Objective: Students will use different problem-solving strategies, and creative writing.
Resources:
Teacher: Teacher copies of Brian Wildsmith’s “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Student: pencil, paper, calculator.
1. Procedure: Hand out copies of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.
2. Read through the song with the class.
3. Ask students to solve the problem of how many presents were given.
Variations/Options:
* Use this lesson as an opportunity to explain sequences, in this case 1+12 six times to find the answer.
* Students can research prices of each gift.
* Have students substitute present-day items that they think might be more appropriate.
* Discuss the historical context of each gift from the song.
* Have students write their own rap version of the song.
* Students can do a creative writing exercise describing the consequences of having all these gifts around twelve days or twelve weeks AFTER Christmas.