Between two projects described in my previous posts (Fashion Show, Masterchef Junior Palermo), we spent one lesson celebrating Christmas. Here's a brief description, in case you need an SOS last-minute Christmas lesson plan this year.
I built the lesson around songs, since they never go out of fashion.
Warm-up: Santa's sack
I filled a Christmas stocking with various items. Each girl put her hand in, grabbed an object and guessed what it was — a good opportunity to revise accessories vocabulary, such as bracelet or watch. There were also a few chocolates hidden inside, which they got to eat afterwards.
Lead-in
I showed the girls some pictures on my computer — Santa Claus, stockings, presents, a Christmas tree, a wish — and we clarified their meanings together.
Main activity
Having connected my computer to the TV beforehand, I played All I Want for Christmas Is You (the Fifth Harmony version) on YouTube. The girls had to stand up whenever they heard one of the words shown in the pictures — a good listening exercise that doubled as an impromptu aerobics session. Afterwards, I gave them the lyrics (pdf file here) and we sang the song together.
This led into the next activity: I drew the girls' attention to the line "I won't make a list and send it to the North Pole for Saint Nick," and we spent a couple of minutes discussing how we usually write a wish list and send it to Santa at the North Pole. This introduced the next task: writing a letter to Santa Claus (you can download the worksheet here — not my own creation, but one I found online and adapted slightly). While they wrote, I played Justin Bieber's *Santa Claus Is Coming to Town*, monitoring their writing and giving immediate feedback as we went.
Second main activity
I gave the girls a worksheet with the lyrics to Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. We agreed the Justin Bieber version was "cool" but a bit too fast, so we switched to Michael Bublé's instead. The girls filled in the gaps using the words provided in italics, listening to the song twice before we checked the answers and sang along together.
This led into the final activity: I showed them a picture of a reindeer and asked if they knew any famous ones. They already knew Rudolph, and were well aware of what set him apart — his red nose.
Third main activity
I gave out the lyrics to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, cut into strips, and played the Destiny's Child version on YouTube. The girls had to put the verses back in the correct order; we checked their answers and sang along with the video once more.
Wind-down
The girls requested their favourite songs, which I found on YouTube and played for them.
And that's how we celebrated our final lesson before Christmas 2016.