Have
your class read from
the Bible about the birth of Jesus. The federal court case of
Florey vs. Sioux Falls in 1980 confirmed the
fact that
"music, art, literature and drama having religious themes or basis
are permitted as part of the curriculum for school-sponsored
activities and programs if presented in a prudent and objective
manner and as a traditional part of the cultural and religious
heritage of the particular holiday."
Have
Christian students in
your class share what their families or churches are doing to
celebrate Christmas.
Have
students speculate on
the question: What if Jesus had never been born? To help
students make the connection between the birth of Jesus and their
lives, you can prepare a lesson on the ways Christianity has
affected American history. (American culture or/and
America's founding documents?) You might include
such
things as: the Pilgrims' motivation for coming to America, the
Declaration of Independence, the phrase on our coin, "In God We
Trust," the abolition movement, and how the Rev. Martin Luther
King's Christian faith motivated him in the civil rights
movement.
Lead
a class discussion on
teachings of Jesus that are often referred to in American culture.
These teachings are encapsulated in such expressions as "Do
unto others...," "Go the extra mile," "Turn the other cheek" and
"the good Samaritan." [Or/and
see this page
for: Common Phrases
Found In
The Bible; Do Biblical Colloquialisms Have A Secular Purpose?
]
Read
to students from Luke
2 ('Luke 2'
only has 1207 words
in the KJV.) and teach them
related vocabulary words for
a language arts unit.
Have
students read various presidential proclamations. You can
find them at the library in 'The Public Papers of
Presidents' published by the Government Printing Office or
online. Have them create a Christmas poster incorporating a
quote from a proclamation of their choosing. [search for online copies.]
Have
students create a Christmas Survey to find out specifically what
friends and relatives say is the reason for the season. After
the surveys are completed, have students discuss their findings and
categorize the answers according to their similarities.
Conclude by having students write a summary of their
findings.
Have
students find out why we say "Merry" Christmas and not "Happy"
Christmas.
Links to Legal Assistance and
Religious Guidelines in schools: