Holiday Movie and/or Book Activities for ELA Grades 3, 4, 5, & 6

 

It's that time of year! The most wonderful time of the year... except in my classroom where my kids are bouncing off the walls! 

Just kidding! 

(Sort of.)

Seriously though, the month of December can be a little rough in the elementary classroom. Teachers are exhausted from juggling their busy lives and cramming in extra holiday activities and the students are bubbling over with holiday cheer and energy galore. Perhaps it is different in your neck of the woods, but here in the Virginia mountains my students are quite literally bouncing!

As the countdown to Winter Break nears into single digits, I've found a fun Reading activity that keeps my kiddos busy, practices important reading comprehension skills, teaches about different holiday traditions and customs, and is so low-prep that it makes my life a lot easier.

Holiday Movie & Book Activities for ELA

This resource is the perfect holiday season activity for your classroom! It is easy-prep – simply print and copy for each student. Choose ANY holiday movie or book to share with the class and then allow students to work individually or with a partner to complete the three activities.

What comes in the resource?

The resource comes with three main activities, a Holiday Plot Diagram, a Holiday Comparison Venn-Diagram, and a Holiday Book/Movie Story Elements & Theme Question Sheet. Each of the activities comes in a version with Christmas icons and one with winter icons, as well as a full color version and an ink friendly version in black and white.

Additionally, there are two levels for the activities. There is the basic version and an advanced version to make differentiation easier. This also helps it reach students in 3rd through 6th grade, rather than just one grade level.

This low-prep resource was created to make your holiday season easier, while still encouraging students to think deeply and analyze. The activities cover these important reading skills:

• Identifying plot events

• Identifying problem and solution (conflict and resolution)

• Comparing and Contrasting two sources (movies and/or books)

• Identifying characters (protagonist and antagonist) and setting

• Analyzing character traits

• Identifying character development (advanced version only)

• Analyzing how setting affects a story

• Identifying literary themes

This is a great way to introduce students to various winter holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa! I like to use books and movies that cover each major holiday -- this enriches their learning experience and widens their world view.

 

This truly is perfect for practicing important reading skills while also enjoying the magic of the Holiday Season! 🤩

I really believe your students are going to enjoy this and learn so much.

Click the image below or click HERE to grab this fantastic resource!

Let me know what you think!