Christmas Around the World

Nov. 22- 30 mins-rubric planning
Nov. 22-30 mins- grading passport applications
Nov. 23- 1 hr- passports
Nov. 23- 1 hr- planning
Nov. 29-30 mins-suitcases
Nov. 29-Dec. 3- 1 hr a day

total 8 hours and 30 mins

On the 22 I sat down with my students to come up with a rubric for their Christmas Around the World projects. I showed them examples of other rubrics and they put it into their own words so it would be kid friendly and they would understand it. I also checked and graded their passport applications that they filled out for homework.

On the 23 we went to the computer lab to take pictures in Photo Booth for their passports. Then back in the classroom, students glued their pictures into their passports and then filled out the their personal information using the passport application. In the afternoon, I planned for what I was going to do with the students when they came to visit Mexico. I had to find a pinata and a poinsettia. I also had to find the information I wanted to share with the students that I felt was going to be the most important info for them to compare Mexico's Christmas and the US.

On the 29 students decorated their suitcases with Christmas symbols. Students will keep a map and their passports in their suitcases.
Every day this week from 12:15 to 1:15 students are "traveling" to the different countries to learn about the Christmas traditions. In Mexico we are talking about their traditions focusing on the pinata and poinsettia. Students are making a paper poinsettia, listening to "Feliz Navidad" and listening to "The Legend of the Poinsettia."