Christmas is a fun time to make all kinds of crafts
with elementary kids. I like
doing simple things – mainly because I’m not all that craft-sy. 😂 A quick and
easy art idea is this cute Christmas tree that doubles as an ornament … perfect for someone like me!
But as a Grade 2 teacher, I loved it when I could motivate
kids with a piece of local history while teaching reading, writing and math outcomes.
Discussing the Halifax Explosion is a great example of this.
On December 6, 1917, Halifax was the scene of one of
Canada’s largest disasters. The Halifax Explosion proved to be a catastrophic
event that triggered kindness from around the world. The United States,
particularly the citizens of Boston, showed tremendous compassion by delivering
medical supplies and sending nurses and doctors to help Halifax citizens. As a symbol of gratitude, Halifax sent them a
Christmas tree the year following the explosion. It then became an annual tradition.
I loved using this historic example for two reasons:
First, students were amazed by the facts (such as the explosion resulted in entire
houses being moved off their foundations) and second, it was the perfect opportunity
to teach kindness and gratitude to my students.
Here’s a resource that has over 20 different ideas to teach
kids about gratitude. There’s nonfiction informational texts and writings
about the Halifax Explosion and the Boston Christmas Tree, procedural writing
activities, Christmas tree trivia and math. There's even a Gratitude Christmas
Tree for your students to decorate!
Have fun
teaching kids to be grateful!
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