these
extension activities as
homework, journal prompts,
or as small group activities
that follow the holiday
presentations.
Ask students to use a book about a holiday that they read in class as
inspiration to write a book about the holiday they created. Students
may use themselves and/or classmates as the characters. Encourage
students to illustrate their books and share with the class.
Science
Are there any holidays that celebrate significant scientific discoveries?
What scientific events do you think deserve a national holiday? Who
was responsible for this discovery? What would you name the
holiday? What would be some ways we could celebrate this holiday?
What are some reasons scientific discoveries are more or less
important than the reasons we celebrate national holidays?
Math
What do you think is the oldest national holiday currently celebrated
in the United States? Students hypothesize and research the year the
holiday was first celebrated. They subtract from the current year to
find the holiday’s age. The class compares their predictions to see
which holiday is the oldest.
Students create a budget for their celebration. Costs of supplies can
be generalized with help from the teacher.
Students create a countdown to display the days remaining before
their holiday that can be hung in the classroom.
Resources
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/archive/xpeditions/lessons/13/gk2/eurounion.html?ar_a=1
http://www.ehow.com/info_8116165_winter-around-world-kindergarten-activities.html
http://www.mrsnelsonsclass.com/teacherresources/thematicunits/worldholidays.aspx
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/using-the-language-of-location/?ar_a=1
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/topics/graphic-organizer/?ar_a=1
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays
http://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/celebrate-holidays-usa
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
6
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
Texas Performance Standards Project
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
The unit may address the following TEKS:
English Language Arts and Reading:
K.1
K.2
K.3
K.4
K.5
K.6
K.8
K.9
K.10
K.11
K.12
K.13
K.14
K.15
K.16
K.17
K.18
K.19
K.20
K.21
K.22
K.23
Understands how English is written and printed
Displays phonological awareness
Uses the relationships between letters and sounds, spelling patterns, and morphological
analysis to decode written English
Comprehends a variety of texts drawing on useful strategies as needed
Understands new vocabulary and uses it correctly when reading and writing
Analyzes, make inferences and draws conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural,
historical, and contemporary contexts and provides evidence from the text to support their
understanding
Understands, makes inferences and draws conclusions about the structure and elements of
fiction and provides evidence from text to support their understanding
Analyzes, makes inferences and draws conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural,
historical, and contemporary contexts and provides evidence from the text to support their
understanding
Analyzes, makes inferences and draws conclusions about expository text, and provides evidence
from text to support their understanding
Understands how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents
Uses comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in
various forms to impact meaning
Uses elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to
compose text
Writes literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events,
and ideas
Writes expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information
to specific audiences for specific purposes
Understands the function of and uses the conventions of academic language when speaking
and writing and continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity
Writes legibly and uses appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their
compositions
Spells correctly
Asks open-ended research questions and develops a plan for answering them
Determines, locates, and explores the full range of relevant sources addressing a research
question and systematically records the information they gather
Uses comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings
Speaks clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language
Works productively with others in teams
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
7
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
Texas Performance Standards Project
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Mathematics:
K.1
K.8
Uses mathematical processes to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding
Applies mathematical process standards to collect and organize data to make it useful for
interpreting information
Social Studies:
K.1
K.2
K.3
K.4
K.5
K.10
K.11
K.12
K.14
K.15
K.16
Understands that holidays are celebrations of special events
Understands how historical figures, patriots, and good citizens helped shape the community,
state, and nation
Understands the concept of chronology
Understands the concept of location
Understands physical and human characteristics of place
Understands important symbols, customs, and responsibilities that represent American beliefs
and principles and contribute to our national identity
Understands similarities and differences among people
Understands the importance of family customs and traditions
Applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid
