http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071219/lf_nm/christmas_elves_dc;_ylt=Ai.AHPcYU94DBSD8_e96JAfmWMcF

This unit is one that was actually designed at one of our workshops.  Normally the teams that develop units are from the same school, but this group was an eclectic team if there ever was one!  We had an elementary teacher, a middle school music teacher, two high school teachers (teaching philosophy, theology, math and science),  a district curriculum director, and a district superintendent.  They were from Hawaii, Oklahoma, New Mexico and California.  They planned an excellent interdisciplinary, thematic unit.  Their theme was "December Celebrations", and they designed a unit in which the students would examine the four major celebrations of December/Winter/Holidays:  Ramadan (which ran from late Sep. through late Oct. of 2006), Hanukah, Kwanzaa and Christmas.  The students examined and studied these celebrations through all the disciplines, and their final product was a stage production which was to be a fundraiser.  It was to be presented at the local Fine Arts Center, and local businesses were to be involved in the production, from advertising to final production!  It was an incredible, exciting plan that they planned to actually implement in their communities.  Does this give you any ideas?

This is a unit that was planned and implemented with GREAT SUCCESS by the entire fifth grade team at a school in west Texas.  The team brainstormed the theme of Charles Dickens from every discipline.  After they completed their brainstorming of activities, resources, etc., they checked their state standards and found that nearly all of them were already there!  They were a little nervous, since they had not done anything like this before.  They had some concerns that the kids would go wild, that they would have trouble keeping track of everything, but it all worked like a charm.  The entire community was thrilled.  The kids loved it.  Discipline and motivation problems disappeared completely!  It was like a Christmas miracle.

Your students and your community would probably greatly enjoy this kind of project.  And you can tie in all the content standards easily.  If you need help, email me!

Links:

Historical information on Christmas

Charles Dickens

Dickens on the web

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, I did some brainstorming about the kinds of projects schools could do to raise money for the victims and still be a meaningful delivery of the required curriculum.  Those ideas are on the web site at this link.  I recently heard from a person in southwest Louisiana (which was hit by Hurricane Rita).  They told me that the damage was not as bad or as extensive as Katrina, but it was bad, and they had a lot of kids who could use some assistance.  Their schools, in Calcasieu parish, which is Lake Charles, are just getting started. 

I can't think of a more appropriate holiday theme/project/unit!

Don't forget to track Santa on NORAD - the actual North American Aerospace Defense Command!  See our NORAD page for more.

Also visit www.claus.com to find out more about Santa, and to find out whether you are on the "Naughty" or "Nice" list!