The Story of [Insert Holiday Here]

There are a lot of stories surrounding the winter holidays, both familiar and obscure. After reading stories or articles in the classroom, have your students create a summary or retelling of the story. Use a traditional or a timeline storyboard to lay out the events.

• Origins of the Holiday


• Notable Occurrences on the Anniversary of the Holiday
• wartime battle
• wartime cease-fire
• natural disaster
• social issues


• Favorite Characters
• Santa Claus
• Mrs. Claus
• elves
• Frosty the Snowman
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen


• Books
• Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel
• Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens


An extension of this activity could be for students to write their own holiday story using a traditional storyboard, preferably a story on a holiday they do not celebrate.

Student Instructions

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Summarize the story of your chosen holiday in the description boxes.
3. Add illustrations using appropriate scenes, characters, items, and dialogue.
4. Save and Exit