A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree
Colleen Monroe
AD780L
A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree Story Hour
- Bibliographic Information in MLA format:
Monroe, Colleen, and Michael Glenn Monroe. A wish to be a Christmas
tree. Scholastic, 2009.
- Image(s) of the book cover(s):
See above (Cant get blogger to put them anywhere but above. Included images of pdf cut outs for the activity. Sourced from: http://www.jananas.com/free-felt-patterns-christmas-ornaments/ )
- Setting the scene:
I
would welcome the students to the story hour as they entered, as this is a
holiday themed thing there would be regular decorations around. I would
have a basket of felt ornaments that can double as finger puppets (little
seam on the bottom isn’t sewn shut for that purpose) for the children to
hold on to during the story – very fuzzy and with sequins. I would include
snowmen, snowflakes, and candy cane ornaments with the regular circle
shaped ones and stars. Before starting and as everyone settled down, I
would ask them if they were excited for the holidays. Then once everyone
quieted, I would open the book A Wish to Be A Christmas Tree towards the
group and start to read.
- Get into character:
I
would wear a holiday themed outfit, preferably ugly Christmas sweater.
Bringing mittens/scarf with me to put on during the story at descriptions
of the snow and cold.
- Props:
The
props are the felt ornaments, a decoration-less Christmas tree inside (as it’s
a library setting, I assume this would be a regular decoration for the
building,) and a bunch of tiny stuffed animal squirrels and birds.
- Telling the Story:
As
I begin the story, I would gesture towards the bare tree at the front of
the library area when the tree character is speaking like I am just
relaying what that tree over there is saying. Descriptions of the snow and
cold, pretend to shiver and shake.
Other things you may
wish to include (be creative!)
7.
Connected Books for
Display in MLA Format:
Books that are Tree focused-
Brown, Margaret Wise. Little fir tree.
Harpercollins Childrens B, 2009.
Herman, R. A., and Jacqueline Rogers. The
littlest Christmas tree. Scholastic, 2007.
Houston, Gloria, and Barbara Cooney. The
year of the perfect Christmas tree: an
Appalachian story.
Puffin Books, 1996.
Books that are just cute-
Brett, Jan. The mitten: a Ukrainian
folktale. Putnam, 1996.
Hapka, Cathy, et al. Margret & H.A. Reys Merry Christmas, Curious George.
Houghton Mifflin, 2017.
Mathias, Irene, and Anja Uhren. Felice
the Christmas fairy. Handersen Publishing, LLC, 2017.
8.
Craft/Activity
(including learning standard, goal, objective and outcomes):
Learning Activity:
After
the story is told, the students will go up to the bare Christmas tree and place
their felt ornaments onto it so it can be happy to fully be a Christmas tree.
The students will gather to a large table area and work on their own felt
ornaments/finger puppets, for them to take home with them. This includes glue
binding mostly, default shapes of Christmas/holiday theme items already cut out
from the felt.
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-L.SL.1.4
- Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing
ideas and feelings clearly.
CCSS.ELA-L.SL.1.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when
appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Goal:
The students will listen to the story and understand how the pine tree wanted
to be a Christmas tree to find its purpose in its life.
Objectives:
Cognitive -
The
students will listen to the story and be able to recall events from it for
discussion questions prompted by the teacher during the activity session and
answer orally The students would be asked what made the tree sad? How did the
tree try to solve that problem himself?
Affective -
The
students would be asked to reflect on the following questions during the
activity session and answer orally: How did the tree’s friends react to his
depressed/sad? What did they do for him in the end? Do you think he feels
happier as a Christmas tree or is he happier because he is surrounded by his
loved ones?
Psychomotor -
The
students will use felt and pre-cut shapes to make their own holiday themed
ornaments or finger puppets. The shapes are based off traditional holiday
shapes but also include animals like from the story.
The
students will place tiny stuffed animals, squirrels and birds, that are
provided into the Christmas tree inside the library when they are leaving at
the end of the hour.
9.
Snack ideas:
Snack
ideas would be sugar cookies, orange cranberry tarts (the cranberry looks like
the holly berry enough so it can be pretend), and allergy-free options of
dried fruits. Hot cocoa if a kettle is available.
Tags: holiday, fantasy,
picture book, Christmas, 4 to 6 years, Pre-K to 1st grade, story
hour
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