What is everyone planning on doing for holidays in the classroom? While you may be in the middle of a unit, it is so important for students to have the global perspectives when events around the world are actually happening. These are the moments that come alive to students and they are also the moments that students enjoy the most and remember! Keep in the target language when doing cultural activities and remember to think about what students will be able to do with the language and the content! Here are some materials I have collected around Winter, Holidays, Christmas and New Years! Remember to be sensitive that not all students celebrate the same holidays or believe in the sam items! Taking a perspective from the target language country or countries definitely taps into the perspectives of cultures! Hope you enjoy the resources and please let us know what you do as well!
Just some ideas to spark interest...
1. Use post-it notes! Have students generate a list of traditions they currently incorporate into their winter holiday? Your essential question may be What holiday traditions are important to you? From there hang up the question listed as well as the following around the room: What do you do? What do you eat? Who is involved? Have students write answers on the post-it-notes and then hang up around the room. Allow students time to do a gallery walk. Give students a sticker. As they walk around reading the responses, allow them time to put stickers around the ideas they either share in common or find interesting or new. This creates a visual graph of findings. Let students go back to seats and share ideas with an elbow partner and then as a class. You should be able to get good discussion and participation from students!
2. Have students write a letter about their year! Use festive holiday/winter paper! See attached winter newsletter template from Microsoft Word!. If you are a Spanish teacher, you could have students write a letter to the Three Kings using the following link!
3. Show images of people around the world or from specific country celebrating. Have students write a caption. Here are a few links!
Celebrations around the world!
Christmas around the world!
The Good Life France!
German Christmas Markets!
Gift giving traditions around the world!
Holidays around the world!
Scholastic Holidays around the world!
Celebrations around the world!
Christmas around the world!
The Good Life France!
German Christmas Markets!
Gift giving traditions around the world!
Holidays around the world!
Scholastic Holidays around the world!
4. Listen to a newscast/podcast of people celebrating a tradition. Have students write down key words and main ideas. From the Spanish classroom perspective, I was always able to find something from BBC Mundo!
5. Show a short video clip of some of the traditions available. Here is one from the national lottery in Spain that happens before Christmas. Click here for the link with article or watch video below. I also loved sharing this article from Veinte Mundos in my class. Have students compare and contrast with their own culture.
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6. Provide a list of vocabulary words and have students create a poem or an acrostic. Play password to help with circumlocution. Click below for a template on password! Just delete the word on the slide and add your own. To make whole class, I had students sit back to back instead of one student in the front of the room.
7. Create QR codes and have students go on a scavenger hunt solving a riddle with various images. What does this depict?
8. Have an info-graphic for students to read and make comparisons!
9. Compare a tradition like eating 12 grapes on new years! Talk about which countries do this celebration. Actually, bring in the grapes and celebrate to a new year. I always loved having students read the article from Veinte Mundos and listening to a song by Mecano. Have students write goals for the new year on a piece of construction paper and make a "goal chain" You could then hang up in your classroom! Also, check out this video from 1965 New Year's greetings from France!
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10. Conduct a service project within your school. Check out our page on global connections for more information!
11. Look up some recipes and cook or have students cook dish and then and bring into class. Students could then taste items and even write a critique/review/ write about their top 3.
12. Do a Thing Link image and allow students to go to town exploring various images and videos. See example below or click here!
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