Our department usually gets together once or twice a year (with all our students) and celebrates a few holidays together. This year a few of us teachers decided to do it right before Christmas break. I love celebrating, and parties are great, but deep down I feel like I’m not doing my job if students are not learning at the same time.
So we reserved a big room and decided to create a large scale version of stations. Students will be free to move around as they please but will have to visit 4 different stations and have proof that they learned something.
Here are some of the stations we will have…
1. Holiday card-making station
We’ll leave supplies and sample cards and phrases posted nearby.
2.) Letter to Santa Station
3.) Shoe-making station
(Inspired by French culture – leaving paper shoes like these out for Santa to fill.)
4.) QR code scavenger hunt
I’m going to create QR code that show pictures, videos, or text explanation of Christmas and New Years traditions around the world. They are simple to make!
Students will have 10 questions on a handout and we will reward the first few groups who can find answers to questions like…
What do people in Spain do to ring in the new year?
Who celebrates with yellow underwear? Why?
What different people are believed to bring gifts to children around the world?
5.) Photo Booth
We will set up a colorful background with holiday phrases on signs and a basket of props and Santa hats and let kids have fun! Maybe a pic with a simple TL message with get others excited about learning a new language! You can see one that Kara’s students made for Day of the Dead.
What can we do to have fun and celebrate the season, but still foster an environment of learning? Students may need a break from WORK but not learning. You don’t need to cancel your party, just be sure to give them opportunities to learn at the same time!
Enjoy your last few days before break!!
¡Felices Fiestas!
Wow! I can’t wait to do this. I have been following this blog since this past summer and I feel like it is Christmas morning every time I get a message that there is a new post. Thank you thank you thank you and happy holidays to all.
Thanks Shelly! This made my day 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too!
I love the idea! This can be used for different holidays no? I don’t get the QR code one, or rather how to create it. Is it a fake code or a real code, and what exactly do they do with it?
The code is created online and printed. When you create it, you choose if you want the code to connect to a website, video, or text message. It’s a fun way to get kids to find out something for themselves. I’m going to ask… Why do people in South America make sure to wear yellow underwear for New Years? Go to CR code #3 and find out!
I do stations in my class too to learn about Christmas in Spain! Another teacher and I developed this lesson. Students earn lottery tickets for their successes in the stations leading up to El Gordo. (I show them a clip of the students singing the numbers too.) We eat marshmallows instead of grapes for NYE in the Puerta del Sol and we watch the ‘ball drop’ and we also watch a video of a family celebrating in their home. We use commands/charades to celebrate El Dia de los Inocentes and we write a letter to the Reyes Magos instead of Santa Claus. This is one of my favorite lessons of the year – learning culture and practicing the language.
Love the El gordo! I’ve never done that. Do you have a specific video?
Awesome ideas! I love lottery tickets too! I might end our party that way. Gracias!
What a great idea. My school is fortunate enough to have a project room where there are 25 computers, banquet tables, and a sink (for cleaning up after messy projects). We could really do a nice set up with it. Thanks for the idea
Here’s a kind of cute site to write letters to the reyes online…
http://www.terra.es/carta/carta.htm
What site do you go to to make your QR code? Are they free? I have QR droid on my phone but I’ve never tried to make one???
I use QRstuff.com but there are tons!
Just found this site from Pinterest and am LOVING all the great ideas.
I’ve only used QR codes to post a code outside my classroom where students could scan the code and find out more about Cinco de Mayo.
Here’s a nice resource I’ve used about using QR codes in the classroom:
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/qr-codes-explained-and-ideas-for.html#.UND_D3dgBeY
Do you have a template/pattern for making the paper shoes that you would be willing to share?
Our French teacher wrote out our directions but here’s a link with step by step instructions and pics…
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-paper-slippers/
I’m going to jump right in with my students and make some tomorrow – and have candies to put in the shoes for the kids who make some. Fun!