Here are some great ways to incorporate Christmas in your class.

1. Write Santa Claus or close friend.
2. Design a Christmas list / budget.
3. Follow the pace of a snoflake.
4. December holiday geography.
5. Make the strongest Christmas Ornament.
6. Where do Christmas trees come from?
7. Christmas wish tree with handprints.
8. The UGLY gift thank you exchange.
9. Map Santa’s route.
10. School work Christmas carols.

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Here are some great ways to incorporate Christmas in your class.

1. Do a tilting Earth project.
2. Read and make pictures books of the animals in winter.
3. Build a snowman calculate the amount of water and write a story.
4. Make snowflakes.
5. Make cold weather survival kits.
6. Let's Warm Up or Let's Go! Investigate how animals keep warm in winter?
7. Find out why they salt the roads.
8. Do season word associations.
9. Learn how a thermometer works.
10. How to get a day off from school! Discover what makes wind, snow, and ice.

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Here are some great projects and ideas for your December classroom.

1. A gift or reward exchange.
2. Map holidays around the world.
3. A cookie contest.
4. Make a family recipe book.
5. Hold a multicultural holiday festival.
6. Decorate your room.
7. Holiday greeting country match.
8. Have student find out how and where their gifts are made.
9. Graph holiday sales.

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The Ultimate Thanksgiving Lesson Plan

Our entire staff sat down for this one. Over 500 years of teaching experience! The goal was to create the components of a thanksgiving feast lesson that reinforces as many core curriculum areas as possible. Of course, it has to be a fun and engaging activity for students. Play video now...

November is month to World Kindness Week. How about universal "Thank You" notes?

November is Aviation History Month. Why not have the kids create their own airline. Make it a complete interdisciplinary unit with other teachers involved.

November is Good Nutrition Month. Plan a feast! When you have students plan every little detail you would be surprised at what they will learn. We have 25 people coming, how many pounds of potatoes do we need. Thanksgiving is a fraction experts dream come true!

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"Why Am I?" Jessica: Turns, Iowa

"For years, I had students write plain old biographies for years. There was very little critical thinking involved. They would pick a name and write away.

I devised a new method to make it more fun and challenge students. At the beginning of the project, I give students a picture of the person they will write the biography on. I also include to lesser-known facts about this person.

Students then have to construct a survey and have them administer it to people of different backgrounds, cultures, and academic levels. The survey simply asks, "Who is this person?" Based on their survey results, students compile a list of 5 people they suspect it must be. Students must then present evidence that they know who this person is.

In the second part of the project, they are given two lesser-known facts about their subject. They then must compose a conclusive evidence-based essay revealing the identity of their subject.

I do this project early in the course. Later in the year, I do a follow-up project where students set up the same project for students who will be taking the course next semester. I credit each student for compiling this information and it becomes a real competition."