10th Grade Christmas, Chanukah, & Kwanzaa Research (by date, oldest first)

Every year there's that ONE holiday toy that captures the hearts of kids and sends parents off to the store to grab the last one. This mini unit covers the history of Christmas toys through four decades (some of which you will remember!). The unit is divided into three parts and relies heavily on student research. The parts can be done at your own pace over the course of a week or over several weeks.

Part One

-Includes two reading passages, one about the history of holiday gift giving and one about the rise of the toy industry.

-Research Project: Students are given four worksheets, one for each of the decades (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s), and they must research toy trends for each decade

Part Two

-All of part two is in the included PowerPoint. This covers holiday advertising, starting with the early days of ads, through the department store catalog, and into modern television commercials.

-There are three links to toy commercials from the 70s, 80s, and 90s to watch with students

Part Three

-In part three, students will conduct an interview with an older friend or family member about their own holiday toy memories

-Final Project: Students pick one of three final projects to complete. Each project relates back to a different part of the unit.

This unit is geared towards a classroom, but is easily adapted to a homeschooler...in fact, I originally created it for mine! Every research activity is done solo and the PowerPoint can easily be used just for one or a handful of kiddos. This is also easily adaptable, in case you want to change anything for your students, but is no-prep, ready to go, as it is!

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Looking for other activities for older kids?

Winter Activities for Older Kids - No Prep

Christmas Around the World - Who is/What is Cards

Middle School Vocabulary Worksheet {plain and themed versions}

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This lesson is easy enough for 5th graders to understand yet works well with students up to 12th graders. Modifications can be made as needed.

A fun and exciting Christmas holiday geography project to engage students in learning about winter holidays and traditions around the world. Implement this activity days prior to Christmas break to keep your students motivated and learning. Make every moment a teaching moment!

Through this lesson, students will catch a glimpse into the life of another child, discovering how the winter holiday season is celebrated within their culture/country—whether it is Christmas, Kwanza, Ramadan, Hanukkah, or other winter holidays. Students will be introduced to various ways of life, from South America to Europe to Africa, and will gain an understanding of each winter tradition and celebration.

Students will Adopt a Friend for the holiday Kwanza/ Ramadan / Hanukkah season and will explore ways of life during the holiday season.

Note: (1) This is a research project. Will need a zip file reader to open the file.

WHAT IT INCLUDES

• Detailed Teacher Instructions
• Suggested Introduction Videos (optional for lesson)
• 9 Pages of Christmas Ornaments Reproducible (For Tree)
• A Word File With Editable Ornaments
• Christmas Ornament Reproducible Activity Sheet
• Christmas Ornaments Reproducible (With Writing Lines)
• Grading Rubric

Note: This lesson calls for the instructor to supply an artificial tree or cut a large human-sized tree out of butcher paper. Although, this activity can be modified so that the tree is not necessary.

(TO EDIT THE EDITABLE ORNAMENTS, CLICK ON THE TEXT BOX INSIDE EACH ORNAMENT AND ADD THE NAME, GENDER AND COUNTRY OF THE FRIEND/CHILD. )

☑ Check out the preview to see what is included.

Visit our store Geography & Math Made Easy to view other related resources:

Similar Resources & Skills:

✧ Geography Christmas Resources

✧ Other Fun Seasonal Activities

✧ Seasonal Year Around Puzzle Pack

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Related Topics:

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Bring history to life this holiday season with The History Elf Project, a fun and engaging classroom project perfect for any social studies unit! This fun, creative activity invites students to step into the shoes (and hats!) of famous historical figures, becoming Santa’s special “History Elf” to uncover the achievements, character traits, and lasting legacies of iconic people from the past. Perfect for the Christmas holiday season, this project combines research, creativity, and writing in a memorable way that makes history engaging for students!

What’s Included:

• History Elf Outline Design Page – Students design their elf to look like their chosen historical figure, adding details to reflect the figure’s life and accomplishments.
• The History Elf’s Holiday Report – In this writing activity, students pen a letter to Santa about their historical figure’s impact and decide if they belong on the “Nice” or “Naughty” list based on what they’ve learned.
• History Elf’s Merry Mischief – Students write a creative story where their elf causes a bit of historical mischief! This optional extension activity lets students imagine their elf changing history in a fun and playful way.
• History Elf - Who Am I? Sheet – This biography sheet helps students organize and summarize their research on their historical figure, covering key achievements, personality traits, and interesting facts.
• Instructions and Grading Rubric – Clear step-by-step instructions for teachers and students, and a comprehensive rubric to guide assessment across creativity, historical accuracy, effort, and more.
• Example Projects - Examples included to give you a better understanding of the direction and design of the project!

Key Features:

• Engaging and Interactive: Blends holiday fun with historical learning to keep students excited about history.
• Perfect for Display: Creates a colorful and festive classroom showcase of “History Elves” with their biographies and stories.
• Flexible Usage: Use it as a stand-alone project, Christmas-themed assignment, or winter break activity!

