Celebrate Christmas Around The World Theme Unit Part 1
Looking for the perfect Christmas Around the World thematic unit? Looking for books, supporting videos and songs? At Christmas time, I love to take my students on a journey around the world to celebrate all the wonderful and diverse ways people celebrate the holidays. It's a great way to introduce them to important social studies concepts in a playful and celebratory way! We love to read books about the different celebrations around the world as we set out on our adventures. Here are a few good ones to start off the journey: *Find more countries in Part 2 Here and Part 3 Here
Germany
The first stop is Germany, where we read German Christmas stories and discuss German Christmas traditions. Children love to learn that our tradition of the Christmas tree originates in Germany where they are known as "Trees of Light".
I love this version of "Oh Christmas Tree" in beautiful stop motion animation, and the kids do too!
In the "Christmas World Tour: Part One" packet there are even more activities for children. They can practice their math skills with a German advent calendar, learn the words to "Oh Christmas Tree/Oh Tannenbaum", make a Christmas countdown, and learn about other German Christmas traditions.
Australia
Now it's time to visit Australia, where the weather is warm at Christmastime and sometimes Santa goes surfing! Since picnics on the beach are an Australian Christmas tradition, we bring towels to sit on and have a Christmas picnic lunch in our classroom. We also watch "Go Santa Go" with The Wiggles to get into the holiday spirit!
In the "Christmas World Tour: Part One" packet children learn about more Christmas traditions, practice phonemic awareness with surfing Santa, sing about "Six White Boomers" and learn how to make Fruit Pavlova.
Russia
While visiting Russia we discuss the beautiful nutcracker ballet and how children receive Christmas presents from old Babushka.
While visiting Russia we make nutcracker dolls out of paper towel rolls. For an added bit of STEM, you can challenge the children to give the nutcracker a working mouth. This is how ours turned out using tongue depressors, a crayon, and some tape.
It was fun to see how they turned out, even if there mouths did look a bit like the aliens from Sesame Street!
Some of the other things we do in Russia are make Russian nesting dolls and play a game in the land of the sugar plum fairy that helps children practice answering and asking questions about key details in text.
Denmark
While in Denmark we celebrate the works of author Hans Christian Anderson, read the Highlights Magazine story A Danish Christmas Remembered, and make red and white Danish Christmas decorations.
Also in Denmark, we play a number sense game with the mischievous Nisse the elf and sing a song about 10 Christmas gnomes.
Spain
Next we're off to Spain, where we watch costumed boys dance a dance called Seises and talk about the celebrations that occur around the Feast of Epiphany when the Three Wise Men bring presents to good girls and boys.
In the "Christmas World Tour: Part One" packet there are more activities, including practice writing numbers with Spanish shoes and painting a picture of the Three Wise Men.
England
England is the birthplace of one of the most beloved Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. I love the illustrations in Brett Helquist's picture book version for my class! England is also the home of many well known Christmas songs, such as The Twelve Days of Christmas.
While in England we also practice Common Core standards by counting as we stuff English Christmas stockings and write Christmas cards.
France
Now it's time to go to France to celebrate Le Reveillon. We look at beautiful French Christmas creches and sing the French carol The Friendly Beasts while waiting for the arrival of Pere Noel.
While in France we practice rhyming words while having a Le Reveillon feast and make santons for our nativity scenes.
Africa
Now we visit South Africa, Ghana, Liberia, and Ethiopia where oil palms are decorated as Christmas trees and candles are part of the celebrations.
While in these African countries, we practice recognizing groups of tens and ones to meet Common Core standards and make candle art work.
Canada
The traditions in Canada are wide and varied and there are a lot of fun Christmas stories by Canadian authors available to read in the classroom.
While in Canada we practice making combinations of 10 while delivering Christmas trees and make Christmas trees from strips of green paper.
Greece
Next we're off to Greece, the home of Saint Nicholas, fasting, and feasts.
While celebrating Christmas in Greece, we practice letter sound correspondence as well as decorating Christmas boats (as is traditional in Greece).
You can find all of these activities in our Christmas World Tour Part One packet and supplementary materials in our Christmas Around The World Scrapbook. Both are available here and at our Teachers Pay Teachers Store.
Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!
Description
Christmas Around The World Thematic Unit. Teach across the curriculum!
Part One of our Christmas Around the World Thematic Unit is filled with time-tested, quality activities that are strategically linked to Core Standards. It is divided into areas of literature, music, art, literacy, math, social studies, creative writing, word wall, and guided reading.
Part One Features The Countries of:
Germany
Australia
Russia
Denmark
Spain
England
France
Africa
Canada
Greece
The activities include:
Literacy Activities
Germany: Reading Sight Words
Australia: Surfing Santa: Segmenting Words
Russia: Land of the Sweets: Comprehension
France: Le Reveillon: Rhyming
Greece: St. Nicholas’ Boats: Naming Sounds
Greece: Nonsense Word Fluency
Italy: Befana’s Toys: Changing Initial Sounds to Make New Words
Math Activities
German Advent Calendar: Solving Problems Using Mental Math Strategies.
Denmark: Nisse The Elf: Subtraction
Africa: Candle, Candle: Decomposing Numbers
Canada: Tree Delivery: Making Combinations for 10
Spain: Spanish Shoes: Writing Numbers
England: Stocking Stuffing: Counting Objects For a Given Number
Songs and Fingerplays
Germany: O Tannenbaum
Australia: Six White Boomers
Denmark: Ten Little Gnomes
Spain: Navidad
Art Projects
Germany: Star Christmas Countdown
Russia: Nesting Dolls/Nutcracker
Denmark: Danish Christmas Heart
Spain: Balthazar & the Wise Men
Africa: Candle Art
Canada: Strip Christmas Tree
England: Christmas Cards
France: Christmas Santons
Greece: Christmas Fishing Boat
Kitchen
Australia: Pavlova
Writing
Country Word Walls
Guided Reading
Christmas Friends: Sight Word Reader
Class-Made Book: Around the World
BONUS: Find more ideas and supporting books, videos, and songs here: http://www.kindergartenkiosk.com/kindergartenkiosk/12/2/christmas-around-the-world
© Kathy Crane
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Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!
