Christmas Lessons 2008 All Levels

Christmas crosswordLook at the Pictures.Write the words.

Name:

Class:

Merry Christmas

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Christmas A4 druk 26.11.2008 15:08 Page 1

Chris

tmas

tree

Fath

erCh

ristm

as

card

Chris

tmas

cake

stock

ingpr

esen

t

crac

ker

star

© Oxford University Press / PHOTOCOPIABLE – 2 –


Christmas playChristmas morning. Baby is asleep. Father Christmas is crying

in the corner of a room and wakes Baby.

Baby: Hello! What’s your name?Father Christmas: Father Christmas.Baby: Father Christmas!

Enter Stevie, Danny, Lucy, and Annie.

Stevie, Danny, Lucy and Annie: Shh!Baby: Look!Stevie, Danny, Lucy and Annie:Father Christmas!Father Christmas (still crying): Yes.Danny: Why are you sad?Father Christmas: It’s Christmas.Stevie: I like Christmas!Baby: I like presents!Lucy: I like crackers!Annie: I like Christmas dinner!Father Christmas: I like presentsand crackers and Christmas dinner.Lucy: Why don’t you like Christmas?Father Christmas: I work at Christmas. No presents, or crackers, or Christmas dinner for me.All children: That’s terrible!Stevie: Have you got a Christmas tree?Father Christmas: No.Danny: Have you got Christmas decorations?Father Christmas: No.Annie: Have you got a Christmas cake?Father Christmas: No.All children: That’s terrible!

Lucy (taking Father Christmas by the hand): Come and look at the Christmas tree.

The children take Father Christmas to the sitting room.

Annie: Look at the star!Danny: Look at the decorations!Baby: Look at the presents!Father Christmas: Oh.

Enter Mummy and Daddy.

Mummy and Daddy: Children. Shh!All children: Look!Mummy and Daddy: Father Christmas!Stevie: Father Christmas is sad.He doesn’t like ChristmasDanny: He works at Christmas.Baby: He hasn’t got any presents.Lucy: Or crackers.Stevie: Or Christmas dinner!Mummy and Daddy: That’s terrible!Daddy: Have Christmas dinner here.Mummy: Yes! Christmas dinner and crackers!All children: Hooray!Baby (holding out a present): Happy Christmas,Father Christmas.Father Christmas: A present! For me?Oh thank you!



Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,With a corncob pipe and a button nose,

And two eyes made out of coal. Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say,

He was made of snow but the children know how he came to life one day.

There must have been some magic in that Old silk hat they found.

For when they placed it on his head, He began to dance around.

O, Frosty the snowmanWas alive as he could be,

And the children say he could laugh And play just the same as you and me.

Thumpetty thump thump, Thumpety thump thump,

Look at Frosty go. Thumpetty thump thump, Thumpety thump thump, Over the hills of snow.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

had a very shiny nose.

And if you ever saw him,

you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer

used to laugh and call him names.

They never let poor Rudolph

join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say:

"Rudolph with your nose so bright,

won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him

as they shouted out with glee,

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,

you'll go down in history!

Christmas Oxford Bookworms Library – A Christmas Carol

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Christmas Day

Christmas is celebrated on 25th December. On this day, families and friends exchange presents and share a Christmas dinner. Traditionally, the Christmas dinner is turkey with stuffing and vegetablesfollowed by Christmas pudding (a steamed pudding with dried fruit). On the dinner table there are crackers beside every place setting. These are colorful packages that are pulled open between two people, to make a cracking noise. They contain a paper hat, a joke and a little present. A Christmas cake is eaten during the Christmas period. This is a fruit cake with icing and marzipan.

Christmas trees

Christmas trees were a German tradition brought to Britain in 1841 when Prince Albert had a Christmastree put up for his wife, Queen Victoria, in Windsor Castle. Now most people in Britain have a decorated Christmas tree in their houses at Christmas.

Father Christmas

Children believe that Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus, brings them presents. On ChristmasEve, 24th December, children hang stockings at the end of their beds or at the fireplace. Then while theyare asleep, Father Christmas comes and puts presents in their stockings Traditionally, he comes down thechimney.

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The origins of Christmas

The principal religion in most English-speaking countries is Christianity. Christmas is one of the most important festivals in the Christian calendar. The celebration marks the birth of Jesus Christ and manyof the traditions at Christmas relate to this event. Lots of schools give a nativity play at Christmas. This tells of the journey of Mary and Joseph to Betlehem, the birth of Jesus in a stable, and the visits he received from three kings (or wise men) and the shepherds. Christmas is seen as a time of giving and, as the kings and the shepherds gave gifts to Jesus, people give each other gifts and cards at Christmas. The symbol of the star, so often seen in decorations at Christmas, represents the star the kings followedto find their way to Jesus.

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Twas the Night before Christmas Poem

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snowGave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roofThe prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes – how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

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Christmas vocabulary cards (page 2)Point to the picture dictionary images. Say the words and ask the children to copy you. For more fun, vary the way you say the words. Gradually, stop saying the words and ask the childrento say them without your help.Divide the class into two teams. Ask one child fromeach team to the front. Name something on the poster and ask the children to point to it.The first to do so wins a point for his/her team.Divide the class into two teams. Ask one child fromeach team to the front. Point to something on the poster and ask the children to name it. The first to do so wins a point for his/her team.

Flashcards (page 2)If you have time to make flashcards, enlarge the playing card images on the photocopier if you can to avoid having to draw. Most Oxford University Press primary books will contain a number of flashcard game ideas you can play to practice the vocabulary.

