Special Days and Holidays

1. eTwinnng project "Single Voices, Global Choices"

Every month the project will focus on by focusing every month on one or more international event/ events created by the United Nations and other organizations and by analysing current events. International days are occasions to educate our students on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources, to address global problems and to celebrate and reinforce the achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations but is also a powerful advocacy tool that may help us empower our students and create global citizens who are aware of the wider world, have a sense of their role as world citizens, respect and value diversity, want to tackle social justice, and believe that all children and young people have a right to an education.

Please choose an event (or more from the list in this book). Then do the following activities:

Tasks in eTwinning project: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/119544/home

1) Research the event with your teacher. If you have time you could watch the films suggested:

2) Prepare informative posters or presentations using postermywall.com or canva.com etc;

3) Organise a celebratory event within your classroom/school where you teach  others about the importance of this day;

4) Take photos and videos and upload them and your work on the next page;

5) Reach out and organise synchronised communication activities with other project members.

2. 5th September - International Charity Day

Every year, charities all over the world help to save and improve people’s lives, fighting disease, protecting children, and giving hope to many thousands of people. International Day of Charity serves to increase and enhance social responsibility across the entire world, increasing our support for charitable causes and bringing everyone together in solidarity.

·   Film: The Help

·  Activities you can do to raise funds for charity:

• Bake sales, 
• Recycling for a cause, 
• Book fair, 
• Sponsored litter pick

Resources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Charity
  
• https://twinspace.etwinning.net/119544/pages/page/1024226
  

3. 8th September - International Literacy Day

Each year September 8th marks UNESCO’s International Literacy day, raising awareness globally on the issues surrounding adult and child literacy.

·   Library: Display recommendations form teachers filled in

·   Kahoot – play

Resources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Literacy_Day
• https://www.un.org/en/observances/literacy-day

4. 10th September - World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), on 10 September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). WHO has been a co-sponsor of the day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.

·   Films: Suicidal: In Our Own Words-documentary-channel 4
·   Jay Asher- Thirteen Reasons Why-novel reading
·   Light a candle in a window to remember suicide victims
·   Students could create presentations to inform community members of current research in suicide prevention

Run a suicide awareness training session. The organization, Living Works, runs programs like  A.S.I.S.T. – Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training – or Safe Talk where students learn about how to get help or support friends. Other organizations also offer various informational programs – ie Jack.org

https://www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/thirteen-reasons-why-lesson-plan/

5. 21st September - International Day of Peace

Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.

·   Films:  Mandela: The Living Legend, Everyday Rebellion, Love & Solidarity, Selma, Waltz with Bashir, Shake Hands with the Devil
 
http://mariamthemovie.com/

6. 26th September - European Day of Languages

The European Year of Languages 2001, jointly organised by the Council of Europe and the European Union, was successful in involving millions of people across 45 participating countries. Its activities celebrated linguistic diversity in Europe and promoted language learning.

Our eTwinning project: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/120647

7. 27th – 3rd October - Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.

·   Library lessons:  censorship non- fiction article
·   Assembly:  Freedom to read focus
·   House competition: Decorating classroom doors based on a banned/challenged book
·   Choose a banned/challenged books for your class, whether it’s a short children’s story, a passage from a novel or an entire book you’ve been reading with the class
·   Banned book debate- Split the class into two groups. Have one side argue for the freedom of schools to read often-challenged books and the other side to argue why students reading materials should be screened and approved by teachers
 
  https://www.freedomtoread.ca/

8. 10th October - World Mental Health Day

The day is celebrated at the initiative of the World Federation of Mental Health and WHO supports this initiative through raising awareness on mental health issues using its strong relationships with the Ministries of health and civil society organizations across the globe. 
 

·   Films: A Beautiful Mind, Silver Linings Playbook, Inside Out, Still Alice
·   Digital posters
·   Mindfulness exercises
·   Meet your students where they spend much of their time⁠—on social media⁠—to discuss the topic of mental health

9. 30th October - Bread Day

Bread day is regularly celebrated in our school each year in October. Usually students, parents and grandparents help to prepare various products made of flour (bagels, cakes, bread, cookies, muffins etc) and the food is shared. This year, students prepared posters and talked about healthy breakfast. This day is also celebrated as part of religious education.

