There are so many ELA options during the holiday season. So many, in fact, it can become overwhelming. The perfect blend is when I can find a text that is not only entertaining, but gives me an opportunity to work on the standards. For me, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas is such a text. Most people will refer to the Clement Clarke Moore poem using the former title. Others will refer to it using its original title: A Visit from St. Nicholas.
Here are some of the ways I break down this Christmas favorite for my students:
Introduction and Reinforcement
This poem is not only a seasonal favorite, but it is an excellent way to introduce (or reinforce) the basic elements of poetry. For my yearly planning, this poem ironically fits in just before our official poetry unit, so it's a perfect "before the holiday break" unit to have some holiday fun while getting students prepared for the poetry unit that will be taught after the holiday break.
Imagery
Of all the texts I use to teach about imagery, this poem may be my favorite. I love to read it to the students a couple of times before looking at any of the illustrations offered with the scores and scores of pictures books that have been published. I want to give my students a chance to form their own images in their minds without being influenced by what an illustrator has committed to paper.
Once section of the poem that always leads to great discussion is "while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads". Firstly, it's a great use of personification. But, even more interesting, is when I probe the students as to what they imagined during that line. Students oftentimes discuss children, sleeping, cozy in a bed, etc... Very few (none) describe sugar plums. Students today do not even know what a sugar plum is much less conjur images of them while listening to this poem. It is always a fun point of discussion and usually leads to me projecting images the internet deems to be sugar plums. It's a fantastic tie-in to later on in the unit when we compare 1823 to today.
My room always has several versions of this poem available and the only author/illustrator that we've seen take a crack at illustrating sugar plums is Jan Brett... I am sure there are others, just not that we've seen.
A great extension activity it to invite students to illustrate a section. Group them homogeneously. Then, have them compare their illustrations to each others' as well as a published illustration. This is a fun way to compare/contrast and to celebrate the different interpretations of the same text.
Rhyme Scheme
This poem is a simple and easy way to introduce rhyme scheme. The straight forward patterns leave little guesswork. I usually note the rhyme scheme for the first page while discussing the whys and hows. The students then take it upon themselves to finish the scheme on the back. I love that! It tells me that they not only understand the rhyme scheme, but are invested enough to finish the job properly.
Figurative Language
Aside from the poetic elements, this poem also gives me an opportunity to reinforce simile and metaphor with my students. It does not have a lot; just a handful in stanzas 9-12. However, it's nice to have a limited amount. It allows me to keep the students focused on a smaller portion of the poem and laser-focused as they search for the similes and metaphors. I address the figurative language in a mini-lesson or as we read through. Sometimes we take 15-20 minutes to talk about them, sometimes it's a passing conversation. It depends on the needs of my class.
There are some excellent examples of alliteration and personification too! The short, well-thought out phrases help students understand how an author's use of these simple additions to their writing enhances the experience for the reader.
Evidence Charts
Finding text evidence is a skill that my students need consistenly all year long. Practicing this skill with a poem reinforces not only finding the evidence but gives students an opportunity to use poetic terminology to cite the evidence (stanza #, line #). When crafted properly, the evidence charts can help you lead your students into a discussion about Mood!
Mood
Abstract elements, like Mood, can be difficult for students to grasp. One way I like to practice this skill is to have students close their eyes and make a picture/movie in their mind as they listen. I ask them to talk about what they envisioned; how did they feel? Sometimes we start with the basics: happy or sad? Scared or excited? We then move on to more nuanced language.
Another useful way to get students talking about mood is to have them note the verbs the author is using. It helps that the poem is written in the first person point of view. Readers start out with words such as "clatter" and "sprang" which are alarming to words and move to "twinkled" and "laughed" later in the poem. The later words tell us that the narrator certainly has "nothing to dread".
1823 v Present
It's hard to believe this poem is 100 years old! However, its age is a perfect segue to discuss how language has evolved as well as household routines and "norms" from 100 years ago. When we explore the title and vocabulary, I intentially use the originals as written and published by Moore. This leads to other discussions of how culture can shape references to literature and spelling of words.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary options in this poem are vast. Not only can I introduce and work with some new words with my students, I can also explore the original spellings of "pedler" and "lustre" to dig deep into the morphology and spelling of these words. And, no one knows what a "courser" is when we start this unit. But, every single student does before the bell rings for holiday break!
'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a classic that your students will love. Whether you spend one lesson or several days exploring Moore's masterpiece, your students will love the break from the usual curriculum and have an opportunity to work on the standards while having some holiday fun!
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