Sunday 11 December 2011

Christmas Around the World and Elf on the Shelf!

I just posted my Christmas Around the World Unit on TpT for $4.50. It is a 9-day unit (but you can always combine some to make it shorter if you wish!) that I will be starting tomorrow with my class! This 49 page package contains lesson plans to visit 8 countries, Polar Express train tickets, a scrapbook, a suitcase to hold all of your souvenirs, and 6 craft ideas. Click the picture below to see it at my TpT store.



Day 1: I will read the Polar Express (one of my FAVOURITE Christmas books of all time!) and we will decorate our suitcases. There is a Canadian and American suitcase in the unit. After we visit each country, I will give students a sticker to place on their suitcase as a little memento of all the places we have visited! The stickers are also included my unit.




Day 2: We will be moving our desks into rows with an aisle down the middle to make our Polar Express Christmas train. It will be a change from our groups of four, so it will be pretty exciting for the kids! I will give students their Polar Express train tickets (and punch it with my hole punch to make it official!). We will talk about all of the Christmas/holiday traditions that we do at home with our families. In the scrapbook, students will write and draw about one of their holiday traditions. (There is a Canada and U.S.A. page in the unit.) I will read the book "A Porcupine in a Pine Tree" because it's a fun Canadian story :)

 





Day 3: We will board the train again to visit our first stop -- Mexico! We will look at some pictures of Mexico and Mexican Christmas traditions. I will read the story "The Legend of the Poinsettia" by Tomie dePaloa. We will listen to the song "Feliz Navidad" (there is a video on YouTube here). We complete the scrapbook page. Then we will make a poinsettia craft.




Day 4: Next stop -- Brazil! We will look at photos of Christmas in Brazil. We will watch a video of fireworks in Brazil from YouTube here. We will complete our scrapbook page. We will make some Brazilian tinsel-tail bird Christmas tree decorations.


Day 5: Next stop -- South Africa! We will look at photos of Christmas in South Africa . We will listen to "Sing Noel" an African Christmas song from YouTube here. We will complete our scrapbook page. We will make our own Christmas crackers with a little treat inside them.


Day 6: Next stop -- Germany! We will look at photos of Christmas in Germany. We will listen to German Christmas carols, such as "Still Nacht" and "O Tannenbaum". We will complete our scrapbook page. We will make a cute Christmas tree craft.


Day 7: Next stop -- China! No, we won't be talking about Chinese New Year just yet, we will be looking at how they celebrate Christmas! We will look at photos of China. We will complete our scrapbook page. We will make some decorated Chinese paper lanterns to hang in our room.


Day 8: Next stop -- Australia! We will look at photos of Christmas in Australia. We will listen to the song "Six White Boomers" from YouTube here and make Christmas kangaroo puppets to help us sing along. We will complete our scrapbook page. I will also read the book "Wombat Divine" by Mem Fox. It is a story about Australian animals preparing for their Christmas play. Super cute!



Day 9: Last stop... the North Pole! We will use our imagination to write and draw about how we think everyone at the North Pole celebrates Christmas. This is also going to be our Polar Express wrap up day, where we wear pajamas to school and watch the movie! Yay! I can't wait for a break that fun day!


Exciting news for tomorrow!! I just picked up my very own Elf on the Shelf this weekend. I am so excited. Surprisngly, my challenging class has been managing quite well for the last little bit, but hopefully our new addition to the classroom will help them get through to the end! Our school has a school-wide behaviour management tool where we give out green slips for good behaviour, amber slips for warnings, and red slips for serious offenses. I have prepared a bunch of green slips for the elf to give out while the kids are out at recess. I can't wait for them to get excited about it like I am!


I saw this cute idea somewhere to wrap up the box, address it to the school, store it in the freezer for a while (because it's coming from the North Pole!), and have it "sent" to the school. Here is my package all ready for tomorrow!


I also whipped up this little journal so my kiddies can write about our elf during our writing time this week. If you would like a copy of the journal, you can download it here. The clipart is from the adorable KPM Doodles and the border is from Isabel Mendez (Crisdam Designs).





Well, here is to our last few school days before Christmas Break. Good luck to all of you getting ready for Christmas Concerts! I don't know how our music teacher does it. 400 some students, from K-6. She is a busy lady! Cheers everyone!

4 comments:

  1. I nominated you for a Liebster Award. Head over to my blog to check it out! Congrats!

    Amy
    Krazy About Kiddos

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much, Amy! That's so nice of you! :)

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  3. Wow great ideas! Can you upload your templates for each of the countries you studied by chance? Thanks!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for creating a sensible topic that suits the taste of your readers. Keep up the good Work. Animals

    ReplyDelete