Shared
Reading
Kwanzaa Celebration: Seven
Days, Seven Nights
Title
Comprehension
Kwanzaa Celebration: Seven Days,
Seven Nights
Synthesize and retell concepts
About the Text
Willard and his family celebrate
Kwanzaa and learn about its seven
principles. This year, Willard’s
teacher and best friend join in the
celebrations.
Genre
Narrative
Fluency
Vary volume for emphasis
Technology
Synthesize and retell concepts.
Move forward/backward
CD-ROM Activities
Newspaper Front Page
Book Cover Maker
Running Words
1893
Content Words
album, apple pie, bracelets, candle,
drums, feast, celebration
Phonics
Identify suffixes
Related AWARD Materials
­Texts
Vocabulary
Understand and use concept
vocabulary
• Kwanzaa Celebration: Seven Days, Seven Nights
CD-ROMs
• Kwanzaa Celebration: Seven Days, Seven Nights
Cards
• Literacy Task Cards 20, 26, 41, 49
• Guided Reading Procedure Cards 1, 2, 6
© 2008 Wendy Pye Publishing Ltd
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Guided Learning
Session 1
Guided Reading
Kwanzaa Celebration
read a narrative text
Activate Background
• Use a copy of the book, or click on the Text button on the CD-ROM
to project the book onto a computer monitor or whiteboard. Ask students
to tell about holidays their families celebrate.
– When is the holiday?
– What is it for?
– What do you do to celebrate?
• Ask students if they have ever heard of Kwanzaa. Have them tell what they know
about it.
Read the Text
• Provide time for students to read the book on their own to find out more about Willard’s Kwanzaa
celebration. Reading may take place over one or two days.
• Circulate and observe how students are applying strategies.
Phonics Use Suffix -tion
identify suffixes
TEACH
Display the title and focus on the word Celebration.
What is the base word? What suffix has been added?
Write celebrate and celebration on the board.
What is the same about the two words?
What is the difference between them?
When would each of them be used?
What do you need to do to change celebrate to celebration?
Have students go through the text to find and record other words with the suffix -tion (invitation, selfdetermination, preparations, liberation, cooperation, directions). Discuss the meaning of any unfamiliar
words.
• Have students add to their list other words with the -tion suffix that they know or find in their reading.
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Independent and Small Group Tasks
Use -tion Words
Write a Newspaper Report
about Kwanzaa
create expository texts
Students use the Newspaper Front Page
CD-ROM activity to create a front page
about Kwanzaa celebrations. Students
work on the CD-ROM over the week in
Independent and Small Group time.
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identify suffixes
Students sort words with -tion endings
and write sentences with the words.
Create a News Bulletin
describe imagined events
Students use Create a News Bulletin
Task Card (20) to write a news bulletin
based on Kwanzaa.
Small Group
Session 2
Guided Reading Kwanzaa Celebration
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Recall the story and ask volunteers to read parts of the text that tell about the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Use questions such as the following to guide a text discussion:
What is Kwanzaa?
What is the Kwanzaa principle of unity? What did Willard and Mr. Gomez say about unity?
Why do you think Willard wanted to invite his teacher and friend to the Kwanzaa Feast?
Have you ever shared a family celebration with a friend or neighbor?
Provide time for students to continue reading or rereading the text.
Comprehension Explain the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa
synthesize and retell concepts
TEACH
• Discuss the title of the text and its meaning.
– What else is there seven of during the Kwanzaa celebration? (principles, candles)
• Write the numbers 1 through 7 on chart paper to represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Look at
page 9 together and ask students to find the name of the first principle. Write unity next to the number 1.
• Have students read on in the text to find out what the principle of unity means. Ask them, first, to talk with
a partner about what unity means and then to share their ideas with the group. Encourage them to
describe the concept of unity in their own words.
– How could you demonstrate unity?
• Continue the same procedure for each of the seven principles. For those that may not be clear to students
from reading the text (e.g. self-determination), ask them how they might find out more about the
principle. Encourage them to research the principles further by asking people and/or using print and
electronic sources.
