1. Today we will be learning the importance of diverse beliefs, customs and traditions of families

2. Take out your journals and write a paragraph about a tradition you have in your family.

3. Beliefs Belief- trust, faith or confidence in someone or something Family, friends, and religion all influence our beliefs Everyone’s beliefs are different but they are all valuable and important

4. Customs Custom- a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time. Customs are influenced by family, friends, neighbors, the city you live in, the church you go to and even the school you attend Customs are different everywhere you go Customs can be food you eat, dances you do, clothes you wear or day to day activies For example, a custom in America is to tip a waiter when eating at a restaurant, however in other countries the custom is to not tip waiters.

5. Time for an activity! Get with a partner and interview each other one what your families customs and beliefs are. Write your partners answer down in your journal and we will discuss everyone’s different customs and beliefs in 10 minutes.

6. Traditions Tradition- A way of thinking, behaving or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, or society for a long time Traditions can be passed down from generation to generation Traditions can be just in your family, or entire cities, states or countries Fireworks on the 4 th of July is a tradition in the United States that has been happening since 1777.

7. Everyone’s traditions are different and special in their own ways Traditions can be a certain food you eat or dance you do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkUKk_W84CY Does your family have any special traditions that you do on holidays? Does your family go to church every Easter? That’s a tradition! Does your family eat spaghetti on Christmas like mine does? That’s a tradition!

8. Remember: Everyone has different customs, beliefs, and traditions but no one tradition, belief or custom is better than the other What makes customs, beliefs and traditions so special is that they are what makes you unique! We must respect and appreciate everyone’s customs, beliefs and traditions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65uYTF2HDQc

9. Reflection Paper Write a 1 page paper about a custom, belief or tradition that your family has and why it is special to you. Include foods you eat, songs you sing, stories you tell and how long it has been in your family. Explain where the tradition, belief or custom came from.

10. Review Make sure you understand that peoples cultures, beliefs and traditions are different but all are important Be able to explain a custom, belief and tradition from your family Be respectful to others customs, beliefs and traditions

11. References Jordan, N. (2012). Everybod'ys different [Web]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65uYTF2HDQc Schwietert, T. (2011). Family christmas traditions[Theater]. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkUKk_W84CY