Many countries and cultures mark the start of a new year with traditions and rituals. For Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, celebrations coincide with the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Bring diverse perspectives into your classroom by exploring the history and significance of the holiday with students.

• Discover how Iranians celebrate Nowruz with ELA activities
• Build background knowledge about Iran and its cultural traditions in social studies
• Uncover the science of spring and New Year celebrations

[Discover how Iranians celebrate Nowruz with ELA activities](id-ela)

Teach students about Nowruz and other spring holidays with engaging ELA activities and resources:

Practice summarizing using Nowruz content

Ask students to compare and contrast how they celebrate the arrival of spring and the New Year and compare it to how others celebrate Nowruz. To implement this lesson:

• Distribute a Write-Pair-Share worksheet that students can use while they read to organize their thoughts on the topic.
• Assign an article about the history of Nowruz celebrations in the Middle East and Central Asia.
• Ask students to use the article content and the notes from their Write-Pair-Share worksheet to summarize what they know about Nowruz and share it with the class. Try the writing practice using Newsela Writing!

Teach students about other spring holidays

Spring is full of religious and cultural holidays celebrating hope and new beginnings. Teach students about those that take place around the same time as Nowruz, like:

• The Jewish holiday of Passover.
• The Christian holiday of Easter.
• The Hindu holiday of Holi.

[Build background knowledge about Iran and its cultural traditions in social studies](id-ss)

The first Nowruz celebrations happened over 3,000 years ago in ancient Persia, now present-day Iran. Help students learn more about the cultures and customs of these regions and their impact worldwide.

Travel back to ancient Persia

Teach students about the geography, customs, and culture of ancient Persia, where Nowruz began, by sharing articles on topics like:

• The history of the Persian Empire.
• An explainer of the causes and outcomes of the Persian Wars between Greece and Persia in the fifth century.
• An overview of modern-day Iran, which occupies the same land as ancient Persia.

Take a virtual trip to Iran

Societies in present-day Iran have been major players throughout history and modern times. Introduce students to significant points and players in Iranian history with articles on topics like:

• The Safavid dynasty, which established Shi’ite Islam as the state religion of Iran.
• The historical context of U.S.-Iran relationships and how Cold War-era foreign policy decisions set the tone for current relations.
• How a U.S. Iranian kabob chain, Moby Dick House of Kabob, uses food to bridge the gap between Iranians and Americans.

Learn more about New Year traditions around the world

How different are American New Year celebrations from those of Nowruz? Help students explore traditions for New Year holidays across the globe with articles on topics like:

• The history of popular New Year’s traditions, like the Times Square Ball Drop.
• The origins of setting New Year’s resolutions.
• How celebrations like Lunar New Year and Rosh Hashanah differ from Nowruz.

[Uncover the science of spring and New Year celebrations](id-sci)

There’s more science involved in seasons and celebrations than meets the eye! Help students dive into what makes the world go round—literally—with the following lessons:

Explore what an equinox is

In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox typically happens between March 20 and March 22 each year, right around the time Iranians celebrate Nowruz! Students can discover what an equinox is and why it signals the arrival of spring by diving into articles on topics like:

• The etymology of the word “spring” and how the meaning has changed over time.
• Why the hours of daylight and darkness are almost equal during the spring equinox.‍
• Plants’ evolution strategies to survive and reproduce from season to season.

Celebrate Nowruz with seasonal STEAM projects

Ring in the Iranian New Year with hands-on STEAM activities tied to Nowruz traditions.

Make a confetti popper

On the last night of the old year, known as Chaharshanbe Suri, people make loud noises to usher in a new season. Students can make confetti poppers to celebrate and learn the science behind how they work.

• Discuss Newton’s laws of motion.
• Find out what happens when energy transfers and transforms during everyday activities.
• Test forces and laws of motion by creating confetti poppers from balloons and paper towel rolls.

Make fireworks with magic milk

Fireworks and bonfires are central parts of Nowruz celebrations around the world. Try this explosion- and flame-free fireworks activity with students:

• Read an article about the decline of cow’s milk consumption in the United States.
• Discover how reindeer milk is a popular baking ingredient in Mongolia.‍
• Create your own milky fireworks using food coloring and dish soap.

Cover all the major spring holidays in your classroom

Nowruz is one of many religious and cultural holidays celebrated during the Spring. With Newsela’s suite of subject products, you can access various content and resources—like news articles, primary sources, literature selections, and interactive videos—to help you teach about all of them!

Not a Newsela customer yet? Sign up for Newsela Lite for free and start your 45-day trial. You’ll get access to our premium content and activities for everything you need to teach about every holiday this spring.