10. 24th October - UN Day

8th graders of Primary School Strahoninec, Croatia made a short and simple Adobe Spark presentation about the United Nations: https://spark.adobe.com/page/76BTQxAR77H22/

11. 13th November - World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day is celebrated annually on 13th November. On this day, participants attempt to make the world a better place by celebrating and promoting good deeds and pledging acts of kindness, either as individuals or as organisations.

·   Films: Wonder, A Little Princess, Pay it Forward
 
·   Library Display: Promoting random acts of kindness, novels focused on empathy and kindness
 
·   Form: Random acts of kindness calendar created

12. 16th November - Tolerance Day

16th November International Day for Tolerance

It is a great opportunity for you to think back and recall the last time you had a different perspective than one of your friends? When’s the last time you’ve had to learn something about their culture? We’re betting it wasn’t that long ago.

·   Films: Wonder, Bully, Mean Girls, Loving, Bullied

·   Get out there and meet someone new. It doesn’t have to be an overly complicated task, but try to befriend someone you normally wouldn’t.

13. 10th December - Human Rights Day

It is the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers us all. The principles enshrined in the Declaration are as relevant today as they were in 1948. We need to stand up for our own rights and those of others. We can take action in our own daily lives, to uphold the rights that protect us all and thereby promote the kinship of all human beings.

·  Films: She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry-Netflix, The White Helmets, The Dark Side of Chocolate, Hidden Figures
·   Prepare a 5-minute speech on Key Human Rights Issues of particular concern to young people/women/migrants/Gays in the world today
·   Go to cartoonmovement.com and pick out 3 human rights cartoons that appeal to you.  

What are they about and why do they appeal to you?  

What messages are they presenting?  

What images do they use?  

Compare your choices with those of others.
·   Board game-Human rights
#StandUp4Humanrights
#ItStartsWithMe

14. 25th December - Christmas

Christmas celebrations through use of ICT: https://wke.lt/w/s/sarVWR

15. 27th January - Holocaust Remembrance Day

January 27th is the day to commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War.

It observes the genocide that resulted in the deaths of six million Jews and eleven million others by the Nazi regime. The International Remembrance is in honour of the liberation that happened on January 27, 1945.

Find out more in our collection: https://wke.lt/w/s/8RMyh7

16. 9th February - Safer Internet Day

We celebrated Safer Internet Day in school: https://wke.lt/w/s/vNEuyF

17. 14th February - Valentine's Day

A collection of resources we made for Valentine's: https://wke.lt/w/s/BN-nXs

18. 24th February - Pink Shirt Day

The last Wednesday in February is saved for Pink Shirt Day which promotes antibullying. We created a collection as a school: https://wke.lt/w/s/RQuPdh

19. 4th March - World Book Day

World Book Day is a registered charity on a mission to give every child and young person a book of their own. It’s also a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading.

·   House competition: Decorating classroom doors
 
·   Films: Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, Divergent
 
·   Library Display: Teachers favourite books/theme

20. 8th March - International Women's Day

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

·   Library display: Fiction/non fiction
 
·   Library Lesson: Extract/article on Suffrage movement.
 
·   Films: Moana, Brave, Mulan, Little Women, The Hunger Games, Wonder Woman, Queen of Katwe.

21. 22nd March - World Day for Water

The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

https://en.unesco.org/50-years-unesco-water-programmes/50-movies
 
·   Films: Thirsty for Justice: the struggle for the human right to water, Our Planet: Fresh Water, Changing Currents

22. 22nd April - Earth Day

It  is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

·   Films: Planet Earth, Our Planet
·   Ecological footprint calculator and flight carbon footprint calculator-measure your impact

23. 16th-22nd May - Mental Health Awareness Day

16th-22nd May Mental Health Awareness Week The aim of this week is to educate the public about mental health issues and to promote better mental health. This event is also a vehicle to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation. ·   Films: Inside Out, Bridge to Terabithia, Big Hero 6, A Monster Calls

 ·   Library display: https://bookriot.com/2018/10/02/ya-books-about-mental-illness/