Happy Monday and Happy Homeschooling!
betty jo
This will be my twenty-first December of teaching Christmas related lessons! Quite a few of those have been with online resources. Here’s the roundup of my Christmas themed resource and idea blog posts (all have been recently checked and updated!)
Here’s a free printable of the “Holiday” related list of December’s Special Days CHRISTMAS THEMED SPECIAL DAYS
This is my collection of Advent and Christmas Countdown, cross curricular resources from a few years ago. These made everyday until Christmas even more special https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/12/06/countdown-to-christmas/
And another cross curricular Christmas Countdown and Advent Resource List https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2014/12/06/learning-christmas-with-countdowns/
We have learned about Christmas traditions from around the world. It was an awesome study! We used these resources – https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/?s=melting+pot
Christmas Sciences! Here’s a fantastic collection of Science resources to add to your Christmas learning! https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/12/13/how-holidays-are-made-and-other-christmas-science-lessons/
Christmas Break Fun – Collection of Christmas themed online games and unplugged activities https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/12/20/christmas-break-fun/
How about a research project about Elves? https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2015/12/11/questioning-elves/
Hanukkah Activities and Resources https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2017/12/12/hanukkah-oh-hanukkah/
Need some holiday humor? I’ve got that too!
https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2017/12/18/homeschool-humor-the-christmas-break-edition/
https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2017/12/18/homeschool-humor-the-christmas-break-edition/
Merry Teaching and Learning!
betty jo
December has such wonderful learning opportunities. Here’s a helpful resource list for learning from the December calendar. And, check back often throughout the month for updates, edits, and more resources!
BIG List of holidays, birthdays, themes, and historic dates for December https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2020/11/29/special-days-in-december/
Free Printable – Special Days in December
My favorite calendar based learning resources for any month https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2016/07/31/learning-resources-for-special-days/
This will be my twentieth December of teaching Christmas related lessons! Here’s my collection of Christmas Resource Lists! https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2018/12/01/christmas-resource-roundup/?fbclid=IwAR1gf3z8qw3cfnsTW8iXnDn0b40RdnQHWQ_nAHRdm8oGDhcQScArL0N8pFM
President’s with birthdays in December
Resources for all Presidents – https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2014/02/14/resources-for-presidents-day/
December Statehood Anniversaries and Country Independence Days:
Geography Resources – https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2017/07/29/special-days-and-geography/
December’s Daily Specials
Dec. 1 – Cookie Cutter Day – Craft Projects https://www.redtedart.com/cookie-cutter-craft-ideas/
Dec. 2 – Missionary Mary Slessor born 1848 – Find a biography suitable for most any reading level http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorpslessor.html
Dec. 2 – CT Studd born 1860 Pick one of these biographies to read http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorpstudd.html
Dec. 3 – Galileo invented the Telescope 1621 – Galileo Resources https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/04/25/galileo/
Dec. 4 – World Wildlife Conservation Day – Endangered Species Index https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory
Dec. 5 – Bubblegum Day – Resource and Project List http://www.franw.com/2011/09/bubblegum.html
Dec. 6 – Mitten Tree Day – Video story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EODSI1vGOA&list=RD0EODSI1vGOA&index=1
Then donate a pair of gently used or new mittens to a clothing charity. Also, if you have any mixed matched mittens, (I know we do), don’t toss them, use them for these cute mitten puppets http://craftsbyamanda.com/2014/03/easy-mitten-puppets.html
Dec. 6 – St. Nicholas Day – Biography, Traditions, Games, and Stories http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/home/
Dec. 7 – Letter Writing Day – How to Write Christmas Letters and Printables http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com/write-christmas-letters-free-templates/
Dec. 7 – Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 1941 — Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/pearl-harbor-attacked-japanese-20363.html
Dec. 7 – Sculptor/Artist Marie Grosholtz Tussand born 1761 – Museum Website with a peak at “What’s Inside” https://www.madametussauds.com/london/en/
Dec. 8 – First Greeting Card printed 1843 – The History of Christmas Cards https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/cards.shtml
Dec. 8 – Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day – Creative Writing Assignment https://layers-of-learning.com/more-creative-writing-time-travel-style/
Dec.9 – Debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965 – “Peanuts” Learning Resources and Activities https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2014/10/02/peanuts/
Dec. 9 – Petrified Forest National Park established 1962 – http://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm
Dec. 10 –
Dec. 11 – Northern Lights Recorded for First Time 1719 – http://www.kidsastronomy.com/Aurora_article.php
Dec. 12 – Ginger Bread House Day – Resources and Activities http://www.franw.com/2017/12/gingerbread-activities.html
Dec. 12 – Hot Cocoa Day – Recipe and Projects http://www.franw.com/2013/12/homemade-hot-cocoa-mix.html
Dec. 12 – Poinsettia Day – Resources and Activities http://www.franw.com/2017/12/poinsettia-resource-page.html
Dec. 13 – Ice Cream Day – Resources, Activities, and Recipes – http://www.franw.com/2011/07/ice-cream.html
Dec. 13 – Santa Lucia Day – Origins and Traditions https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/sweden.shtml
Dec. 14 – Christmas Bird Count Week begins – Resources and Activities – http://www.franw.com/2014/03/bird-watching-activities.html
Dec. 16 – Missionary Amy Carmichael born 1867 – Learning ideas and resources http://www.playeatgrow.com/2012/05/grow-amy-carmichael-may-missionary.html/
Dec. 17 – Missionary Isobel Kuhn Read a short biography about her http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/the-kuhns-rainy-season-bible-school-11630767.html
Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve – https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2016/01/01/new-years-resources/
My apologies for not having a quick resource for the other special days in December, but we take our winter break before Christmas and continue it through New Year’s Day.
