Christmas Activities for Middle School Students
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated April 03, 2024
Favorite Christmas Activities for Middle School Students
Well, it is a few days past Remembrance Day (Veterans Day), which means it is officially time to start thinking about the holidays! In Canada, our Thanksgiving is in November, which means that as soon as Remembrance Day is done, we are 100% in Christmas mode. To kickstart the holiday season, I thought I would pop on her today to share two of my favorite Christmas activities for Middle School students.
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1- Holiday Short Stories
Reading aloud The Gift of the Magi by O’Henry is definitely my favorite Christmas activities for middle school students. It is the perfect holiday story to read along with my students around Christmas time. The story revolves around a couple who are very much in love and are trying to find the perfect gifts for each other. Financial hardships make gift purchasing difficult, leading them both to make sacrifices for each other. It is a beautiful story about selflessness and giving, and really embodies the true spirit of Christmas.
If you are not familiar with the story, you can listen to it read aloud here:
I have been teaching this story with my middle school learners for several years, and it is always a favorite. Recently I have had my students create comprehension pennants to go along with the story. I love how they contain work that is holiday themed but still rigorous. Also, they make gorgeous Christmas hallway displays!
Students simply use the included close reading resources to help them answer the questions on the template. Then, they can color, cut out, and assemble their pennants. We hung ours in the hallway for parents to check out on the way to the Christmas assembly!
Interested in reading more about short story ideas for middle school learners? Check out our posts on favorite short stories for middle school, holiday short story favorites, and inclusive and diverse short stories!
Looking for a list of public domain short stories that you can access online for free? Click on the image or button below to download our free list! It contains 25 of our favorites public domain short stories for middle school, with links to online versions of the stories!
2- Holiday Story Writing
Creative writing is another of my favorite Christmas activities for middle school students. I find that it keeps a bit of the crazies at bay, as it asks students to focus and write quietly. These holiday descriptive writing activities are always a hit, as they prevent students from getting stuck when it comes to deciding what to write about. You won’t hear the dreaded “I don’t know what to write!” with these activities!
First, I shuffle the stacks of cards. There are different cards for different literary elements – conflict, character, and setting. There are also cards for bonus fun items. I separate the cards into piles and let students choose a few from each stack.
Because students have the cards to base their stories on, everyone has a solid story to write about.
Next, students use the included literary elements notes on plot, conflict, character, and setting to help them plan out their stories. We use the planning pages and blank plot diagram to draft out our stories before starting our good copies.
When the stories are complete, we make covers and bind the pages together with Christmas ribbon. These make great parent gifts for the students to take home!
For additional writing fun, check out our complete guide to descriptive writing!
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