Holidays/Seasonal Video Files

Introducing Labor Day essay writing has never been easier! This comprehensive writing prompt unit with 4 complete essay lessons - argumentative, expository, narrative, and persuasive - guides students through the step-by-step process of crafting a compelling essay. Using detailed graphic organizers, students will learn to draft an outline with convincing evidence and write a thorough essay.

All aspects of argumentative writing, expository writing, narrative writing, and persuasive writing are covered in this resource: brainstorming ideas, developing a thesis statement, introducing supporting evidence, writing hooks and leads, and incorporating the 6 Traits of Writing™. The resource also focuses on how to structure the rising action, climax, and falling action in the plot of the personal narrative essay.

The video, slide show, graphic organizer, worksheets, writing template, and rubric allow students to practice and develop their essay writing skills. The writing quiz reinforces guided note-taking techniques when used in conjunction with the instructional video. The detailed lesson plans make implementing essay writing easy for teachers.

This no-prep lesson is adaptable for in-class instruction, distance learning, or independent student work. The instructional video with writing tutorial and template can be presented as whole class instruction or assigned for students to complete at home.

All materials are available in both Google Drive™ and print formats, ensuring easy access for all students.

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This Writing Prompt Unit for Labor Day includes:

4 Entertaining Instructional Videos with:

• Brainstorming ideas
• Prompt identification and comprehension
• Thesis statement development
• Plot and character development
• Rubric explanation
• How to Write a/an (Argumentative, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive) Essay Tutorial
• How to Write a/an (Argumentative, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive) Essay writing quiz / guided note-taking

4 Detailed Labor Day Lesson Plans with:

• Common Core State Standards Indicated on Lesson Plan
• Instructional Focus
• Instructional Procedures
• Objectives/Goals
• Direct Instruction
• Guided Practice
• Enrichment
• Differentiation
• ESE Strategies
• ELL Strategies
• I Can Statement
• Essential Question

4 Labor Day Worksheets with:

• Prompts
• Brainstorming sections
• Thesis statement development sections
• Plot and character development
• How to Write a/an (Argumentative, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive) Essay Tutorial

4 Labor Day Slide Shows with:

• Introduction slide with prompts for expository, argumentative, persuasive, and narrative Prompts
• Brainstorming slide (interactive for students to list and develop ideas)
• Standard and implied thesis development slides
• Plot and character development
• How to Write a/an (Argumentative, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive) Essay Tutorial
• Checklist Slide

4 Essay Rubrics

• (Argumentative, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive)

4 Graphic Organizers

• (Argumentative, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive)

Google Slides™

4 Writing Quizzes

• (Argumentative, Expository, Narrative, Persuasive)

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The lessons in the Middle School Holiday Writing Prompts Unit include:

• 9/11 - September 11
• April Fools' Day
• Arbor Day
• Christmas
• Cinco de Mayo
• Columbus Day
• Daylight Savings
• Earth Day
• Easter
• Election Day
• Father's Day
• Grandparent's Day
• Groundhog Day
• Halloween
• Hanukkah
• July 4th
• Kwanzaa
• Labor Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Memorial Day
• Mother's Day
• New Year's
• Passover
• Presidents Day
• St Patrick's Day
• Take Your Child to Work
• Thanksgiving
• Valentine's Day
• Veterans Day

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By November 1st, Santa Claus is everywhere, but you probably didn’t know that Santa wasn’t always the fat man in the red suit. In fact, Santa didn't get his iconic, jolly look until Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, drew him that way. Before the 1860s, Santa was represented as everything, from a jolly elf to a tall gaunt man. In central Europe, Santa was even depicted alongside the Krampus, a devilish figure who punishes bad children.

This enlightening video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO0MzHu3Tuw) by the acclaimed History Channel, describes how Santa Claus took the form we now know due to the creativity of New Yorker cartoonist Thomas Nast. Watch the video with your students, with or without subtitles, and then do the activities that follow in this ebook. There are activities for all kinds of learners, especially the younger ones.

At the back of the book, you will find detailed Teacher's Notes with directions about the activities, as well as the Answer key.

