Download the Christmas Around the World packages here
Grade Levels Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd
Grade Levels 3rd, 4th, 5th

With just a few weeks away from Christmas there is little time to think of fun, engaging activities for your class. I can help with this. Every December my students and I take a trip around the world without leaving our classroom. We visit 16 countries learning about Christmas traditions of long ago and today. Students read and discuss an informational text, complete an interactive notebook activity, a craft, and a coloring page about each country. My students look forward to this each day.

Prep

Each year I decide which countries we will “visit”. This depends in how much time we have before winter break. Since there are 16 countries and 3 other important winter holidays, you’ll need 4 weeks to visit every one. Don’t worry if you can’t fit them all in your schedule. I like to mix it up each year. This is especially great if you have had siblings. They can compare and talk about the countries they were able to “visit”.

After I decide how many countries we will visit I copy the needed pages and make a booklet. For the booklet, you will definitely want the cover, countdown, and passport. The table of contents is great for teaching text features. So if your students need more practice with this, be sure to include it. For each country I include the title page, informational text, and coloring page. Depending on the craft project, I will include the page to mount the finished craft project. Many of the crafts are suited for classroom display. When this happens, I do not include the page to glue the craft. Be sure to copy the interactive notebook pages separate from the student booklet. You will need them, but not in the student booklet.

Informational Texts

Each county has an informational text. We begin the lesson by students sharing what they already know, or think they know, about the country. This is just a quick class discussion. Sometimes I do a parking lot activity or KWL charts.

Next, I have the students open their booklets to the informational text page. They read through the passage quickly. This is not for comprehension. They read through the passage looking for words they do not know. Students circle those words. We have a class discussion of sharing and clarifying unknown words.

Then the students read the passages. I do read it aloud to my struggling readers, unless it is a guided reading lesson. If we are reading it in small groups, then all students read the passage with support as needed. After reading the passage students share what they found interesting. They highlight facts to include on the interactive notebook pages.

Interactive Notebook

Christmas Around the World Chalkstar.JPG

After the informational text, students complete the interactive

notebook activity for the country. They use the facts from the informational text to complete the pieces. Each country has a unique interactive notebook activity with photograph of how to complete the assembly. I love the consistency of the pieces. Dotted lines are always fold, and solid lines mean cut. This makes life so much easier for my students and me. I never have to hear questions about where to cut and where to fold.

Crafts

My students love the crafts best. They are not too difficult and easy to prep. I do not have a lot of time in December to gather hard to find supplies. Each craft uses supplies commonly found in schools. We glue some of the completed crafts into the booklet. Others are better displayed in the classroom or hallway. No matter where you decide to display them, your students will love making them.

Coloring Pages

I do include the coloring pages for each country. These are a life saver for students that finish early. They can color the graphics while waiting for other students finish. I also allow my students to color the completed countries’ graphics during other parts of our day if they finish

THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN WONDERFUL

Extremely satisfied My students loved learning about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries! Thank you for the resource.
Megan D. July 31, 2020

There was SO MUCH in this packet. My kids loved this information right before Christmas.
Fourth Grade Feelin' February 11, 2019

High Quality Resource! Thank you! Useful and a definite hit with my students!
Jessica R. August 7, 2018

Great packet, my students loved the activities.
Lorna M. January 9, 2018

Super excited to use this with my students! I've got the passports ready to go, and we're going to hit as many countries as we can!
Elizabeth C. December 4, 2017

Seriously, thank you for creating this! I love it!
Haley V. October 16, 2017

So comprehensive! Love that I can invest in this item and use it year after year, even with the same students, and not repeat countries!
MrsRoseysRoom February 2, 2017

My kids LOVED this so much! By their request, we will be continuing after Christmas to finish up a few that were missed when we ran out of time. Thank you!!!
Kristi M. December 26, 2016

I've been looking for something like this and I'm excited for my third graders to use it for the next couple of weeks! Thanks for sharing!
Lindsay B. November 29, 2016