Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The First Christmas


For the upcoming parent's day activity on the 13th, Shark class will demonstrate how we learn a new story. We begin with myself introducing the new vocabulary, the meanings, examples of how it is used followed by a game or activity. Then we will do a group reading. Instead of using our textbook and doing a story we already know, I would like to teach them about Christmas and Christmas vocabulary using the Nativity story. Our text comes from  retelling of The First Christmas from Bookbox which provides a video in both British and American accents ( as well as other languages).

We will play a review game of the vocabulary here at Study Stack. And then divide into  three activity stations, an interactive Story Map, a Jinga sequencing race and the ppt vocabulary game. At the end of the class, for the last ten minutes we will sing the 12 Days of Christmas and do a relay race, kids vs. parents of this carol's vocabulary in order. They have to put the mixed up stack of lyrics into a Christmas stocking. Next week I hope to decorate our windows with some paper Christmas Stars. I have to thank my co-teacher Tom for making the ppt, the giant storymap, and printing 2 sets of flashcards of 12 Days.



Vocabulary:
Bethlehem, request, spread, goodwill, resist, arrive, caravan, offering, sign

TEXT: The First Christmas
Around the month of December, children like to imagine what happened on the very first Christmas ever, even before Santa Claus. I know the story well, for I was watching it all from above - in the dark sky on the evening of December 24th, oh so many years ago. I am the Star of Bethlehem. I was requested by angels to shine brighter than all the other stars that night, to tell the whole world that a very special child had been born to spread goodwill and peace. And this is the story of the first Christmas. All was quiet that night as I watched the Three Kings traveling slowly on camel back through desert lands. Just then, I beamed brightly, as the angels had told me to. The Kings noticed me in the East. They couldn’t resist my brilliance. Perhaps they had heard that a star like me was going to show the way to the son of God.

Traveling through the night, the Kings met shepherds watching over their flock. “We are following that incredibly beautiful star there in the East, to find the place where the son of God has just been born.” From there they all traveled together, watching me, the brightest star in the sky.
Finally, they arrived at a small town called Bethlehem, and saw that I was gleaming radiantly above the barnyard of an Inn. All was quiet and peaceful. Their caravan entered the barnyard to see the tender little baby lying in a simple manger fluffed with hay. Next to the baby were Mary and Joseph, his mother and father, and many farm animals. The Kings offered the precious gifts they’d carried from afar for baby Jesus: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The shepherds kneeled on the ground to pray; they were grateful for the gift of love and the purity the baby brought. Many people offered gifts after that - I suppose this is why on Christmas Day, people around the world enjoy offering gifts as a sign of love and hope. And they try their best to bring happiness to others, as Jesus did all his life. Now I’d like to wish you a holiday season that shines as brightly as the Star of Bethlehem!

THE END

Comprehension
1.    Who is telling the story?
2.   Who asked the star to shine brighter?
3.   Why did the star have to shine brighter?
4.   Where was baby Jesus born?
5.   What is a group of travelers on camels called?
6.   What gifts did the 3 Kings give baby Jesus?
7.   Why do we give gifts at Christmas?
8.   Who was baby Jesus?




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