Hanukkah — which can also be written as Chanukah or through various transliterations from Hebrew — is the “festival of lights” in Judaism. For eight nights in a row, Jews come together with relatives and friends to light one more candle in the menorah — a multi-armed candelabrum.

In Hebrew, Hanukkah signifies “dedication,” and this festival commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem during the 2nd century BC, after a tiny band of Jewish warriors freed it from foreign occupying forces. Using the small amount of ritually pure oil discovered in the temple, they kindled the menorah — and it remained lit for eight days. The tradition of igniting a nightly candle, along with the focus on preparing dishes in oil like potato pancakes known as latkes, honors this astonishingly enduring oil.

This comprises a series of tasks centered around the video "What is Hanukkah?". The solutions can be located at the conclusion of the book.

For many Americans, the Plymouth Massachusetts pilgrims serve as the emblematic influence for the modern Thanksgiving celebration. Following the winter of 1620 that resulted in the deaths of nearly half of their population, the colonists established aconnection with the nearby tribe, which educated them on fishing, agriculture, and hunting.

Even though Thanksgiving festivities trace back to the early European colonies in America, it was only in the 1860s that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the final Thursday of November as a national holiday.

This ebook includes a variety of hands-on activities for Elementary students to engage in after viewing the video "History of the Holidays: History of Thanksgiving" produced by the well-regarded History Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lslqtUMwDxA. The activities accommodate all types of learners and will definitely keep your students engaged and eager to learn more about this American tradition.

The book offers extensive support for the teacher at the back, including Teacher's Notes and the corresponding answers to the exercises.

How did St. Valentine become associated with love and romance? Get the full story behind the holiday.

Whether you love Valentine's Day or hate it, one thing is clear: The holiday goes way back. And while it's now known for kissing, Valentine's Day gifts, and hard-to-get dinner reservations, the origins of the holiday are far less romantic. Many people believe he’s celebrated for his role as a Roman priest who helped couples secretly get married. Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. Today, we celebrate it on the 14th of February.

This 90-minute lesson will teach young children the real history behind the globally celebrated Valentine's Day. It is based on the YouTube video 'Bet You Didn't Know: Valentine's Day | History' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neb7dbPW0Sk&t=1s) by the acclaimed History channel. There are plenty of activities and their answers are provided at the end.

This is a set of various activities designed to be done in class after watching the video "Origins of Christmas" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wmp0HPCOxk\&t=45s.

The celebration of Christmas as we know it today stems from the traditions of several different cultures. This video from History Channel describes how old customs and traditions from different countries around the world came to form what we know and celebrate today as Christmas. Follow this trip from ancient Rome to Northern Europe, and also find out how the beloved character of Santa Claus came to life.

The video duration is around 3 minutes. The activities that follow should take up another 90 minutes.

There are many different types of activities to ensure that your students will stay interested throughout the lesson. Finally, there is the relevant answer key in the end, which also includes suggested answers to the writing activities.

Enjoy Christmas with this festive lesson!

This is a complete lesson plan based on the YouTube video 'The First Thanksgiving Story for Kids' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodJKjJ_VqY&t=15s) by LeFive Kids Playground. Learn all about the first Thanksgiving in this fun and educational animated video for kids! Join the Pilgrims on their exciting journey across the ocean on the Mayflower, and discover how they met the Native Americans and celebrated the very first Thanksgiving feast.

The lesson is designed for Grades 3 and 4, and it should last approximately 60 minutes. There many activities included, and their answers are provided at the end.

This video is perfect for teaching young children about the history of Thanksgiving in a way that is engaging and easy to understand. They will learn:

• Why the Pilgrims left England
• The Mayflower's wild voyage across the ocean
• The challenges of surviving in a new land
• The friendship between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans
• The first Thanksgiving feast and its traditions
• Plus, we'll have lots of fun along the way with silly characters, catchy songs, and amazing animation!

The sun is shining, the mood is upbeat, and Christmas makes the perfect backdrop for those long-awaited visits to distant friends and family. As you might expect, many UK and European Christmas traditions are replicated in Australia. In some ways, however, festive seasons Down Under are very different.

