Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
Lesson 1 / Module 2: – Christmas (secular emphasis)
Content Area: Reading
Title/Purpose: Recognize/Name items to decorate a Christmas
tree in a reading activity
Created By: Gail Taylor
Date:
Materials:
Flat Stanley picture, Flannel or paper symbols
including a large Christmas tree, lights, balls, presents,
candy canes, star, angels, Santas picture of house,
picture of a family, picture of people decorating a
Christmas tree, picture of an decorated tree, large
calendar, Christmas scene in a house, masking (not
scotch) tape,
(Students can “make” a tree using cut-out of their hands.
Preparation: Have the Flannel/paper tree displayed on a
Whiteboard/wall with the decorations on it.
 Tape pictures for beg. of lesson on the whiteboard
or on a large sheet of poster board to refer to.
 Have the written story placed where all students
will be able to see it.
Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
Procedures:
Teacher (T)
Student/Students (S)
PART I
T: Today ( point to Tuesday on the calendar)
we are going to
read (point to the story) about Flat Stanley
(Hold up Flat
Stanley) and a family (point to family) at Christmas
(point to picture of a Christmas scene in a house).
T:
At the family’s house (point to the picture of a house)
the family
(point to the picture of a family) has a tree.
(Show a picture of a tree with no decorations)
T: The family (point to the picture of a family) decorates the
tree.
(Show picture of family decorating a Christmas tree )
First (hold up one finger) I (point to self) will read the
story (point to story) and you (point to students – with palm
up, not with finger)
will listen.
(point to ear)
(Begin reading the story. Read the sentence s l o w l y,
pointing to each word as it is read)
Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
Flat Stanley, (Show Flat Stanley)
you see (Point to your eyes)?
Flat Stanley, what do
(shrug your shoulders and
have a quizzical look on your face when asking the question)
I
see
(point to eyes) lights
on the tree.
(Point to the lights in the story and on the tree, then point to tree).
(Read the next sentences following the same pattern of pointing to
each word and then pointing to the ornament in the story and
then to the one on the tree as well as adding gestures.)
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley, what do you see?
( point to eyes while shrugging shoulders )
I see (point to eyes ) balls (point to ornaments) on the tree
(point).
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley,
what do you see?
( point to eyes while shrugging shoulders )
I see (point to eyes ) angels (point to angels) on the tree
(point).
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley
what do you see?
( point to eyes while shrugging shoulders )
I see (point to eyes ) candy canes (point) on the tree.
(point)
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley
what
do you
( point to eyes while shrugging shoulders )
see?
Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
I see
tree)
(point to eyes ) Santas (point) on the tree. (point to
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley
shrug )
I see
tree)
what do you see? (point &
(point to eyes ) a star (point) on the tree. (point to
Flat Stanley,
shrug )
Flat Stanley
what do you see? (point &
I see (point to eyes ) presents (point) under the tree.
(point)
Flat Stanley,
shrug)
Flat Stanley
what do you see? (point &
I see (point to eyes ) a beautiful Christmas
(point)
tree.
T: Students, (point to picture showing a student, then point to
students using palm up, not with finger) read story. (point
to
words in the story)
( Read the sentence … one word at a time …and WAIT for students
to repeat after you. If their pronunciation is incorrect, repeat the
word)
(Remember: Chinese will have problems with the “L” & “R”
sounds)
Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
T: Flat
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
Stanley,
Flat
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
Stanley,
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
what
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
do
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
you
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
see?
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
(Now, repeat the SAME line but do so in two-word phrases)
Flat Stanley,
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
Flat Stanley,
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
What do
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
You see?
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
(Now, continue on with the story as it is written, but when it comes
to the repetitive phrase above, read it in two word phrases…)
(point to self) I
(motion with palm up for students to repeat)
(point to eye) see (motion with palm up for students to repeat)
(point to the lights in picture) lights (motion for students to
repeat)
Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
(Repeat the question to Flat Stanley again in the same manner as
before --- in two word phrases, having students repeat after you)
( Then continue the story with the next “I see….” In the same
manner as above. Continue this same format for the ENTIRE
story.)
PART II
(Take decorations off of the tree and give to several of the
students)
T: Students, (point to students)
help (Put your palms side by side facing each other like you’re
holding an imaginary box and (move them upward
together)
Flat Stanley (show Flat Stanley) decorate (point to family in
picture who are decorating a tree) the tree. (point to the tree)
(Read)
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley, what do you see?
I see ________ (point to the picture in the story)
(Gesture for those students who have the ornaments to put the
ornaments on the tree, THEN point to the sentence and read…)
Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
I see (stop, point to object on the tree and then gesture for the
students to say the name of the objects that were put on the
tree…)
lights ( teacher and students together)
(finish the sentence) on the tree
(Do this with each object/ornament until the tree is decorated)
(If there is time…..read the complete story as before, pointing to
each word….pause at the pictures of the ornaments and
encourage the students to say the word.)
At the end of the lesson…..
T: Students, today Flat Stanley decorates tree. Good reading!
*** For the Intermediate and Advanced students:
 Use longer sentence structure.
 Work on having students repeat in phrases and short,
complete sentences ( “I see lights”) rather than single words.
 Work on pronunciation of words.
 Have students read a description of the tree after it’s
decorated.
Christmas – Traditional Holiday Focus
[for beginner level]
Flat Stanley’s Christmas Story
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see lights on the tree.
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see balls on the tree.
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see (a picture of angels) angels on the tree.
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see (a picture of candy canes) canes on the tree.
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see (a picture of Santas) Santas on the tree.
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see (a picture of a star) a star on the tree.
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see (a picture of presents) presents under the tree.
Flat Stanley, Flat Stanley what do you see?
I see a beautiful Christmas tree.