Christmas is just around the corner. So many people I know are decorating and putting up their trees weeks ahead of when many people usually do. I wondered why this might be. I think that people are wanting to feel happy. They are wanting to feel that feeling you can only get from that wonderful Christmas spirit.
I had been working on my latest resource when I noticed more and more people discussing Christmas and decorating their homes when it was not even Thanksgiving in America yet. In Canada, we often get into the Christmas spirit early (like right after Halloween a little bit and then after Remembrance Day a lot!). Our Thanksgiving is in October. But due to recent negative world events, I think the lines between Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to be joining. Being thankful to Aboriginal peoples and our forefathers for building up these amazing countries from the ground up and honoring the spirit of giving and Christmas whatever it means to you seem to marry nicely together.
I thought it was perfect timing that we start to look at all of the different cultures that make up our wonderful world – not just our own country.
I created this Christmas Around the World lap book to make it easier for teachers to teach this important concept to our children. Christmas may look different in different countries. It is great to learn about these traditions and celebrations to be able to understand people more and appreciate and celebrate these similarities and differences.
It is important when we teach this to point out that people all over the world are the same in so many ways: we all have families and we all love and feel sadness and many other similarities. What teaching Christmas Around the World shows you is the festive nature of that celebration. These images are of children dressed in their customary dress for celebrations. Just as we dress up to celebrate our heritage during dance celebrations or special holidays – so do these children.
Students will find the differences in the celebration of Christmas in different countries interesting. It can promote wonderful discussions.
This set is so easy to use. You can use it with a unit on Christmas Around the World that you are already teaching to supplement or assess learning or you can use it as a stand alone set. There are two different front covers and sets: one that is more generic as an overall set of lessons on various countries around the world. (Germany, Australia, France, Canada, USA, India, Sweden, China and Mexico) The other one allows you to have students choose a country and do their lap book based on their own country. Some teachers may choose to do both.
There is a blank sheet where you can put your own countries in and alternative options if you are from the USA, Canada or Australia and do not want your own country in there as we already know how we celebrate Christmas there!
This set comes with informational cards for each of the provided countries so that students can write 2-3 short facts underneath each flap. You will love that you can have them do this independently or as a whole class!
My students love doing lap books and I love them too because they are a wonderful way to show learning and also are a great keepsake for students when they take them home.
Maybe this lap book will be a new Christmas coffee table book – what do you think? 🙂
Hi there! Do you have the originals on TPT for purchase? I would love to do this with my students.