Learn how many Canadians prepare to celebrate Christmas and discuss other cultural traditions
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THIS WEEK’S FEATURED POST
Week of Feb. 2/26
This simplified version of information in Canada’s citizenship guide focuses on several of the first Europeans to explore Canada.
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Lesson plan overview
| Task | To learn about preparing for a traditional Canadian Christmas and to encourage students to discuss their own cultural traditions. |
| CLB level | CLB Stage I (CLB 1-3) |
| Delivery method | Online |
| Class size | 10-15 students (vary the number of activities according to your class size) |
| Estimated time | 1.5-2 hours (depending on class size) |
| CLB Skills and Competencies | Speaking: Interacting with others Sharing information Listening: Interacting with others Comprehending information Reading: Comprehending information |
| Language focus | Learn the vocabulary needed to understand this topic. Practice sentence order. Use the appropriate grammar structures and vocabulary to respond personally to the reflection questions. (Encourage students to respond in full sentences.) |
| Cultural focus | Students will understand the Christmas traditions they will see celebrated in Canadian media, ads, and public spaces. |
| Specific task learning objectives | To familiarize students with vocabulary associated with a traditional Canadian Christmas. To encourage students to talk about the traditions of their own Christmas or other special festivals. |
| ESL Directions original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities? | This lesson includes original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities. |
| Resource attribution | ESL Directions original resources are marked below with an asterisk (*). Feel free to use these, but please give credit to ESL Directions. |
Lesson plan
Warm-up: Introducing the topic and defining our terms
- Today, we’re going to learn about how many Canadians prepare for a traditional Canadian Christmas.
- What do you know about a Canadian Christmas (the one you see in movies and ads and in the malls at this time of year)?
- What are some words associated with Christmas?
Skill-building activities
FEATURED CONTENT
- Vocabulary flashcards*
- Let’s review the vocabulary* (Listen to the vocabulary and definitions. Pay attention to how to say the words and phrases, and think about what they mean. Do the optional open-ended questions activity.) 🔊
- Preparing for Christmas* 🎥
Skill-using tasks
- Read a Christmas story* (Listen to the story, and read it aloud. Answer the comprehension questions in full sentences, if possible.) 🔊
- Gap fill*
- Christmas story: Unjumble*
- Open the box* 🔊
- Christmas pair-matching game*
Assessment/review tasks
- Quiz*
- Christmas random images* (Ask students to identify each type of Christmas item.)
Reflection questions
- How many people here celebrate Christmas?
- How is your Christmas different from the one you see celebrated by many Canadians?
- If you don’t celebrate Christmas, what is the most important festival in your home country? When is this festival, and how do you celebrate it? Do you celebrate it in a different way here than in your home country?
RELATED PAGES
Christmas dinner and other feasts
The lesson plan will teach your beginner ESL students about a traditional Canadian Christmas dinner and will also encourage discussions about…
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Following a recipe: Making Christmas shortbread
This lesson plan teaches basic recipe vocabulary, using the example of Christmas shortbread. Aimed at CLB Stage I learners, the plan…
Keep readingCANADA YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
Click the small arrow at the top right of this video to play the videos or go to the YouTube Canada Playlist.
CANADA WORDWALL ACTIVITIES
Wordwall is a very useful interactive lesson-creation site. If you sign up for a free Wordwall account, you will be able to see our “Canada” folder, which includes ESL Directions activities that you can add to your lessons.
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ESL teacher, movie buff, constant reader, and former editor and communications pro. Now a graduate of the Teaching English as a Second Language program at the University of Manitoba and an ESL teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, I specialize in teaching online classes of beginner ESL students.
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