passages

Students were divided into collaborative learning groups and were given one of the passages below and instructed to fill in the one or two sentence summary frames for their passages. They then shared their summaries with the class.

Passage 1:
Traditions serve families as a source of strength; they give families a sense of identity and of faith. Now when so much is changing, traditions still give family members strength and stability, as well as a sense of certainty in family love when life may seem full of uncertainty. "Traditions give you a sense of family and they give you a sense of belonging to a group of people, not being alone in the world," a thoughful mother explained.

One-sentence summary frame
Traditions are important to _ because they give them a source of _, and a sense of  _ and _.

Passage 2:
Traditions may be a reflection of the family's faith and an integral part of a religious holiday or service. Many Christian families have traditions concerning the Nativity scene, the Christmas tree, and special church services at Christmas and Easter. Hanukkah and Passover include ancient traditions cherished along with more modern family traditions in Jewish families. Islamic families may have special family funds and traditions concerning the need for family members to participate in the hajj, the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca. Buddhist families honor the dead through the beautiful rituals of Obon.

Two-sentence summary frame
Traditions may be a part of a family’s_ .For example Christians have traditions about _; Jewish families celebrate _ and _; Islamic family traditions may include participation in _, and a Buddhist family may have traditions about honoring their_.

Passage 3:
Traditions surrounding important holidays, or other important occasions, such as weddings and funerals, are especially memorable. These are hard to change even when things make change necessary. Generations of children and teenagers have experienced heart-quakes when, instead of going "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house," Grandma's health, Grandma's new apartment, or a cross-country move requires Grandma to come to their house-or perhaps Thanksgiving happens without Grandmother or Grandfather at all. Similarly, many parents have been forced to adjust their expectations when a child decides to forego college in pursuit of some other dream or doesn't want to enter the family business. These occasions may give family members the chance to examine themselves and their relationships as well as evaluate a possible need for change.

Two-sentence summary frame
Traditions are often hard to _. Some events that force a change in tradition are _, or _. Children may also bring about a change in tradition when they decide to _.

Passage 4:
However, some family traditions that create memories and strengthen families are not connected to religious observances. One family regularly helps at a local soup kitchen, together with any of the children's friends who are willing to join in. The family's belief that its members have an obligation to help those less fortunate and that friends are welcome to participate could not be better conveyed.

Another family has a 20-year tradition of gathering every spring to list each person's favorite things-favorite book, favorite song, favorite food, etc. The lists are carefully preserved and the now-college-age children look forward to each year's creation of new lists and the review of lists from previous years. Their mother says, "This simple activity has a lot of meaning for our family. . . . It gives us an insight into each other, a way to get to know each family member better, as well as ourselves. . . . This has done more than anything else to build unity and family ties." The lists began as an activity for young children and have become a cherished springtime tradition for a family that emphasizes the importance of knowing oneself and other family members.

Two-sentence summary frame
Other family traditions are not _. One family’s tradition is centered around _ others, and another family has  a tradition of  creating a list of  _ for each family member.