Teaching Christmas Around the World is a highlight of December in many elementary classrooms, and one of the most exciting countries to explore is Australia. Because Christmas happens during summer “down under,” students are immediately intrigued by the warm weather, beach traditions, Santa surfing, and unique animals that appear in Australian holiday stories. Let’s explore Christmas in Australia and look at some favorite read alouds and activities.
Let’s dive into the sunshine-filled world of Christmas in Australia!
You can begin by introducing students to all there is to explore in Australia with this nonfiction book. It tells all about the major traditions, foods, activities, and celebrations that take place in Australia at Christmastime. Students get to explore what it’s like to celebrate Christmas in a wam climate, much different than our climate in the United States. This book helps provide background knowledge as students learn more about Christmas in Australia.
This book is long and isn’t meant to be a total read aloud, but you coudl read bits and pieces of it to introduce Christmas in Australia.
Use this nonfiction read aloud to model how to identify main idea and details to help students practice pulling key details from text and images. As you read, stop to ask questions like:
This is also a great opportunity to use a KWL chart. You can find one FREE HERE!
This Christmas in Australia read aloud is sure to warm your heart! In this story, Wombat is so excited about Christmas, especially the upcoming Nativity play. He is searching for the perfect part to play, but hits road bump after road bump. He begins to feel discouraged as he tries role after role. Will he find the perfect part? You’ll have to read it to find out!
This Christmas in Australia read aloud is great for teaching character trails and feelings. Encourage students to notice Wombat’s feelings and actions throughout the story. What changes? What remains the same?
If you are looking for a Christmas in Australia read aloud that is sure to bring about laughter, this is it! In this story, the Australian wombat, who loves carrots, finds carrots nearby. He soon discovers odd creatures are eating the carrots–reindeer! He soon find a great place for a nap on Santa’s sleigh, which then leads him on an adventure! Oh, the carrots he will soon discover!
This book is great for teaching students how to make predictions. They can use their schema and clues from the text to make predictions along the way. An important question to ask at the end is, “Did your prediction happen or did the author surprise you?” Making predictions along the way helps keep readers engaged and thinking about the text they are reading. It supports their comprehension of the text!
Lily has a new stuffed animal friend, Blue Kangaroo. In this story, the two friends spend time together preparing for Christmas. As family arrives, Lily makes sure to introduce Blue Kangaroo to everyone. Lily has many special things for Blue Kangaroo along the way and Blue Kangaroo wants to return the love to Lily. Will he be able to? Read to find out!
This Christmas in Australia read aloud is great for teaching retelling or sequencing. I also think it could be great for making text to self connections as many students will also have a special stuffy they like to share experiences with.
When I first started teaching Christmas Around the World, we had so many different crafts, cut-and-pastes, reading passages, and more to keep up with for each country we visited. I wanted to simplify it. To do this, I put everything in a flip up book format! Then, as we learn about and visit the country, we have everything in one place.
This flip book includes sections for:
How to Use It:
This flip-up book organizes learning and becomes an easy portfolio piece or hallway display. Get the flip up book HERE.
If you are looking for Christmas in Australia slides that are kid-friendly and ready to engage your learners, these slides are great for you!
What’s Included:
You can use the slides in many ways! Since they have voice over and the slides can be read to students, you can put them in a learning station, together as a whole-group as you jump aboard your flight, or as early finisher activities!
Because the slides are interactive, students stay engaged and excited to learn more about Australia! Get the slides HERE!
Exploring Christmas in Australia will help build cultural awareness while keeping December learning fun and engaging. With purposeful read-alouds, hands-on activities, and your ready-to-use slides, your students will walk away with a deeper understanding of how families celebrate Christmas around the world.
I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your students love and that are easy to implement for teachers. Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, you’ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!