betty jo
Once again it started with a simple question, , “How did elves end up in Christmas traditions?” And so the research began! Below are the online resources and activities we linked to as we discovered the origins, lore, secrets, and magic of elves.
Elves make appearances in Norse mythology, Shakespeare, and Tolkien. Those tell of elves in forests, but not at the North Pole helping Santa! Elf Origins and History – http://www.livescience.com/39689-history-of-elves.html
After hundreds of years of elves being a part of Germanic paganism, the beliefs carried over to the Scandinavian people. “The perception of gnomes largely depended on whether a person was naughty or nice” Read more about it here and find out how by the mid 1800’s elves had made a place in our Christmas traditions http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/history/elves.htm
To keep our elf studies in the proper perspective – http://www.christianity.com/christian-life/christmas/how-you-can-have-genuine-joy-and-hope-this-christmas.html
Leadership lessons from one of our favorite Christmas movies, Elf https://dculberh.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/five-leadership-lessons-from-elf/
Several Elf Documentary (?) Videos – http://www.santatelevision.com/?s=elves
Listen to The Elves and the Shoemaker http://www.storynory.com/2007/12/16/the-elves-and-the-shoemaker/
Christmas Elf Jokes, Mischief, and Ideas – http://www.elfcrazy.com/christmas-elf-jokes-for-kids/
My friend, Fran, has some fun elf ideas – http://www.franw.com/2011/12/santas-elves.html
Elf Pal Academy offers themed activities that can be fun and educational (several resources here for my younger boys) http://www.northpole.com/Academy/
“Elf on the Shelf”? No, but We’re enjoying looking at social media photos of the creative things parents are doing. However, as we wrap up (pun intended) our Christmas studies, we used a few of these suggestions for “Kindness Elf” activities. http://www.theeducatorsspinonit.com/2013/12/kindness-elves-free-printables-for-busy.html
With all of the added activities, caroling, parties, crafts, baking, shopping, and decorating of the season, we have certainly been as busy as elves!
Elves ended up being an unexpected but appropriate, interesting, and fun study to close out our homeschooling semester.
Merry Learning!
betty jo
Are you extra busy this time of year? We are! Our calendar is filled with Christmas program rehearsals, a holiday workshop, caroling, and parties. We’re decorating, crafting and baking. And of course, there’s light displays to drive by, extra shopping, and gifts to wrap and deliver. Oh yeah, there’s homeschool lessons, too.
Not only are we counting the days down until Christmas, we’re counting the days left in our semester. I know some homeschooling families that take off the month of December, as nice as that sounds, it isn’t for us. We keep on learning through December, and we have about two more weeks of homeschooling before we’ll be ready for a break . However, with the added busy-ness, regular lessons won’t give us the time we need to pursue the activities that make this time of year so special.
Below are the online links to Advent and Christmas countdowns that we are using for quick lessons that are helping us check off our daily subjects. Not only have the kids been liking these (probably because it’s extra computer time and the studies are short), I like them too. It’s wonderful to have a break in lesson planning and to devote my “teacher time” to all the activities December brings. It’s fun knowing that we have surprises waiting for us to learn about each morning. And since these resources are brief, we have the afternoons for all those extras.
For Bible references and a little related trivia each day until Christmas – http://www.jamtrust.org/resources/adventcalendar/AdventCalendar.html
Learn Something “Christmassy” every day for 25 days – http://www.whychristmas.com/adventcalendar/
Countdown with Math – secondary grade levels (6-12) – http://nrich.maths.org/11330
Countdown with Math – primary grade levels (1-5) – http://nrich.maths.org/11078
For Science, a Chemistry Countdown – http://www.compoundchem.com/2014advent/
Unlock a New Game Each Day Until Christmas – http://www.santagames.net/calendar/index.htm
World Geography and Cultures – Read about Christmas traditions around the world (We used this as a study link last year and it’s great!) – http://projectbritain.com/Xmas/calendar/index.html
Liverpool Museum has a historic display to share each day – http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/christmas/advent/
For even more Christmas Advent and Countdown resources
I hope you enjoy your final learning days until the holiday break. I wish you Merry Homeschooling!
betty jo