Virginia SOL 2.3.g
The Standard
New Year’s Day
Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain that January 1 marks the beginning of a new calendar year. They identify common traditions, such as counting down, making resolutions, and gathering with family.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can name the date, explain what it marks, and describe one way people celebrate. They understand that traditions may differ across families and cultures.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may confuse New Year’s Eve with January 1 or think every culture begins the year on the same date. Some may describe it as America’s birthday.
How to Assess It
- Ask students to complete: “January 1 is celebrated because ____. One tradition is ____.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a blank January calendar and celebration picture cards to place on December 31 and January 1.
Ask students to write or share one family tradition and compare it with a classmate’s tradition.
Play a sorting game with cards showing New Year traditions, other holidays, January 1, and unrelated dates.
Examine a store calendar and discuss why a new calendar begins with January, even though school begins in another month.
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