While Europeans might wish for snow, Australians hope for clear skies to make the most of the summer sun. Some years, the thermometer can soar to 40°C almost anywhere in the country. As a result, spending at least part of Christmas at the beach is a popular tradition for residents and visitors alike. Not snow, but sand, sea, surfing, snorkelling, and stunning sunsets are all key ingredients in a perfect Australian Christmas.

Watch the video “13 Differences You Experience At Christmas In Australia" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnyYlM\_ryE8) with your students and do the activities that follow. The video highlights the differences, and your students will be definitely curious to hear about them!

This Lesson Plan is based on the YouTube video "How to Have a British Christmas" by Anglophenia. The video describes all the unique and sometimes weird Christmas traditions that can be found in the UK. It also compares them with their equivalent ones in the US. From explosives at the dinner table to burning letters to Santa, it looks at 10 ways Christmas differs in Britain.

The level is Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate. The video duration is 4:52 minutes. The total lesson duration is 90 minutes.
The lesson aims to:

1. To familiarize students with British Christmas traditions.
2. To compare cultural practices in the UK and the US.
3. To practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Each stage of the lesson is assigned a specific time frame. The written activities for the students are provided in a separate photocopiable sheet. The answers to the activities are included as well at the end of the lesson.

This ebook contains a number of activities that have been tailored specifically to accompany the YouTube video "Evolution of Santa Claus", from the acclaimed History Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO6a6Ue2z5I. It is aimed for Elementary school students, though older students will also find it interesting.

The video shows how the modern image of Santa Claus has been refined again and again. New York City has shaped the modern secular Christmas we now celebrate more than any other city in the world. It's really because of the efforts of two very gifted New Yorkers who lived there in the 1800s that the jolly character known as Santa Claus came to life and is now loved by millions of children around the world.

Watch first the video with your students, with or without subtitles if necessary, and then proceed to do the activities in this ebook. For every activity there are Teacher's Notes and suggested answers.

Since the dawn of the 20th century, one thing has remained true: everyone loves presents, and especially kids. There's nothing better than a big old wish list to put out into the universe during the holiday season.

From Star Wars action figures to the iPhone, every decade has had a "MUST HAVE" Christmas gift. Check out the toys and trinkets that have topped kids' wishlists to Santa over the past century, in this YouTube video by History Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aVWZuPKrSI.

The wonderful treats on this list have stolen the hearts and wallets of families around the world for the better part of a century. Find which are the most popular gifts of all time, and which ones are sold one in every second around the world.

After watching the video with your students, proceed to do the activities we have created for this purpose. The answers are provided at the end.

Have fun!

After trade and communication between Europe and the Americas began following Columbus's voyage in 1492, many Europeans began to seek opportunities in the New World. One such group, now known as the Pilgrims, sailed from England to North America in 1620.

In 1620 the Mayflower crossed from England to North America. Filled to the brim with passengers, livestock, and supplies, they faced many delays before finally reaching the shores of the New World. The Pilgrims suffered and many of them died to establish a settlement in what is now Massachusetts, but through cooperation with local tribes of Native Americans they were eventually able to thrive.

Watch the excellent video “The Story of the Mayflower and the First Thanksgiving for Children” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brqIER2KHbE) with your students, and then do the activities in this ebook. The answers are available at the end of the book, as well as plenty of guidance for the teacher in the Teacher's notes.

This ebook contains a number of activities that have been tailored specifically to accompany the YouTube video "Evolution of Santa Claus", from the acclaimed History Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO6a6Ue2z5I. It is aimed for Elementary school students, though older students will also find it interesting.

The video shows how the modern image of Santa Claus has been refined again and again. New York City has shaped the modern secular Christmas we now celebrate more than any other city in the world. It's really because of the efforts of two very gifted New Yorkers who lived there in the 1800s that the jolly character known as Santa Claus came to life and is now loved by millions of children around the world.

Watch first the video with your students, with or without subtitles if necessary, and then proceed to do the activities in this ebook. For every activity there are Teacher's Notes and suggested answers.