Kids running into your classroom screaming at the top of their lungs. Students pushing each other and hosting wrestlemania matches in the halls between classes. The warm scent of sugar coming from students’ lunch boxes as they open a morning snack that mostly consists of Christmas cookies. The crunch of forgotten candy canes being broken underfoot.
These are the sounds and smells of the holiday season in a middle school classroom. How can teachers maintain their sanity while planning engaging cross-curricular lessons during the holidays?
Adding small but engaging activities to your regular routine can support better classroom behavior and on-task learning time. Even better, you can create a safe learning environment by having fun with your students before the holiday breaks. I’ve put together a challenge board of activities to support middle school science teachers in surviving (and maybe even thriving?) during the pre-holiday chaos.
To download a force copy of this schedule to your drive, click HERE!
Start small when adding cross-curricular activities to your school day. During the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break, add a 2-3 different types of activities to your schedule. For example, do a hands-on lab (with candy!) and get outside for phenology observations one week, wear ugly sweaters and discuss common winter solstice observations the next.
You can also get a free pdf version of the challenge board in color and black and white at my TPT store. CLICK HERE for a link to the resource. Teacher notes and lesson ideas included!
I know there are hundreds of tried-and-true engaging activities that teachers are using before winter break. What are your favorites? Share below!
Crosswalk Curriculum 