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?

The First Christmas

The First Well

I am thinking of introducing this story to my junior high classes to break up the monotony. The above video has the English subtitles and the text is down below with come comprehension questions.

Genre: Fable

Vocabulary:

(water) well-

Kingdom

Lake

Anxious- worried

Earn a living

Disaster-

General-

Search-

North Star-

Cave-

Empty handed-

Seed-

Melt-

Deep-

Earth-

Confused-

At the break of dawn = morning

Curious-

Peeped-

Amazement-

There once was a small kingdom around a lake. One very hot summer, it did not rain and the lake dried up. People grew anxious and went to the King. “It has not rained for so long. Our fields are barren!” said the farmers. “There are no fish to catch. How shall we earn a living?” asked the fishermen. “Save us from disaster, good King,” urged the women, as their children cried with thirst. 

The King sent his four generals in all directions to look for water. The first general went east, towards the sunrise; the second went south, to the dust and heat; the third went west, where the sun sets; and the fourth followed the North Star. They searched day and night, night and day; high and low they searched everywhere, but in vain.

Three of the generals returned, empty-handed. But the general who had gone north was determined not to fail his King. At last, he reached a cold mountain village. As he sat at the foot of the mountain, an old woman came by and sat next to him. The general pointed at the horizon and said, “I belong to a beautiful kingdom, where it has not rained for a whole year. Can you help me find water?”

The woman motioned the general to follow her up the mountain and into a cave. “We have no water in our country either,” she said. Then, pointing to the icicles in the cave, she continued: “We call this ice. Take some, and your kingdom will never go thirsty again.” The general broke off a huge piece, loaded it onto his horse-cart and rushed back home. 

By the time he reached the court, the enormous icicle had melted into a small lump of ice. Nobody in the court had ever seen ice, so everybody gazed at it with wonder. “This must be a water-seed!” one of the ministers exclaimed suddenly. The King ordered the ‘water-seed’ to be sowed immediately. 

While the farmers dug a hole, the lump dwindled in the sun. They swiftly placed the seed in the hole, but before they could cover it up, it had vanished. The farmers there grew confused and worried. They dug deeper and deeper into the earth, all night long, looking for the mysterious seed. 

At the break of dawn, the King found the farmers fast asleep around a hole. Curious, he peeped in and cried out in amazement: “Wake up, my worthy men – the water-seed has sprouted! There’s water in the hole!” This is how the first well was created.

Comprehension questions:

1.    In the first paragraph, what do you think “barren” means?

2.   What are the 4 directions?

3.   At the end of the 2^nd paragraph, what do you think “in vain” means?

4.   Which general was successful?

5.   Was the king a good king?

6.   How was the first well made?

7.   Have you seen any real water wells?

Sources:

http://www.bookbox.com/free-stuff/pdfs