Christmas Around the World Scrapbook enhances the memories of Christmas Around The World Activities and reinforces researching key details. Complete the scrapbook, and then bind into an around the world memento.
This product contains:
An full-color informational card for each country
Two Scrapbook Cover Options: Color or Black and White
A Scrapbook Page for each of the 20 countries Found in our Christmas World Tour Thematic Units.
A Culminating Scrapbook Craft to include into the scrapbook.
An original song adaptation of Let There Be Peace On Earth to sing with your students and include in the scrapbook.
Countries Include
Germany
Australia
Russia
Denmark
Spain
England
France
Africa
Canada
Greece
India
Sweden
United States of America
Bahamas
Peru
Israel
Mexico
China
Italy
Scotland
Norway
© Kathy Crane
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Here's what people are saying about this unit:
“WOW! This is a HUGE unit. It was difficult to choose which to use... great information! I also purchased the Holidays Around the World unit. I have students who ‘don’t celebrate’, so it worked nicely with SS standards as world and cultural traditions.”
“This pack is amazing! I love how the common core elements are included in the activities to help the kiddos remember the main idea from each country! So eager for Christmas now!”
“Awesome job and my kids enjoyed all the different activities!”
Our Christmas Around the World tour continues in Part Two!
Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!
Christmas Around The World Thematic Unit. Teach across the curriculum!
Part One of our Christmas Around the World Thematic Unit is filled with time-tested, quality activities that are strategically linked to Core Standards. It is divided into areas of literature, music, art, literacy, math, social studies, creative writing, word wall, and guided reading.
Part Two Features The Countries of:
India
Sweden
United States of America
Bahamas
Peru
Israel
Mexico
China
Italy
Scotland
The activities include:
Literacy Activities
Sweden: St. Lucia Reading Nonsens Words
USA: Decorate Away: Blending Phonemes
USA: Decorate Away: Blending Phonemes or Phoneme Segmentation
Bahamas: Junkanoo: Using Common Nouns in Complete Sentences
Israel: Identifying Letters or Decoding Words
Italy: Befana’s Toys: Changing Initial Sounds to Make New Words
Mexico: Poinsettia Race: Naming Letters Quickly
China: Christmas Lanterns: Writing Alphabet Letters
Math Activities
India: Diwali Day: Identifying and Comparing Numbers
Sweden: St. Lucia Day Deliveries: Composing Teen Numbers.
Peru: Fiesta de Navidad: Classifying and Sorting Objects
Scotland: The Mischievous Elves: Identifying Numbers
Songs and Fingerplays
India: Little Clay Lamp
Sweden: Lucia Day
USA: Ring Your Bells
Peru: Fiestas de Navidad
Art Projects
India: Clay Lamp
Sweden: Star Hats, St. Lucia Wreaths
USA: A Gift for Mom & Dad
Bahamas: Starfish Santa
Israel: My Star
Italy: My Ceppo
Mexico: Poinsettia Construct
Scotland: Shape Elf
Kitchen
Australia: Pavlova
Peru: Panettone
Writing
Country Word Walls
Guided Reading
Around The World: Sight Word Reader
Class-Made Book: Around the World
© Kathy Crane
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Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!
Holidays around the World Thematic Cross-Curricular Activities takes a look at multi-cultural celebrations that are held in the Winter months. It is filled with time-tested, quality activities that are strategically linked to Core Standards. It is divided into areas of literature, music, art, literacy, math, social studies, creative writing, word wall, and guided reading.
Part Three Features:
Eid
Kwanzaa
Hanukkah
Diwali
The activities include:
Literacy Lessons
Eid: Reading Sight Words
Eid Variation: Reading Alphabet letters
Happy Kwanzaa: Reading Nonsense Words
Spin the Dreidel: Naming Alphabet Letters
Spin the Dreidel Variation: Decoding CVC Words
Follow the Lamps: Blending and Segmenting Words
Art Projects
Eid: Crescent Moon
Kwanzaa: Kinara
Hanukkah: Star of David
Hanukkah: My Menorah
Diwali: Rangoli
Scrapbook Pages:
Eid
Kwanzaa
Hanukkah
Diwali
Songs/Fingerplays
Eid
Kwanzaa
The Dreidel Song
Diwali is Here
© Kathy Crane
Follow For Updates and Freebies!
Be alerted as products are updated and/or added to. Get Special Freebies.
Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!
Christmas Around the World Scrapbook enhances the memories of Christmas Around The World Activities and reinforces researching key details. Complete the scrapbook, and then bind into an around the world memento.
This product contains:
An full-color informational card for each country
Two Scrapbook Cover Options: Color or Black and White
A Scrapbook Page for each of the 20 countries Found in our Christmas World Tour Thematic Units.
A Culminating Scrapbook Craft to include into the scrapbook.
An original song adaptation of Let There Be Peace On Earth to sing with your students and include in the scrapbook.
Countries Include
Germany
Australia
Russia
Denmark
Spain
England
France
Africa
Canada
Greece
India
Sweden
United States of America
Bahamas
Peru
Israel
Mexico
China
Italy
Scotland
Norway
© Kathy Crane
Follow For Updates and Freebies!
Be alerted as products are updated and/or added to. Get Special Freebies.