On the Night Before Christmas
Language Arts/Social Studies
Students will write modern versions of the poem that begins “'Twas the Night Before Christmas.”What You Need
- a copy of the poem “The Night Before Christmas” (See Internet Resource below.)
What to Do
- Ask students if they know the poem “The Night Before Christmas.” See how much of the poem the class can remember. Write any details they can remember on the board.
- Read the poem and ask students to listen for things that are not familiar or popular today. Remind students that when the poem was written in the early 1800s, the details in the poem (sugar plums, stockings, nightcaps, chimneys) were all modern.
- Have students write a modern version of the poem. Their versions can take any form—poem, narrative, letter—but each one should be updated to show Santa Claus paying a visit to a modern home.
- Have students share their accounts with the class.
Internet Resource
The Night Before Christmas
Here you will find a copy of the poem that begins “'Twas the night before Christmas.”
http://www.christmas-tree.com/stories/nightbeforechristmas.html