This December, the classrooms at the Englewood campus were bursting with color, creativity, and personal stories as first and second-graders explored the rich tapestry of family traditions. Through this collaborative project and family interviews, students discovered what made each family’s story uniquely their own.
First Grade: Bringing Family Traditions to Life
For first graders, it all started with a simple yet powerful idea: every family has a story to tell. Each student was tasked with designing a family tradition poster, a visual showcase of a special tradition their family celebrated. It could have been anything from holiday festivities like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July to cherished moments like birthdays, weddings, or even unique family customs.
“The goal was for students to take pride in their family’s story while also building presentation skills,” said Mrs. Gonzalez, the English teacher who led the project. Over the course of a week, the first-grade students worked at home with their families to create posters filled with images, words, and personal touches. These posters were displayed on the classroom walls, and each student presented their family’s tradition, inviting their classmates to see the world through their eyes.
The first-grade class shared many family traditions, including:
- Family Vacations
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas
- Cutting down the family Christmas tree
- Hanukkah
- Baptism
These presentations not only allowed students to showcase their creativity but also strengthened their oral language skills as they described the meaning and importance of their family’s tradition.
Second Graders Took It a Step Further: Exploring Traditions Through Family Interviews
Meanwhile, second graders went beyond the poster. They stepped into the role of young journalists. Their mission? To interview a family member about a tradition from their childhood. With prepared questions and interview tips in hand, students listened carefully, recorded key details, and transformed their discoveries into an illustrated poster board.
The interview process encouraged students to develop critical listening and storytelling skills. Questions such as “Who started this family tradition?”, “How long has it been in your family?” and “Has it changed over time?” sparked reflections on generational shifts and lasting customs. The final step was to create a poster board using photos, drawings, and artifacts that captured the essence of their family’s cherished tradition. Students presented their findings, weaving together the past and present for all to see.
The second-grade class shared the following traditions during their interviews:
- Lunar New Year
- Christmas Eve
- Dindi (Indian Festival)
- Weekends with Grandma
- Breakfast for Dinner
- EID
- Sebae (Korean Tradition)
- La Befana (Italian Tradition)
- Qingming (a celebration honoring ancestors)
- Christmas
- Sunday Family Picnics
Through these interviews, students were immersed in rich discussions about family traditions: what they were, how they brought families together, and how they could change over time. The process honed their oral language skills as they presented their family’s story to classmates, fostering a deeper understanding of one another’s heritage.
Building Cultural Understanding Through Family Traditions
Projects like these go beyond arts and crafts. They teach students about diversity, empathy, and the power of storytelling. Every poster became a window into a different world, revealing the beauty of cultural heritage, family bonds, and personal history.
“When students learn about each other’s traditions, they begin to see the world with greater curiosity and understanding,” said Mrs. Gonzalez. This experience also strengthened connections between home and school, as families collaborated on projects that brought learning to life.
As the time for presentations approached, the classrooms were abuzz with stories waiting to be told. From colorful poster boards to heartfelt interviews, these first and second-graders captured what it meant to belong, celebrate, and remember. And in doing so, they created a tradition of their own, one rooted in learning, sharing, and the simple joy of discovery.