Encourage your students to explore the past in a fun, memorable way with The History Elf Project! This unique activity is sure to become a holiday favorite in your classroom.

Bring history to life this Christmas holiday season with a fun and engaging stations activity your students will love!

In this festive critical thinking activity, students will travel through time as they uncover which famous historical figures wrote 25 intriguing holiday wish lists to Santa! Blending creativity, historical context, and problem-solving, this activity is perfect for middle school or high school social studies classes.

Each wish list includes a mix of both physical items and abstract ideas, giving students clues about the personality, accomplishments, and aspirations of notable figures from both world and U.S. history. Students will match the wish lists to their corresponding figures as they rotate through stations, completing an answer sheet with their guesses.

What’s Included:

• 25 unique holiday wish lists written from the perspective of historical figures
• A student answer sheet for tracking guesses
• A teacher instructions page with setup and modification suggestions
• A detailed answer key for easy grading
• A blank wish list template for an optional extension activity where students create their own historical wish list

*Includes both color and black & white versions of all sheets!*

Uses:

• Interactive lesson or station-based activity
• Holiday-themed class event
• Review or enrichment for history topics
• Collaborative or individual learning

Extension Idea:
Wrap up the activity by having students choose their favorite historical figure and create a wish list from that person’s perspective. Then, let classmates guess the figure based on their creative clues!

Perfect for:

• Middle and high school world history or U.S. history classes
• December lessons or holiday-themed units
• Sub plans, early finishers, or enrichment

Add some historical holiday cheer to your classroom with this engaging activity!

World History Ultimate Bundle! Yearlong Activities, Worksheets, Lessons, Games & Projects for Your Classroom

Bring world history to life and save time with this ultimate yearlong bundle! This comprehensive collection includes over 125 engaging activities covering major historical periods, from Prehistory, Ancient Civilizations, and the Middle Ages to World War II and the 21st Century. Designed for middle school, high school, and homeschool students, this bundle provides an extensive range of resources to enhance your world history curriculum, making history interactive, fun, and memorable.

What’s Included:

• Reading Comprehension Worksheets: This is a new product line, currently covering key historical periods from Prehistory to Ancient Greece, with more added throughout the year!
• Interactive Reading Lessons: Explore historical events and figures with guided questions and in-depth analysis.
• Worksheets & Notes: Perfect for classwork, homework, and review.
• Projects & Research Assignments: Encourage deep dives into specific historical topics, fostering critical thinking.
• Crossword Puzzles & Word Searches: Fun ways to reinforce vocabulary and key historical concepts.
• Classroom Games: Make history fun with interactive activities that engage all learners.
• Teacher Guides & Answer Keys: Detailed guides, rubrics, and answer keys for easy lesson planning and grading.

This Bundle is Ideal For:

• New teachers building a robust collection of classroom activities.
• Experienced teachers seeking fresh, creative resources.
• Homeschool families wanting structured, engaging lessons.

Stay tuned for even more resources added throughout the year as the reading comprehension series continues to expand. Check out the previews to see how these activities can enrich your classroom today!

Engage your students year-round with our captivating "Fun Holiday-Themed Activities Bundle! - Social Studies | U.S. & World History!" This comprehensive collection currently features 20 best-selling activities designed to infuse your social studies curriculum with excitement and fun across various seasons and holidays. Check out what's included below!

Back to School

• Blobs and Line - Classroom Icebreaker Activity
• Four Corners - Classroom Icebreaker Activity
• Would You Rather - Classroom Icebreaker Activity

Halloween

• Frighteningly Famous! - Historical Biography Project
• Historic Headstone! - Social Studies Stations Activity

Thanksgiving

• Feasting with Famous Figures - Thanksgiving Holiday Project
• History of Thanksgiving - Crossword & Word Search Worksheets

Christmas / Winter

• History in a Snow Globe - Social Studies Activity
• The History Elf Project - Winter - Holiday - Christmas - Social Studies Activity
• Winter Holidays - Christmas - Hanukkah - Kwanzaa - Crossword & Word Search
• Guess The Wishlist - Holiday - Christmas - History - Who Am I? Stations Activity

Black History Month

• Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Civil Rights Movement - Crossword & Word Search
• The Civil Rights Movement - U.S. History Vocabulary Crossword & Word Search
• The Civil Rights Movement - Funko Pop Biography Project

Valentine's Day

• Mystery History Date - Valentine's Day - Fun Social Studies Research Activity
• Historical Heartthrobs! Valentines from Famous Figures | Social Studies Activity
• History of Valentine's Day Reading Comprehension & Questions - Holiday Activity
• Valentine's Day Crossword Puzzle & Word Search Activity - Holiday - Winter

Spring Break / Summer / End of Year

• Draw Your Own Sandcastle! Spring Break | Summer | End of the Year Activity
• Biography on a Beach Ball! - End of the Year | Spring Break | Summer Activity

This is a growing bundle and will update as more products are created and included!