| By Gale Staff |
With the winter break fast approaching, elementary teachers are undoubtedly preparing light-hearted, holiday-themed activities. Among other popular holidays such as Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and the Winter Solstice, Christmas is one of the most widely observed holidays in the United States, with around 93% of Americans celebrating it in some fashion.
Your young students are likely familiar with many Christmas traditions, so creating new and inventive lesson plans can be challenging. It’s time to add Gale In Context: Elementary to your Christmas wish list: a kid-friendly research tool filled with holiday-themed content. Unwrap ready-made lesson plans and engaging classroom activities in one easy-to-navigate learning environment. Start with the Christmas topic page!
Learn the History of the Christmas Tree
The Christmas holiday is packed with festive imagery: colorful ornaments, toy-stuffed stockings, and Santa Claus with his flying reindeer. Among them, the Christmas tree stands tall as an enduring seasonal icon that evolves with the times but nonetheless evokes timeless Yuletide cheer. From Charlie Brown to National Lampoon, town squares to shopping malls, real pine or plastic, Christmas trees are a staple of American culture.
But where did the tradition originate—and how did the custom become so pervasive? There is some debate over the festive evergreen’s origin story, but according to holiday folklore, the Christmas tree began in Germany in the 15th century.
German priest and religious reformer Martin Luther was the first to associate the practice with Christian tradition. Equating the tree’s steadfast nature with the love of God, he brought an evergreen tree into his home as a holiday decoration. Luther adorned his tree with candles to represent the holy star that led the three wise men to the manger. Centuries later, German immigrants would help popularize the tradition in the United States.
Christmas trees have different meanings for different families. For some, the tree represents their Christian faith. For others, it is simply a festive decoration for their home, a fragrant canvas on which to hang homemade ornaments or colorful lights. The Christmas tree is a versatile symbol that inspires joy and creativity regardless of faith or background.
With Gale In Context: Elementary, your students can learn all about the history of beloved holiday symbols like the Christmas tree and Santa Claus. Encourage students to share if and how their families decorate for the winter holidays. What seasonal differences and similarities exist regardless of what holiday is celebrated?
Activity Idea: Did you know some ancient cultures believed that evergreen trees were magic? Or that most U.S. Christmas trees are grown in Oregon? Use the Christmas tree quiz in Gale In Context: Elementary to learn even more fascinating facts.
Research Christmas Around the World
Christmas is a global celebration with diverse traditions from country to country. After all, in the Southern Hemisphere, December 25 is the peak of summer, making evergreen decor and snowy sled rides unlikely. With Gale In Context: Elementary, your students can discover interesting and unique Christmas customs worldwide with easy-to-read articles and thoughtful activities. Gale’s databases feature diverse content to pique your students’ curiosity while fostering their early research skills.
In Mexico, many families celebrate Las Posadas, a nine-day reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s biblical search for lodging on a cold winter’s night. Then, on Christmas Eve, families celebrate with a large feast, and children break a piñata together. In Jamaica, people participate in colorful street parades during Junkanoo, a West African celebration throughout the Christmas season. Jamaicans sing reggae-style Christmas carols and enjoy slices of Jamaican Black Cake. In the Philippines, households celebrate Christmas for four months straight! Different provinces host vibrant fiestas and decorate the streets with colorful star-shaped lanterns called parols.
Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays worldwide, spanning over 160 countries. There are countless ways to usher in this special season. With Christmas as your through line, push your students to be curious about other cultures.
Discussion Idea: Using Gale In Context: Elementary, have students research Christmas traditions around the world. Ask them to share any holiday customs that stood out to them. If they could spend Christmas in a different country, where would they choose to go and why?
Study the Science of a Snowflake
Snow is a common feature of Christmas imagery. From characters like Frosty the Snowman and Jack Frost to carols like “Let it Snow” or “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” the holiday traditionally evokes a nostalgic white Christmas theme. Gale in Context: Elementary can help you create a fun discussion around winter weather in your science classroom. There’s even an entire topic page dedicated to snow.
No two snowflakes are exactly alike, but how is that possible? Snowflakes begin as water vapor in the sky. When it’s cold enough, the gas condenses around a tiny particle (like dust or pollen) and begins to freeze and crystallize. Liquid water particles stick to the crystal as it falls from the sky. The air temperature, speed, wind, and humidity all help shape the snowflake that eventually lands on Earth. There are so many tiny variables throughout its descent that each snowflake is statistically unique.
If you live in an area with snow, consider taking a field trip outside to collect some. Use magnifying glasses or even microscopes to study the snowflakes up close. Have students describe or draw what they see. Categorize the snowflakes into one of seven basic shapes. What else can students discern about the winter environment in which they live? What plants are still growing, and which have gone dormant? Discuss how observation is critical to science and discovery.
Activity Idea: Consider ways to make snowflakes without snow! After all, many people around the world celebrate Christmas in warmer environments. Pressed flowers and even colorful coffee filters can inspire classic wintertime imagery regardless of the weather outside.
With Gale In Context: Elementary, bringing the Christmas spirit into your classroom is easier than ever. Use the database to learn the strange stories behind popular carols, discover the mystery behind the author of The Night Before Christmas, make fun holiday crafts, and even tell Christmas-themed jokes.
As the holiday break approaches, keeping kids engaged is a tall order. Gale In Context: Elementary provides your students with a safe learning environment that piques their curiosity and fosters their budding research skills. Gale helps destress the holiday season so you can focus on bringing the holiday cheer.
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