Subject:

Social Studies

School:

Garvey MaceoHigh School

Lesson Topic:

Festivals in the Caribbean.

Class:

9R

Time:

30 minutes

Date:

April 30, 2015

ANALYZE
Goal: As apart of the students CXC Social Studies Syllabus, each students will be exposed to
Caribbean religious festivals and certain Caribbean customs. Students will be able to read
information from a chart, from a PowerPoint presentation and a video in order to complete the
overall goal and pull out the important information that needs to be included to be used in their
future references.
Specific Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Knowledge

Identifytwo main Caribbean festivalsafter watching a video.

State the different religious festivals practiced by at least three Caribbean countries after
viewing a PowerPoint.

Skill

Associate the religious festivals with their respective countries or religions

Attitude

Appreciate the ethnicities that contributed to our Caribbean religions, festivals and
ceremonies by actively participating in all given activities.

Audience:
This lesson is being conducted with a second form class, at the schools Social Studies
class at the Garvey Maceo High School in Clarendon. The class size is larger than normal and
contains 34 students. There is an even mix between male and female. The racial profiling is
mainly Jamaican descent. Most of the students are of average intelligence although there are a
handful that are exceptionally bright.

DESIGN
Learning Styles:
In a class of 34 students, learning styles vary widely.

The visual learner will benefit by reading the information from the website, the
PowerPoint and the digital story and writing down the facts in their books.

Students with auditory learning needs are included by discussing and comparing
information, in addition to listen to the song played as the introductory activity.

Tactile learners are being reached by being able to do hands-on research on the website.

Those kinesthetic or active learners are the most difficult groups to satisfy with this
type of lesson. However the teacher will integrate their learning style through all the
previous learning styles.

Pre-existing Knowledge:
The students previously started the topic with Popular Caribbean Customs. They know about the
different religious festivals because most of the class does the subject Religious Education as
well. It should be well enough that the teaching of the lesson can flow smoothly.

Content/Main Ideas: Ceremonies and Festivals of the Caribbean

Carnival festive season that occurs immediately before Lent. Carnival involves public
celebration or parade which combines elements of a circus, mask and a public street party. It
is influenced by African people by borrowing elements of African culture such as drum
rhythms, large puppets, putting together natural objects (bones, grasses, beads, shells, fabric)
to create a piece of sculpture, a mask or a costume which each creation represents an idea
or spiritual force.
Crop Over (Harvest Home) is a traditional harvest which began in Barbados having started
on sugar plantations during the colonial period.
Steel pan playing- can be traced back to the African slaves. The playing of drums were
prohibited by the British so that there will not be any carnival celebration. The drums were
mad out of scrap metal, metal drums, and dustbins and hit with hands, fists or sticks.
Religions/ Religious celebrations

Christians Christmas- period celebrating the birth of Christ

Easter -period celebrating the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of the Son of
Christ in the representation of the washing away of sins of men.

Islam Eid-ul-Fitr a period where Muslims undergo a period of fasting and praying.
Observed first of the month of Shawwal and end of Ramadan
Eid-ul-Adha commemorate Ibrahim (Abraham) following the command of Allahs
(God) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Issac).
Hinduism Divali (deepvali, Dipawali) celebrated in 13th and 14th day in
October/November celebrating the triumph of good over evil. The festival of lights
Holi Festival of colors celebrating in the spring, festival of love.
REFERENCE

Lunt, P., Buckle-Scott, L., Davis-Morrison, V., & Louis, A. (2012). Social Studies for CSEC. 0
United Kingdom: Nelson Thornes Publishers.
Lunt, P., Buckle-Scott, L., Davis-Morrison, V., &Jaimungalsingh, A. (2013) Social Studies for
CSEC. United Kingdom: Nelson Thornes Publishers.
Brathwaite, S., Gill, J., & Wilson, M. (2012). Caribbean Social Studies for CSEC. London:
Oxford University Press.
DEVELOPMENT
Instructional Materials

Computer, projector, speakers, white board and marker

Teaching Methods:
Introductory Activity
The teacher will play a video, exhibiting Caribbean festivalsafter which the student will
share the festivals that were discussed in the video. The students responses will be written on the
board.
Development
Implementation
STEP 1:Reading from a powerpoint
The teacher will then lead the students into a discussion after doing a PowerPoint presentation
highlighting the different religious festivals practiced in various Caribbean countries.
Step 2
Students will be given a table on which they will match the different festivals with the respective
religions. The teacher will require five students to use the C-Map Program which they will draw
the lines to the respective.

Match the Country to its respective Custom by drawing a line

Countries/religions

Customs

Islam

Carnival

Christianity

Eid-al-Fitr

Hinduism

Diwali/Divali

Trinidad and Tobago

crop over

Barbados

Easter

IMPLEMENT
Before the students come into the lab to start their lesson, the teacher will set the chairs
properly so that all the students can be able to see the projection, but also be able to use a
computer.The Social Studies teachers and I will be available throughout the period to help the
students and answer any questions that may arise throughout the course of the period.Students
able to self-direct can work independently. Those needing extra guidance will be able to get that
from myself or the Social Studies teachers.Each section of the lesson development the students
will be timed in addition to the class activities.
EVALUATION
Culminating Activity
Student will visit the website caribya.com/caribbean/events.and.festivals. Students will find
videos download them or create posters (using Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher or
PosterMyWall.com or any other website you know of) and present it to the class by emailing to
the teacher as an attachment.
Reflections
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________