Newsela launched in 2013 with a bold mission: Meaningful classroom learning for every student. Today, our team constantly strives to deliver powerful solutions that inspire our users.
Purim Activities: Teach About the Holiday in Your Classroom
Christy Walters
February 2, 2026
The Jewish holiday of Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia, as told in the Book of Esther. Today, people celebrate the holiday with joyful traditions such as exchanging gift baskets (mishloach manot), reading the Book of Esther (Megillah), wearing costumes, and eating hamantaschen.
Bringing Purim activities into your classroom helps you build cultural understanding while strengthening literacy, discussion skills, and historical analysis. With Newsela’s ELA and social studies resources, you can support students as they explore storytelling traditions, historical context, and modern Jewish American life.
[Explore Purim’s history and storytelling roots in ELA](id-ela)
Understanding Purim begins with understanding its story. This holiday is rooted in one of the most dramatic narratives in Jewish tradition, making it a natural fit for ELA lessons focused on plot, character, and theme.
By anchoring your Purim activities in nonfiction and narrative analysis, you give students the background knowledge they need to engage meaningfully with the holiday and its texts.
What is Purim and why is it celebrated?
Introduce students to the origins of Purim with a nonfiction article that explains the holiday’s historical background, major traditions, and religious significance. This reading helps students connect storytelling, faith, and celebration while building comprehension and vocabulary.
After reading, deepen understanding through collaborative discussion. Have students work in pairs or small groups to explore questions like:
Who are the main characters in the Purim story?
How does the story highlight themes of courage and resilience?
What customs and traditions are associated with Purim today?
To synthesize learning, invite students to create a Purim celebration invitation. This activity blends informational writing with creativity and asks students to clearly communicate what they’ve learned. The invitation should include:
Key facts about Purim’s history and symbols.
Essential event details: Date, time, and location.
Creative elements like costume expectations or themed decorations.
[Discover Jewish American cultural traditions through social studies](id-ss)
Purim is one of many holidays that reflect the customs of Jewish American life. Expanding your Purim activities into social studies allows students to see how religious traditions shape culture, identity, and community in the United States.
How do Jewish traditions influence American culture?
Use nonfiction resources to help students explore how Jewish beliefs, customs, and celebrations connect to broader American society. These texts support background knowledge and align well with lessons on culture and civic identity. Use resources like:
Where do Jewish American communities form and thrive?
Communities play a key role in preserving traditions like Purim. These resources help students explore how Jewish Americans have built and sustained vibrant communities across regions and time periods.
Students can examine articles that explore topics like:
Cover major spring holidays with one trusted resource
Purim is one of several religious and cultural holidays celebrated in the spring. With Newsela’s suite of subject products, you can access news articles, primary sources, literature selections, and interactive videos that help you teach about any tradition without starting from scratch.
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 all the holidays this spring.
Everything you need to accelerate learning across ELA, social studies, and science
Products Overview
.avif)
