Kwanzaa is a celebration of African American family, community and culture, held from December 26 to January 1. Its name comes from a Swahili phrase about the first fruits of the harvest. Two of its symbols are the mazao, the crops, which stand for the harvest and the rewards of working together, and the muhindi, ears of corn, which stand for the children and the future. Many families set out one ear of corn for each child in the home. On December 31 many families and communities share a feast called the Karamu.
Six pages of harvest math. Page 1 shows plates that each hold the same number of fruits: children write the adding sentence, like 4 + 4 + 4 = 12. On page 2 children add two groups of crops within 20 and write the sentence. Page 3 gives a take-away sentence: cross out that many pictures, then write how many are left. Page 4 is six short stories about setting out one ear of corn for each child. On page 5 children share fruit fairly, drawing it on the plates, and write how many go on each plate. Page 6 is five harvest and feast stories within 100. The first problem on most pages is a worked example.
Bring in a basket of real or paper fruit and a few plates. Before page 1, put the same number on each plate and have the class say the adding sentence together. Act out page 5 by dealing fruit onto plates one at a time, so each plate gets one before any gets two. Before page 4, talk about how many families put out one ear of corn for each child, so each ear stands for one child.
At snack time, share crackers or grapes fairly between plates and count how many each person gets. Put the same number of things on a few plates and say the adding sentence together. Count and compare fruit at the store.
Kwanzaa math with the crops of the harvest: apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, carrots and ears of corn. Children add equal groups on plates, add and take away crops within 20, solve stories about an ear of corn for each child, share fruit fairly and solve harvest and feast stories within 100.
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