Independent and Small Group Tasks
Explain Kwanzaa
synthesize and retell concepts
Students make a computer slide show
using the Snappy Slide Show from the
Week 14 CD-ROM. They could illustrate
each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa
with their own artwork or with images
saved to the G3 Pictures folder.
Apply the Seven Principles
create expository texts
Students write a series of journal entries
describing what they could do to
demonstrate each of the seven principles
of Kwanzaa in their own lives.
Learn More About Kwanzaa
consult sources to find information
Students use Learn More About… Task Card (26) to find out more
about the Kwanzaa celebrations.
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Guided Learning
Session 3
Guided Reading Kwanzaa Celebration
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Recall the story. Use questions such as the following to guide a text discussion.
Why do people light candles at Kwanzaa?
How did Willard and his family help their neighbors and their community?
Would you like to attend a Kwanzaa Feast? Why?
Do you agree with Mr. Gomez that the African principles are of value for all
people? Why?
• Provide time for students to continue reading or rereading the text.
• Ask students to prepare a short presentation about the text to share on Day 4,
e.g. they could read a favorite passage, or tell about a favorite character.
Vocabulary Use Strategies to Determine Word Meaning
understand and use concept vocabulary
TEACH
• Ask students to list two to three words from the text that they did not understand or that were unfamiliar
to them.
• Below their words, have students independently list strategies they could use to determine the meaning of
those words (e.g. context clues, dictionary, internet, thesaurus, ask someone).
• After students complete their list independently, have them join with a partner, compare their lists, and add
any strategies they missed.
• Have each pair read their list to the group. Group members add any other strategies they missed.
• Have students go back to their difficult words and use their strategy lists to help them figure out the
meaning of the words. They write a brief definition next to each word.
Independent and Small Group Tasks
Book Cover Maker
use font attributes to enhance
presentations
appreciate the power/impact of
visuals
Students use the Book Cover Maker
CD-ROM activity to create a cover for
Kwanzaa Celebration.
Create a Strategy Poster
understand and use concept
vocabulary
Students create a What to Do When We
Don’t Know What a Word Means poster
and use the list of strategies as a reference
when reading other texts.
Discuss a Book
conduct a conversation on a topic
In small groups students use Discuss a
Book Task Card (49) to discuss Kwanzaa
Celebration.
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Small Group
Session 4
Guided Reading Kwanzaa Celebration
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Discuss the author’s purpose for writing this text.
Why do you think the author wrote this text?
Was this text written to tell a story or to give information? Explain.
What information was included in the story?
How did the author communicate that information? (e.g. through characters’ experiences, school
discussion, explanation to Willard)
– Do you think the author might have had more than one purpose for writing this text? Is that
possible?
– Did you like this type of text? Explain.
• Students share their presentations with the class in Shared Reading time.
Fluency Read an African Saying
vary volume for emphasis
TEACH
• Look at page 9 together. Ask students to find the African saying that explains the importance of unity. Read
I am we, emphasizing I and we. Ask students which words you emphasized by reading them a little louder.
• Ask students to listen for emphasized words as you read I am because We are (again emphasize I and We).
– Which are the most important words in the saying?
– How did I read them to show they were important?
– Do you think that is how the saying is meant to be read?
– What other clue did the author give to show the importance of I and We? (capital letters)
• Discuss the meaning of the saying.
– What does the saying teach us about unity? Why is unity important?
• Have students practice reading the entire paragraph with a partner. Encourage them to listen to whether
their partner appropriately emphasized words in the saying.
Independent and Small Group Tasks
Navigate a Digital File
Read Kwanzaa Sayings
Students use the pdf text to search for
the seven principles of Kwanzaa. They
use the search field or the forward and
backward arrows to find the names.
In pairs, students practice reading sayings
from the text (e.g. We all have a purpose in
this world. or Our purpose in life is to help
others.), emphasizing important words.
move forward/backward
vary volume for emphasis
Make a Text Quiz
write a question sentence
Students use Be a Text Quiz Maker Task
Card (41) to write questions about the text.
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