sources, including electronic technology
Communicates in oral and visual forms
Uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a
variety of settings
Fine Arts:
Art
K.1
Develops and expands visual literacy skills using critical thinking, imagination, and the senses to
observe and explore the world by learning about, understanding, and applying the elements of
art, principles of design, and expressive qualities
K.2
Communicates ideas through original artworks using a variety of media with appropriate skills
K.3
Demonstrates an understanding of art history and culture by analyzing artistic styles, historical
periods, and a variety of cultures
K.4
Responds to and analyzes artworks of self and others, contributing to the development of
lifelong skills of making informed judgments and reasoned evaluations
Texas College and Career Readiness Standards
This unit may address the following Texas College and Career Readiness Standards:
English Language Arts:
I.A.1
Determines effective approaches, forms, and rhetorical techniques that demonstrate
understanding of the writer’s purpose and audience
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
8
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
Texas Performance Standards Project
I.A.2
I.A.3
I.A.4
I.A.5
II.A.1
II.A.2
II.A.3
III.A.2
III.B.1
III.B.2
IV.B.1
IV.B.2
IV.B.3
V.A.1
V.A.2
V.A.3
V.B.1
V.B.2
V.B.3
V.C.1
V.C.2
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Generates ideas and gathers information relevant to the topic and purpose, keeping careful
records of outside sources
Evaluates relevance, quality, sufficiency, and depth of preliminary ideas and information,
organizes material generated, and formulates thesis
Recognizes the importance of revision as the key to effective writing
Edits writing for proper voice, tense, and syntax, assuring that it conforms to standard English,
when appropriate
Uses effective reading strategies to determine a written work’s purpose and intended
audience
Uses text features and graphics to form an overview of informational texts and to determine
where to locate information
Identifies explicit and implicit textual information including main ideas and author’s purpose
Adjusts presentation (delivery, vocabulary, length) to particular audiences and purposes
Participates actively and effectively in one-on-one oral communication situations
Participates actively and effectively in group discussions
Listens critically and respond appropriately to presentations
Listens actively and effectively in one-on-one communication situations
Listens actively and effectively in group discussions
Formulates research questions
Explores a research topic
Refines research topic and devise a timeline for completing work
Gathers relevant sources
Evaluates the validity and reliability of sources
Synthesizes and organize information effectively
Designs and presents an effective product
Uses source material ethically
Social Studies:
I.A.2
I.A.3
I.A.5
I.A.6
I.C.3
I.E.3
II.A.2
II.B.1
IV.A.1
IV.A.3
IV.B.1
Analyzes the interaction between human communities and the environment
Analyzes how physical and cultural processes have shaped human communities over time
Analyzes how various cultural regions have changed over time
Analyzes the relationship between geography and the development of human communities
Explains and analyzes the importance of civic engagement
Analyzes how social institutions function and meet the needs of society
Evaluates the experiences and contributions of diverse groups to multicultural societies
Explains and evaluates the concepts of race, ethnicity, and nationalism
Identifies and analyzes the main idea(s) and point(s) of view in sources
Evaluates sources from multiple perspectives
Uses established research methodologies
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
9
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency
Texas Performance Standards Project
IV.B.3
IV.B.4
IV.C.1
IV.D.1
V.A.2
V.B.1
HIGHPRIMARY
SCHOOL/EXIT
TASKSTASKS
Gathers, organizes and displays the results of data and research
Identifies and collect sources
Understands/interprets presentations critically
Constructs a thesis that is supported by evidence
Uses conventions of standard written English
Attributes ideas and information to source materials and authors
Cross-Disciplinary Standards:
I.A.1
I.C.1
I.C.2
I.C.3
I.D.1
I.D.2
I.D.3
I.D.4
I.E.1
I.E.2
II.A.3
II.A.4
II.C.1
II.C.2
II.C.3
II.C.6
II.C.7
II.C.8
II.D.3
II.E.1
Engages in scholarly inquiry and dialogue
Analyzes a situation to identify a problem to be solved
Develops and applies multiple strategies to solving a problem
Collects evidence and data systematically and directly relates to solving a problem
Self-monitors learning needs and seeks assistance when needed
Uses study habits necessary to manage academic pursuits and requirements
Strives for accuracy and precision
Perseveres to complete and master tasks
Works independently
Works collaboratively
Identifies the intended purpose and audience of the text
Identifies the key information and supporting details
Understands which topics or questions are to be investigated
Explores a research topic
Refines research topic based on preliminary research and devises a timeline for completing
work
Designs and present an effective product
Integrates source material
Presents final product
Presents analyzed data and communicate findings in a variety of formats
Uses technology to gather information
Holiday Proposal (Kindergarten)
10
Texas Performance Standards Project
© 2015 Texas Education Agency