If you want to learn about a holiday, click on the links below it.

Overview of Major U.S Holidays

• Video – U.S Holidays

Martin Luther King, Jr. ( third Monday in January)

• El Civics Lesson 
•  Videos
  • Biography video
  • History Channel Video  
  • I Have a Dream Speech Part 1 
  • I Have a Dream Speech Part 2  
  • A song for all Civil Rights movements – A Change is Gonna Come

Chinese New Year

• El Civics Lesson => Chinese New Year   
• Videos
  • Chinese New Year History

Groundhog Day ( February 2nd)

• El Civics Lesson
• Question and Answer Reading

• Videos
  • Groundhog Day – Possum Night

Valentine’s Day – (February 14th) is a day  where people expresses feelings of friendship and love for other. They send cards called “Valentines” to others

• El Civics – Valentine’s Day Lesson
• Videos
  • My Valentine  – Martina McBride
  • Animal couples- Only You

Presidents’ Day ( third Monday in February)

• http://www.elcivics.com/presidents-day.html
• Videos
  • • All the Presidents’ portraits
    • A Mom’s funny song teaching about President’s day
    • George Washington Biography  
    • Abraham Lincoln Biography 

Mardi Gras is a multi-day carnival festival where people enjoy dancing, music and food before Lent begins.

• El Civics Lesson =>  Mardi Gras
• Video from the History Channel  =>  History of Mardi Gras

St. Patrick’s Day – March 17th

• El Civics lesson
• Raleigh St Patrick’s Parade.
• St. Patrick’s Day Reading Lesson
• Videos:
  • History Video
  • Irish Jig

April  Fool’s Day – 4/1

• Mini video lesson

Easter

• Easter Bonnets 

Earth  Day (4/22)

•  El Civics Earth day lesson 

Mothers’ Day (second Sunday in May)

• EL Civics’s Lesson
• Videos
  • Heart of the Family
  • Celine Dion -Mother’s Tribute – Goodbye’s the Saddest Word
  • Happy Mother’s Day Song for Children

 

Memorial Day (last Monday in May)

• History Channel 

 

Independence Day ( 4th of July)

• El Civics lesson
• Videos
  • America the Beautiful 
  • This Land is Your Land ,  another version by Bruce Springsteen

Labor Day (first Monday in September)

• http://www.elcivics.com/labor-day-1.html
• History of Labor Day,

9-11

Events of 9/11 – Hero lies in you

Halloween ( October 31st)

•   El Civics lesson
• Mrs Haquet’s Halloween Book 
• Videos
  • Monster Mash
  • Halloween Night  (Bogglesworldesl)  
  • Halloween Vocabulary 1 ,  Vocabulary 2 
  • Asking about costumes
  • Skeleton dance – body parts

Veterans Day (  November 11)

•   Veterans Day Tribute

Thanksgiving

• http://www.elcivics.com/esl-thanksgiving.html
• ESOL Activities –  activities for various levels
• The First Thanksgiving –  Scholastic –  interactive activities 
• Thanksgiving in the USA and The First Thanksgiving in America from “Many Things – Fill in exercises
• ESL Holiday Lesson – reading and listening selections 
• Squanto – worksheet explaining his history and why he spoke English 

• Games
  • Jeopardy Type  – BogglesWorld
  • Bingo 

• Videos
  • History of Thanksgiving – History Channel
  • Thanksgiving Traditions – Vocabulary  – BogglesWorld
  • American Thanksgiving Story – 
  • Story of the MayFlower and the First Thanksgiving – Free School
  • Thanksgiving Song  – Mary Chapin
  • ESL Videos –  video and quiz

December Holidays around the World

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday and is often called the Festival of  Lights .

•  El Civics lesson
• History of Hanukka

Kwanzaa is a multi-day festival that celebrates  African American heritage.

•  El Civics lesson
• Kwanzaa

Christmas

• El Civics lesson
• ESOL Christmas Picture Vocabulary    and   Quiz
• Christmas Words that Go Together   1     and   2
• Mrs. Haquet’s  Christmas Book
• Twelve Christmas Traditions from around the World
• Videos
  • Christmas Traditions 
  • Christmas Vocabulary
• Listening Dialogs – a set of 6 audio exercises 
•  Christmas Carols
  • Christmas Song by Michael Buble
  • Jingle Bells  (slow) ,     faster one
  • Twelve Days ,  another 12 Days version  
  • Silver Bells
  • White Christmas- Buble , White Christmas- Pentatonix
  • Need A Little Christmas Now
  • Carol of the Bells
  • All I Want for Christmas is You,    Clip From Love Actually  
  • Rudolph – the Red Nosed Reindeer 
• Full Classic Christmas Movies/Cartoons
  • A Christmas Story
  • Rudolph – the Red Nosed Reindeer