Christmas-Themed Units
There are many fiction and non-fiction texts out there to choose from to incorporate reading into your theme. With various fiction texts kids can:
free read; read aloud; predict stories; summarize; respond in a reading notebook; compare/contrast fictional elements with fact; retell the story by performing a play; make connections to the story {text-text (how it connects to other stories), text-self (how it connects with the reader), and text-world (how it connects with the world around you)}; discuss story elements {character, setting, plot, problem, solution}.
Some great Christmas stories and
ways to use them:
The Legend of the Poinsettia: Tomie DePaola
- Use this story to begin an author study of Tomie DePaola.
- Study Mexico's Christmas traditions, geography, & geology.
- Bake and cook traditional Mexican cuisine.
- Read and follow recipes.
- Double recipes (math).
- Count the different amounts of petals you see on different poinsettias. (You can do this as a store.) Make a graph of the different number of petals, colors, etc. Use the graph to answer questions. (How many more 6 petal poinsettias than 8 petal?)
- Study the poinsettia; its plant parts, and uses.
- Draw a poinsettia. Make one with tissue paper.
- Re-enact the story.
- Interview anyone of Mexican decent you may know and ask them to share their stories.
- Go to to eat at a Mexican Restaurant.
- Discuss the true meanings of a gift from the heart. Have your child choose someone new to give a gift to.
Reading of the story: Legend of the Poinsettia
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
This is such a lovely story.
- Great opportunity to introduce woodworking in some way. Know someone who is a carpenter, has some tools and wood to share?
- The illustrations of the book are watercolor. Get out those watercolors. Teach some techniques.
- Find words that rhyme with Mr. Gloomy; Mr. Toomey; mumble; etc.
- There are some great describing words (adjectives and adverbs) in this story. Stress them when reading aloud. Ask your child to describe what they mean, how they help tell the story, define the characters.
- Encourage your child to befriend someone in need.
- Discuss how carving this nativity changed Mr. Toomey.
- Discuss the setting of the story...during what time in the past does it take place? How are things different then form now?
- If you want to incorporate some grammar, pull out a sentence here and there, write on a white board, and point out the subject, predicate, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs...
- Have your child draw picture of his favorite part of the story and write why they chose it. Sentences do not begin with because; because is glue that holds together two complete phrases.
Reading of The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
This imaginative tale about the North Pole workings can be an invitation to your child's storytelling about what they picture Santa's workshop to be like.
- Study reindeer, or caribou as they are also called How are they different than the deer you may see in your area? How are they alike?
- This strong young lady, Teeka, has a tough job. Encourage your daughter to tell about how she is strong, jobs she can do, problems she can solve. Have her brothers listen in and offer their own insights on the powers of femalekind.
- Study the geography and ecology of the arctic region. Customs of those who live there; dress, food, and dwellings.
- What is the lesson that Teeka learns after failing to get the reindeer ready? What can we learn?
- Write a letter to Santa and explain how you would help him prepare his reindeer.
- The reindeer names are different in the story than what we are used to hearing. Why do you think these names were used?
- Make a paperboy reindeer puppet and act out the story.
- Multiplication: point out the tines of a reindeer's antlers and count them. Use them for multiplication number stories such as If each reindeer had 6 tines, and there are 4 reindeer, how many tines would there be? Use multiple addition for beginners.
Reading of the book The Wild Christmas Reindeer.
Other Christmas themed Activities.
Math
Sort multiple colored jingle bells. Sort by size if you have different sizes. Or maybe even sound!
Identify the different shapes found in Christmas decorations.
2D and 3D.
Obtain green and red plastic bag twist ties and green and red bar drink straws (short, skinny) or coffee stirrers. Insert twist ties into straws and create 2D, then 3D, shapes.
Use mini marshmallows and toothpicks to create 2D and 3D shapes. Count the lines, angles, and faces of each. Tie string to each shape and dip into a soap solution Now count the new lines, angles, and faces. (Color the soap solution with red or green food coloring. You can make two buckets for one red, one green.) Record all of the sides, face, angles onto a table.
Use candy canes (gum drops, etc)
to solve oral addition and subtraction (or multiplication and division!) problems.
Build a gingerbread house and be a carpenter. Measure sides of the walls, angle of the roof, area of the interior, perimeter of the outside. Weigh your house. Predict the weight first.
Science
Use a battery, wires, adult supervision, and Christmas lights to study circuits.
Melt some Christmas candy on the stove. Use a thermometer to measure the temp. Pour the melt onto a tray and record how long it takes to solidify.
Matter
Make ICE. Talk about how water freezes, and at what temp. Use a thermometer. Talk about negative numbers and draw a numberline to make hops with a counter. If you have snow outside, take the temperature. Measure the depth. Bring some in to weigh (quickly). Place some solid snow into a cup and time how long it takes to melt to a liquid. Leave it out for a week and see how long it takes to evaporate to a gas.
Arts & Crafts
Cinnamon/Applesauce Dough: one part of each, mix to form a clay. Mold, cut, shape. Make a little hole at top for a ribbon. Leave out to dry. Smells wonderful as an ornament.
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