Lesson Plan: The Christmas Truce (Unit 7 Supplementary)
This lesson plan is based on the supplementary story by Aaron Shepard, which recounts the historical 1914 Christmas Truce during World War I through a letter from a soldier named Tom to his sister Janet.
1. Learning Objectives
- To understand the historical context of World War I and the specific event of the 1914 Christmas Truce.
- To analyze the themes of peace, brotherhood, and shared humanity even during conflict.
- To explore the format of letter writing as a means of personal storytelling.
2. Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to apply the values of conflict resolution and empathy in their daily interactions.
- Students will recognize that people from different backgrounds often share common desires, such as the wish for peace and home.
3. Introduction
- Which festival do you like the most and how do you celebrate it?
- If you were in a disagreement with a friend, would a holiday like Christmas or Diwali help you make peace?
- Do you think soldiers from opposing armies can ever be friends?
4. Reading and Understanding
Students will read the text and learn the following key vocabulary from the glossary:
- Truce: An agreement to stop fighting for a period of time.
- Trenches: Long, narrow ditches used by soldiers for protection.
- No Man’s Land: The unoccupied ground between two opposing armies.
- Dugout: A shelter for troops dug into the ground.
- Maim: To injure or wound seriously.
5. Mind Map
A visual representation of the lesson:
- Center: The Christmas Truce (1914)
- The Setting: Battlefields of France, muddy trenches, No Man's Land.
- The Initial Sign: German Christmas trees and the singing of "Silent Night".
- The Interaction: British and German soldiers meet, shake hands, and build a bonfire.
- The Exchange: Trading tea, coffee, corned meat, sausage, and souvenirs like buttons or a spiked helmet.
- The Theme: The universal question: "Why cannot we have peace and all go home?".
6. Consolidation and Presentation
The lesson tells the story of Tom, a British soldier, who witnesses an incredible "fairy tale" event on Christmas Eve, 1914. Despite being enemies, German and British soldiers spontaneously stopped shooting. They sang carols together, shared gifts, and realized they had much in common—some Germans had even worked in London as waiters or porters before the war. The story ends with a reflection on how the world would change if leaders offered good wishes in place of warnings.
7. Reinforcement
- The teacher will emphasize that this story is based on an actual historical event where the human spirit briefly triumphed over the machinery of war.
- Additional detail: Mention that the author, Aaron Shepard, is known for retelling traditional and historical literature and has been honored by the American Library Association.
8. Evaluation
- a) Lower Order Thinking Question: Who wrote the letter and where was he located when he wrote it?
- b) Middle Order Thinking Question: Why were the British soldiers initially bewildered when they looked at the German lines on Christmas Eve?
- c) Higher Order Thinking Question: Why does the soldier say that we must "ask our hearts" regarding the possibility of peace?
9. Remedial Teaching
- Strategy: For slow learners, the teacher will use a storyboard or a timeline to simplify the sequence of the truce (Singing -> Meeting -> Exchanging Gifts -> Parting).
- Peer Support: Pair slow learners with "reading buddies" to practice the pronunciations of the carols and the glossary terms.
10. Writing
- Ask the students to: "Write a short paragraph describing the sights and sounds in No Man’s Land during the truce.".
11. Follow up
- Homework: Imagine you are Janet. Write a response letter to Tom expressing your surprise and hope after hearing about the truce.
- Activity: Research and list the names of the Christmas carols mentioned in the story and find out which languages they were originally written in.
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