Lesson length : 40 to 50 minutes
Class size : Small Group class
Preparation time : 5 minutes to prepare the “Pictionary on Heads” game, 20 – 40 minutes to prepare the “Card Slam”, 5 – 20 minutes to prepare “Candy Cane” mice; 5 – 20 minutes to prepare “Candy cane drop”, and Christmas flashcards.
Materials :
- For “Pictionary on Heads” : A small whiteboard; markers (or if these aren’t available, white paper, and pencils, with a light book to support the paper, work just as well)
- For “Pop Cup Bingo” : A large sheet of cardboard with circular holes cut into it, sized so that paper cups can be slotted in from the back and will not fall out unless pushed from the front; paper cups with different colooured bases to slot throught the holes of the sheet; a printed copy of “Appendix A : Bingo sheet” for each student; a ball
- For “Candy Cane Mice” : Candy Cane Mice template; paper; pencils; different color felt; scissors; craft glue; candy canes
- For “Candy Cane Hangers” game : 10 to 20 Candy canes cut from cardboard; 3 or more pieces of string tied between two chairs at different heights with tags attached indicating their point values
1. Begin by running through the christmas flashcards with the class. Have everyone repeat the words of the cards after the teachers. If the school has a Christmas tree, teachers may like to have their students find decorations on the tree that resemble the flashcard vocabulary.
2. Play a game of “Pictionary on Heads”, a variation of “Picture Guess” : Split classes into teams and secretly give one member of each team a flashcard. Once they have seen the vocabulary of the card, they must recreate the picture over their heads with a small whiteboard and marker pen, or if these are unavailable, white paper with a thick book underneath for support, and a pencil. Give students 20 seconds to draw their pictures. They then present their pictures to the class. If their teammates guess their team’s picture before the other team, they score a point. Let all students have a go at drawing, then count the points to determine the winner.
* For the original rules of “Picture Guess”, left-click the button below.
We played a game of “Pictionary on Heads” in our online Chritsmas lesson. A short can be seen in the video above.
3. If you feel that it may be neccessary breiefly run through the colours, and check students know each of the colours used on the bases of the paper cups of your “Pop Cup Bingo” game.
4. Play a game of “Pop Cup Bingo” : Hand out printed copied of “Appendix A : Bingo Sheet” to each student. Students colour the spaces of their sheets as they like, but using the colours of the bases of the paper cups. Prop the cardboard sheet against a wall or chair. Each turn a student of the class stands back from the cardboard and throws a ball at the cups. If they are able to hit a cup and push it through the hole, their team may cross out the colour from their bingo sheet of the colour of the base of the paper cup. If a student crosses out a line of boxes horizontally, vertically or diagonally, the team has a bingo and are declared winners.
Appendix A : Bingo Sheet
LEFT-CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO VIEW FULL SCREEN
5. Make “Candy Cane Mice” with the class : Follow the instructions to making “Candy Cane mice” by left-clicking the link to the website below.
Https://www.marthastewart.com/273608/candy-cane-mice
6. If there is still time at the end of class, play a game of “Candy Cane Hangers” : Instructions can be accessed by left-clicking the button below.
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO TEACHERS TO EDIT AND PRINT THE APPENDICES FOR USE IN THE CLASSROOM