In an effort to help keep up during this unique and wonderful month, I am sharing some tried and true December classroom favorites to ensure you are staying on track with teaching in December!   There’s such a fine line between embracing the wonder of the season and keeping your management and academics on track!  These December resources cover the standards while providing a cross-curricular structure and routine! …Plus they are engaging!

December Writing Mini-Lessons

Keeping writer’s workshop going strong in December can be easy, and dare I say it, full of growth!  There are such motivating topics to push students to grow naturally in the month of December! I have 8 writing mini-lessons that can span one day to one week each!  More than you can even teach but all that you’ll want to make time for!  Lesson plans, writing templates, and fun seasonal extensions ensure staying on track with teaching in December! Find it here for grades K, 1, and 2.

 

Holidays Around the World

Incorporating social studies, writing, and reading through Holidays Around the World is always fun!  Here’s a post all about making the trip around the world in December.  We continually update this resource.  Currently, our Holidays around the World Unit contains 22 of your most requested countries.  Digital teaching slides, printable country brochures for students to create, and our newest addition, world work still pages for each country!

 

GINGERBREAD SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Enjoying the many versions of the gingerbread story in December is a MUST-DO for reading.  There’s just so much to love about guessing if this version will cause dear Gingy to lose his little life or not at the end.   Beyond reading, there’s so much to learn using the highly exciting topic of gingerbread!  I am compiling 12 activities into a fun gingerbread folding interactive book! Find out more here!

 

Save the decorating for the end as a bribe motivator for quality work and completion of activities.  This ensures that the adorable gingerbread house books will stay intact.  The activities inside can take anywhere from a week to three weeks, depending on how often and how much time you want to devote to it.  I typically spend 30 mins a day completing one activity per day over two weeks.  Some activities not tied to an experiment or class can be done independently in a center.

 

Reindeer Science

Whether you can study holiday themes or can not, something is exciting about studying caribou or reindeer in December! (Activities for both included) Incorporate science and social studies with writing while you explore the fun world of caribou!    An integrated unit that ties whimsical with real life.

Math and Literacy Workstations

These hands-on, differentiated winter centers are seasonal but are also standards aligned to ensure every math + literacy standard is met.  Each station has the standard located directly on them with fun, novel themes that will keep students engaged all winter long!  These centers span K-2 standards to allow for differentiation through remediation and extension.

Snowman Science

If you aren’t able to teach to the Christmas related themes during December or you want to get a kick start on January, Snowman Science is a terrific way to teach states of matter while tying in many cross-curricular skills at once!

Arctic Animals Science

If you do not celebrate, here’s a terrific science unit that covers arctic animals.  Students learn about animals, adaptations, habitats, and more! This is also perfect for January!

Interactive Science and Social Studies Through the Year

If you love these interactive, cross-curricular books, there’s more where these came from!  I have two bundles of books to take you through the entire year!  Click the pictures to see more information about getting them for your classroom!