Merry Christmas Around the World

Challenge students to use an online resource to complete this interactive lesson.

The focal point of this bulletin board will be a world map.
Above the map is the title of this bulletin board: Merry Christmas Around the World
Around the other three sides (or just left and right or just below if either of those plans works best) of the world map are cards that have the names of 15 different countries on them (see list below).
Thick pieces of yarn drop from each card.

Students will attach the 15 “Merry Christmas” greetings cards to the correct locations on the world map. For the purpose of this bulletin board illustration, you might show just two or three of the “Merry Christmas” greeting cards in place – attached to the map near the countries to which those greetings apply. The pieces of yarn will extend from the country-name cards to those “Merry Christmas” cards.

DIRECTIONS

This interactive bulletin board can be used as a technology learning center activity. Students might work on their own or with a partner to complete the activity.

Create cards that say “Merry Christmas” in 15 different languages (see list immediately below). Do not include the country names on the cards.

Feliz Navidad (Chile)
Sheng Tan Kuai Loh (China)
Frohliche Weihnachten (Germany)
Mboni Chrismen (Egypt)
Joyeux Noel (France)
Eftihismena Christougenna (Greece)
Mo'adim Lesimkha (Israel)
Shub Christu Jayanti (India)
Buon Natale (Italy)
Gledelig Jul (Norway)
Maligayang Pasko (Philippines)
Boas Festas (Portugal)
Ewadee Pe-e Mai (Thailand)
Veseloho Vam Rizdva (Ukraine)
Chuc mung Giang Sinh (Vietnam)

Mix up the “Merry Christmas” cards and place them in an envelope or file folder so students have them available as they complete the activity.

Next, create a set of 15 country cards:

Chile
China
Germany
Egypt
France
Greece
Israel
India
Italy
Norway
Philippines
Portugal
Thailand
Ukraine
Vietnam

Arrange the country cards around the outer edges of a bulletin board, surrounding a world map in the center of the board. Dangle a length of thick yarn from each card.

Challenge students to use the online resource Christmas Greetings from Around the World to help them locate the card with the “Merry Christmas” greeting that matches each country name that surrounds the map. Students will work on their own or in pairs to

Tape or staple the “Merry Christmas” card to the correct spot on the world map and

Extend the yarn from the country-name card to the correct location/“Merry Christmas” card.

Assessment

Students might let you know when they have completed the task so you can check their work.

You might create a matching work sheet for students. They will use their completed bulletin board to match each greeting in one column to the correct country name in the other.