I swear December is one of the very best months to be a teacher! Sure the kids are bouncing off the walls with anticipation, but there is also so much engaging learning to be had. Entwining your curriculum standards with the festive feeling in the air is a perfect recipe for engaging and memorable learning. I used to do a big Christmas Around the World unit with my first graders and it was such a hit each and every time. I’ve expanded it a bit to include other holidays and cultural traditions that are celebrated in the winter months. The students just love learning about the different festivities and symbolism that can be found around the world. Read on for some easy-to-incorporate holidays around the world activities that are easy to incorporate into your teaching this December.
My social studies standards encourage the sharing of music, art, traditions, and cultural celebrations with an emphasis on recognizing differences with respect. Helping students understand how many people around the world celebrate Christmas and other winter holidays has been my favorite way to teach this standard for years. Broadening their perspective and opening their eyes to the rich heritages that are found around the globe encourages empathy and respect.
Because time is short and the other subjects still happen to be a priority in December (you really ought to keep teaching math and phonics, you know…) I wanted to figure out a way to teach about a variety of holidays and countries in an efficient way that didn’t require too much prep from me. I came up with some quick and easy holidays around the world activities and lesson plans that include a variety of fun teaching points even when we’re short on time. Each lesson includes the following:
PICTURE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Read aloud one of the recommended picture books to activate background knowledge and prepare the students to learn. Introduce unknown vocabulary using the word cards. Add the books to your classroom library so students can revisit them again and again.
SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION: Project the Google Slides presentations, discuss each slide and photograph, and explore the focus country on Google Earth. Now could also be a good time to show the linked Youtube video if desired.
PRINTABLES: Have students keep track of their learning using one of the note-taking graphic organizers. I have also simply used the coloring page and had students color each object or tradition as we talk about them. I like to staple all of mine together to make little holidays around the world passport booklet we can work through throughout the month.
QUIZ GAME: Project the jeopardy-style quiz game and see how much your students have learned! Have teams an keep score if you want or just play for fun; my kids go crazy for these!
SOUVENIR CRAFT: Have students make their own souvenir craft to take home and help them remember what they learned about that day. These vary by country, but all of them are easy to prepare and construct. My first graders just love these and it gives them a talking point for when they return home and share what they learned in class today.
ENJOY A THEMED TREAT: This doesn’t have to be overly complicated and if it is doable in your classroom it is totally worth the extra effort. I was able to find mostly applicable foods just at my local grocery store.
There are so many rich cultural traditions and holidays celebrated throughout the year. It can be hard to choose which ones to show your class, but allow me to help you get started! These holidays around the world activities are low prep for teacher, engaging for students, and a fun and effective way to teach this December!
Christmas in England:
When teaching about how Christmas is traditionally celebrated in England I like to start by reading Holly and Ivy. I also have this new release, The Christmas Pine by one of my favorites, Julia Donaldson, to share with my students this year. We talk about holly, ivy mistletoe, children writing letters to Father Christmas, making and sending homemade Christmas cards, putting out a yule log, Christmas pudding, and more! For our easy souvenir craft the students make homemade Christmas cards with whatever fun little craft items I may have on hand. We finish up by popping open a giant handmade Christmas cracker full of goodies!
Christmas in France:
Madeline’s Christmas is a sweet way to introduce this lesson. We then go through the presentation and talk about French markets, children leaving their shoes by the fire for Pere Noel to fill, eating a feast at midnight on Christmas Eve, and the placing of the Yule Log. For a fun treat I give my students Little Debbie Swiss Rolls that work just perfectly as a mini Buche de noel cake. The students then make their own darling little yule logs to take home. I love adding a little bit of gold glitter to the candle flames!
Christmas in Germany:
This is a good day to tie in any fun gingerbread activities you have. I like to read The Gingerbread Man or Gingerbread Baby to my students. Cobweb Christmas is another great book for this day. I then use the slideshow to teach about Advent, Christkind, German Christmas markets, the decorating of Christmas trees, and traditional foods and treats that are eaten in Germany at Christmastime. We make our own little gingerbead Christmas tree ornament and sample ginger snaps! Some students love the spicy flavor and others do not!