Christmas play (page 3)When the children are familiar with the Christmas vocabulary, introduce them to the play. The structures within the play are few, simple, and repetitive.Familiarize the children with the play and practice as a whole class before dividing children into groups. Allocate characters before they separate into groups. It may be easier for the children to work from enlarged photocopies if you want them to read their parts – you could cut up the script and give the children just their own character’s lines. The different groups can perform the play to each other. Give a performance to parents at the end of the term. Children without a part in the play could sing the songs or could read out a letter to Father Christmas (see below).In another lesson you could make a large decorated Christmas tree with a star on top and presents underneath to use in a performance to the parents. One group of children paints the tree, another groupcould make a Father Christmas mask to use in the play.

Christmas songs (page 4) There are two Christmas songs written out to be photocopied. Students can decorate them for a display o to take home.As you explain the meaning of the words, ask thechildren to invent simple actions to the song – many children will have experience of song actions and will enjoy inventing their own. As they sing, tell them to dotheir actions and join in with the words when they can. You can also download the songs from our website www.oxfordresource.pl (source: Mary Charrington,Christmas Fun, Oxford University Press).

Christmas playing cards (page 2)Merry Christmas: in pairs the children shuffle the cards and deal them out evenly. They take it in turns to turn a card over and layit beside their partner’s card to make two piles. If the same two cards appear side by side, the first child to call Merry Christmas! Collects all the cards from the two piles.Pairs: in pairs the children shuffle the cards and lay them all out face down. They take it in turns to turn two cards face up and name them. If the two cards are the same and can be named, the child keeps the cards.If not, the child turns them over again.Invent a game: In pairs children invent a game using the cards and then explain the rules to another pair.

Christmas picture crossword (page 1)

Write the words in a different order in a column on the left. Ask the children what they think the words say and then ask them to match the words and the pictures with a line on the board. Vocabulary: Christmas, Father Christmas, Christmas tree, present, turkey, card, decorations, stocking, cracker, cake, star, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

Christmas teaching notes

Use this after the posteractivities when the childrenare starting to become familiar with the words. In preparation for the crossword, draw pictures of the words from the crossword in a column on the right of the board of use flashcards(see above). Point to the pictures and ask what they are.



Oxford Bookworms Library reading activity ((for gymnasium and post-gymnasium students – page 4)“How can I get my students reading when they don’t read in their own language?” But they do watch television, films, and DVD’s, don’t they? Stories are all around us, every day, and every-body likes a good story. So the secret is … to begin with the story. Use the story as a hook to catch your fish.

Preparation Go to www.oup.com/bookworms and click on the ‘Teachers only’ link. Or use material from page 4 of this booklet.If using material from the webpage, download the free story and the Audio Hook for the story. (Check that your classroom audio equipment can playMP3 files.) Make copies of the free chapter for your students.

Activity 1. Set aside 10 minutes of class time. 2. Play the Audio Hook* for the story you have downloaded, or read the sample aloud. 3. Ask students to guess what happens next in the story. 4. Don’t tell them if their guesses are right! Tell them they will have to read the story to find out. 5. Give out copies of the story and ask students to read the story at home to see if they were right. 6. If you need to check students have read the story, ask them to write one sentence to describe: – An important moment for you in the story. – A character you liked, or didn’t like, and why.

Variation If you would prefer not to use our free resources,you can try this idea to help create a reading culturein your classroom: 1. Set up a story time in class, perhaps 10 or 15 minutes once a week. 2. Simply read the first pages of a story or play an audio recording.3. Stop at an interesting or exciting point. 4. Ask students to make one guess about what comes next in the story. 5. Tell them they will have to wait until next week’s story time to find out if they are right. 6. Next week, continue the story … or start a different one! 7. After a few weeks, bring in the Oxford Bookworms … (source: Oxford Bookworms Library; www.oup-bookworms.com).

* Audio Hooks are audio extracts from selected Bookworms that always end at an interesting point in the stor

Christmas culture notes (for gymnasium and post-gymnasium students – page 5)Read the notes aloud. Explain the vocabulary the students might not know. Divide the class into four groups, eachgroup prepares and explain to the other students their knowledge about how Christmas is celebrated in English-speaking countries.

Twas night before Christmas poem(for post-gymnasium students – page 6)Read out the poem. One student reads aloud one verse. After they finish, explain unknown vocabulary. Read aloud the notes to the poem (below). Discuss on the following topics:• Comercialization of Christmas holiday• Santa Claus – tradition or a big lie• Origins of various Christmas and New Year traditionsThen read aloud the poem once again (other students read one verse each if there are more in the class).

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "Twas the NightBefore Christmas" from its first line) is a poem first published anonymously in 1823. Authorship was later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore and the poem was included in an 1844 anthology of his Works.The poem is largely responsible for the conception of Santa Claus from the midnineteenth century to today, including his physical appearance, the night of his visit, his mode of transportation, the number and names of his reindeer, and that he brings toys to children. Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors varied considerably. The poem has influenced ideas about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus beyond the United States to the rest of the Anglosphere and the world. It is now the traditionin many American families to read the poem everyChristmas Eve. There has long been opposition to teaching children to believe in Santa Claus. Some Christians say the Santa tradition detracts from the religious origins and purpose of Christmas. Other critics feel that Santa Claus is an elaborate lie,and that it is unethical for parents to teach their children to believe in his existence. Still others oppose Santa Claus as a symbol of the commercialization of the Christmas holiday, or as an intrusion upon their own national traditions. (source: Wikipedia)

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Christmas Lessons 2008 All Levels