Answer: That's fine. Most of us decide that we'd like to use an activity, other than the ones in our Christmas repertoire, just about the last week before the holidays.  And we've got just the one.

PROCEDURE

TITLE: A Christmas Wreath

LEVEL: A2-B1

SKILLS: Writing, but mainly learning to be grateful

TIME: 10-15 minutes

MATERIALS: Red & green A4 paper, 1 piece of gold A4 construction paper, 1 piece of A3 white paper or poster paper, scissors

BEFORE CLASS:

1. Get the A4 red and green colored paper. Fold it in half and cut out enough halves for the number of your learners in class.

2.  Use the gold paper to make a medium size circle. Use thick and green markers to write on the circle the following half- finished sentence: "I'm grateful for".

IN CLASS:

1. Make the design of a long and slender leaf on the Board

2. Give one half piece of the red & green half paper to each one of  your learners, alternating between red and green.

3.  Ask them to draw the leaf and then to cut it out. Then, tell them to think of the real spirit of Christmas  and of what it means to the world.

Elicit words such as: peace, happiness, warmth, joy, etc., or whatever your learners can think of. Make sure that you ask them to be positive.

4. Then, tell them to think of the whole year and of their family  and/or their friends and of an event or experience with these people which made them feel happy or grateful.

5.  Ask your learners to mention some. Then tell them to write the event/experience on their leaf, e.g. "my two best friends who support me when I'm sad".

Show to them the golden circle where you have written the unfinished sentence, "I'm grateful for"

6. Stick the A3 piece of paper or poster paper on the Board, and stick the gold circle in the center of the A3 paper.

7.  Ask each one of your learners to come to the Board and stick their leaf, while saying the complete sentence, e.g. "I'm grateful for my family who give me love and joy."  Make sure your learners alternate according to the color of their leaf

At the end the leaves will have formed a Christmas wreath with your learners' expressions of gratitude.

You can hang this wreath outside your classroom door till the holidays.

Merry Christmas and a New Year full of Light and Gratitude,

Suzanne and Lilika