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As Christmas approaches, you might be on the search for resources and activities to keep students engaged. Let’s face it – the holidays can bring about lots of distractions! Students are looking forward to vacations, presents, and sleeping in. So, why not bring the fun and celebrate the holidays. That’s why I love using Christmas around the world activities. What is Christmas Around the World? People around the world have different traditions they associate with Christmas. With Christmas around the world activities, students can explore different cultures, traditions, foods, and more. It’s a great way to bring together literary and social studies skills. Christmas Around the World Activities Luckily, planning your Christmas around the world activities doesn’t have to be challenging. And once you nail down a few favorites, you can use them year after year. 1. Read Alouds An easy way to bring different Christmas traditions to your
Get ready…Christmas will be here before you know it! And I can’t wait. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love decorating, listening to Christmas carols, watching Christmas movies and finding the perfect gift for everyone on my list.  What else do I love about the holiday? Watching the joy and excitement on my students’ faces as they count down the days to Santa’s arrival. However, as every educator knows this is one of the most exhausting times of the school year! Keeping our students engaged and focused can be a challenge in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  If you are already stressing about coming up with lesson plans for the month of December, you have come to the right place! I have 12 days of Christmas lesson plans and activities to help you get through those crazy weeks before holiday break. No matter what grade you teach you
As we head into the busy holiday season, finding time to write lessons plans can be difficult. Look below for some free Christmas lesson plans and activities that you can use with your students right now! Santa’s Stuck This is a free set of literacy activities to go along with the book Santa’s Stuck by Rhonda Gowler Greene and Henry Cole. Activities included: comprehension questions to use in literacy centers or small groups, writing/drawing activity and a one page mini book. Christmas Traditions – Truth or Fib Scoot Game Your students will love learning about different Christmas traditions with this free Scoot game. This is a set of 16 task cards. On each card is a Christmas or New Year tradition from around the world. The student needs to decide whether the tradition is true or if it is a fib. Can be used as a literacy center or
During the month of December many of my lessons focus on winter holidays around the world. These include books about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Diwali as well as Christmas. Below are 30 of my favorite December read alouds. A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel After destroying all of the gifts and decorations at home, Bad Kitty escapes from the car on Christmas Eve and finds a new friend, who helps her learn the true meaning of Christmas. A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora Text in English with some Spanish words. Presents an adaptation of the folk song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in which friends exchange gifts such as pinatas and a little girl receives a present from a secret friend whose identity is eventually revealed. A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa’s Tasty Trip Around the World by
The holiday season is upon us! Do you decorate your library or classroom for Christmas? I decorate for every season and Christmas is my favorite. I always put up a tree and string lights around the door. (Don’t tell the fire marshal!) A few years ago I started having the students make ornaments to put on the tree: Christmas ornament book recommendations! This is such a fun and engaging activity. You can use it with students in any grade level, the kids love to make them and they make your library look so festive! What could be better? Making the Christmas Ornament Book Recommendation This is a simple activity to prepare, which is always a bonus during this hectic and chaotic time. All you need are copies of the Christmas ornament book recommendation template, scissors, pencils, and crayons. If possible print them out on card stock or a thicker