St. Lucia Day Star Hat

1. During a study of Sweden, invite students to find out about Luciadagan, or St. Lucia Day, which is a tradition followed in Sweden on December 13. On this holiday, the oldest daughter in a family, called the Lucia bride, wears a crown of candles. Her sisters carry candles. Sons, called Star Boys, wear star hats. Children serve coffee and saffron buns to the adults in their family. Provide students with several resources focused on the purpose of this celebration.
2. Once students have sufficiently researched the holiday, invite them to make a festive St. Lucia Day Star Hat by decorating poster board using Crayola® Metallic Crayons, Crayola Metallic Colored Pencils, and Crayola Glitter Glue. Dry.
3. Roll the poster board into a cone large enough to fit one's head. Glue the edges with Crayola School Glue. Trim off any uneven part at the bottom with Crayola Scissors.
4. Cut out yellow construction paper stars. Decorate stars with glitter glue. Glue to the hat. Dry.
5. Students compose a summary paragraph focused on St. Lucia Day which incorporates facts gathered during the reserach period.
6. Invite students to organize a St. Lucia Day celebration in the classroom and invite parents to attend. Students wear their hats and place copies of their summary paragraphs inside their hats for quick reference should a parent inquire about the history of the holiday while students serve selected foods to visitors.
7. After the celebration, bring the class together for a closing activity where they discuss what they have learned and make connections to knowledge of other family celebrations they participate in yearly.

LA: Read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grade level text complexity band independently and proficiently.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

LA: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

MATH: Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two column table.

SCI: Investigate and explain that for an object to be seen, light must be reflected off the object and enter the eye.

SS: Compare ways in which people from different cultures think about and deal with their physical environment and social conditions.

SS: Give examples of and explain group and institutional influences such as religious beliefs, laws, and peer pressure, on people, events, and elements of culture.

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

VA: Identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, and places.

Possible classroom resources include: Hanna's Christmas by Melissa Peterson; Lucia and the Light by Phyllis Root; Lucia Morning in Sweden by Ewe Rydaker

St. Lucia Day marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Students investigate a variety of winter holiday traditions in different countries and by various faith communities. Compare and contrast elements of these winter celebrations. Organize research into an electronic presentation for sharing with classmates.

The sun is the focus of the celebration on St. Lucia Day. Encourage students to research how sunlight affects the Earth, including animals and plants. How is light measured? How do plants use sunlight to live and thrive?