Check out my New York Times post: Ideas for English Language Learners | Celebrate the Holidays
With New Year’s coming-up (at least in the calendar that many of us use), I thought a “The Best…” list would be in order (You might also be interested in The Best Ways To Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Succeed).
This list, though, will highlight other New Year celebrations in addition to the one traditionally celebrated in the Gregorian calendar.
Please feel free to offer any suggestions you have. You might also be interested in The Best Resources For Chinese New Year .
Here are my choices for The Best Sites For Learning About New Year Celebrations (and that are accessible to English Language Learners):
EL Civics has a very accessible New Year’s Lesson.
Fact Monster has good material at History Of The New Year.
The New York Times has a slideshow on the famous New Year’s celebration at TImes Square.
How Rosh Hashanah Works might be a little challenging for ELL’s, but it has great information that could be modified for classroom use. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.
I’m also adding Chinese New Year Resources From Topmarks, which has a number of accessible materials available.
Chinese New Year is the simple title of a variety of listening exercises from ELLO.
EL Civics has developed a Chinese New Year Lesson specifically for English Language Learners.
A New York Times slideshow and a video on the Chinese New Year celebration.
The Boston Globe’s Big Picture has a great group of photos on Chinese New Year: Welcoming The Ox.
CBBC Newsround has images of people celebrating the New Year all around the world.
Here are some classroom materials from Lanternfish.
I’m adding Brainpop’s New Year’s Movie to this list. You usually need a paid subscription in order to view Brainpop movies, but you can also get a free trial. However, when I just checked out their New Year’s movie, it was available for free-of-charge.
The New York Times has an intriguing slideshow about different New Year’s “rituals” from throughout the world. The newspaper also has another slideshow highlighting celebrations, and another one focusing on Times Square.
Cleaning Up After The Party is a New York Times slideshow on…cleaning-up after the Times Square New Year’s Celebration.
I’ve gathered some materials about “Watch Night” that I’m adding to this list. Watch Night is particularly celebrated in African-American churches and commemorates when many African-Americans gathered to pray that President Abraham Lincoln would carry out his promise to sign the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
Here is a newspaper article that gives some background on the midnight prayer services (you probably have to modify portions to make them more accessible to English Language Learners), and a slideshow from the New York Times.
Ringing In 2010, Around the World is a slideshow from the New York Times.
Welcoming 2010 is from the Big Picture.
ESL Holiday Lessons has an English Lesson Plan on Islamic New Year.
The New Year around the world is another excellent online exercise for English Language Learners created by Renée Maufroid.
ESL Holiday Lessons has a New Year’s lesson for English Language Learners.
A New Year rolls in is a series of pictures from The Big Picture.
The New Year’s Eve Project: A Documentary Photo Essay is from NPR.
Ringing In 2011, Around the Globe is a NY Times slideshow.
Lucky Foods for the New Year is a useful article.
Ring in 2012, Around the World is a New York Times slideshow.
The Atlantic has a nice photo gallery of people welcoming in 2012.
ESL Holiday Lessons has a lesson on the Islamic New Year.
36 Bizarre Things Ceremonially Dropped on New Year’s Eve is from Mental Floss.
New Year’s Eve 2012 Celebrations Kick Off is a photo gallery from TIME.
Happy New Year, world is a photo gallery from The Boston Globe.
How the World Celebrates New Year’s Eve is a slideshow from TIME.
Thanks, Larry. I just linked to this list. It’s a great resource. And happy New Year’s to you and yours. Continued success in 2011. Try to take it easy on the rest of us bloggers!! You set the bar pretty high, teacher dude. LOL