Christmas in the United States of America:
I love to start out by reading The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza by David Shannon. We go through the slideshow and talk about traditional American customs like decorating Christmas trees, shopping, light shows, special elves that visit homes, wearing matching pajamas, and Santa Claus visiting while the children are asleep. We make a fun souvenir stocking (complete with fluffy cotton ball tops) and enjoy Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes.
Christmas in Mexico:
This is one of my favorite days! We begin by reading The Legend of the Poinsettia, The Night of Las Posadas, and Too Many Tamales. Next, we talk about Posadas parties, the Nacimiento, Epiphany, and the many fun (and flavorful) family customs that may take place during this time. We then make our own pattern block poinsettias (use scrapbook paper!) and sample bunuelos or chips and salsa.
Christmas in Sweden:
Teaching about how Christmas is traditionally celebrated in Sweden is always so special. I love to read The Tomten and Lucia Morning in Sweden. We discuss St. Lucia’s Day, advent candles, straw ornaments, woven heart baskets, and some of the traditional foods like rice porridge. I then have my students make their own woven hearts (they turn out so cute!) and serve individual servings of rice pudding.
Christmas in Italy:
There are some really great read aloud books you can use to introduce Christmas in Italy. I love The Legend Old Befana, La Befana and the Star, and Merry Chrsitmas, Strega Nona. Next, I use the slideshow and quiz game to help students learn about Italian living nativities, zampognari, writing secret notes to family and friends, the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and Epiphany. I get some festive napkins and have my students write little notes they can hide in their loved ones’ napkins at dinnertime. You can actually buy Panettone (in a few different flavors) at Walmart. My students were so eager to try a little slice!
Christmas in Russia:
To learn about traditional Christmas celebrations in Russia you can read The Littlest Matryoshka or The Tale of Baboushka. You can then use the slideshow, quiz game, and video link to help your students learn about the Christmas Day feast foods like pelmeni and pryaniki, Grandfather Frost, Snegurochka the Snow Maiden, and more.
Christmas in Canada:
A Moose Goes a-Mummering is a fun read aloud to use while teaching about Christmas in Canada. We talk about the traditions of mummering, decorating Christmas trees from farms, Santa and the Star Fairy, and family meals. Decorating Christmas cookies is a fun Canadian tradition you could share with your class as part of the lesson. I also love to have students decorate their own little paper Christmas trees on this day.
Christmas in Australia:
My students are always fascinated by the Christmas traditions in Australia. They love to listen to Christmas Wombat and Wombat Divine. We talk about Christmas in the outback, decorating a Christmas bush, cherries, concerts, pageants, fireworks, Boxing Day, and family barbecues. My students love learning that some kids believe Santa’s sleigh is pulled by kangaroos! We then snack on some cherries and make cute little koala paper bag puppets to take home.
Christmas in Hawaii:
By request I recently made a Christmas in Hawaii resource and I cannot wait to use it with my first graders this year! We are going to read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in Hawaii and ‘Ohana Means Family. We will learn about Shaka Santa, Tutu Mele, building sand snowmen, Hawaiian Christmas parades, family luaus, and more! We’re going to snack on pineapple tidbits while we decorate paper pineapples!
Hanukkah:
I studied Hebrew for five years and Israeli traditions are especially close to my heart. I absolutely love teaching my students about traditional observance of Hanukkah. We read Chanukah Lights Everywhere and Hanukkah Bear. We talk about the Maccabean War, the eight days of Hanukkah, lighting the menorah, playing dreidel, cooking latkes, and more! I love to let my students engage in a game of dreidel with some Hanukkah gelt or chocolate coins.
Kwanzaa:
There are a lot of good resources to use as you talk about Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa, Together for Kwanzaa, and Seven Spools of Thread are good read alouds. With the presentation and quiz game you can teach your students about African Heritage, the symbolism of red, black, and green, the muhindi, the mkeka, the kinara, the unity cup, and more! I love to then have my students make their own construction paper woven mkeka and offer some green, brown, and black M&M’s while we talk about the symbolism of each color.
I hope that you and your students enjoy these holidays around the world activities as much as we do. It is always worth the effort to help children learn about the rich traditions of cultures they may not know much about. Your students will remember the similarities and differences as compared to their own traditions and this will build empathy, understanding, curiosity, and joy. Each of these holidays around the world activities are available to purchase on their own or you can snag the highly discounted bundle by clicking below! Happy Holidays, teachers!
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