| Tie the enthusiasm kids have for the holidays with | | | | to see it from overhead. This time, he and Mrs. |
| a technology lesson! | | | | Claus took a three day vacation to hike all around |
| Read "Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation" by Linas | | | | the area." |
| Alsenas to your students. To begin this story, | | | | Type that journal entry and add to the |
| Mrs. Claus has become quite upset with her lack | | | | superimposed photo. |
| of vacations and travel. Daily jobs like feeding the | | | | Once the pages have been created there are a |
| reindeer seem boring. So she jumps in the sleigh | | | | few options: |
| and travels the world for the days before | | | | 1.Print each page. Bind into a Travel Log book for |
| Christmas. Santa is worried about her. She returns | | | | the class. |
| and they head out on the one night, world tour. | | | | 2. Combine all the pages electronically and make a |
| After reading this story, ask students to think | | | | slide show. Record the voices of each student |
| about where Santa and Mrs. Claus might want to | | | | reading his or her entry. |
| travel. Santa doesn't ever stay anywhere but the | | | | 3. Convert the electronic slideshow into a podcast |
| North Pole for very long, so imagine they are | | | | and share with the world. Publish on your class or |
| going on a vacation. | | | | school webpage and send it to iTunes. |
| Using photo software, either something so | | | | Children love this activity. It seems to be one that |
| advanced as PhotoShop or as old as HyperStudio, | | | | they ask for year after year. |
| students can combine two photos together. Have | | | | So, disguise a strong technology lesson with the |
| students find copyright-friendly images online and | | | | holiday content and watch your students rush to |
| save them. Then insert the background image. | | | | the computers to begin their project. |
| Next "cut out" an image of Santa and/or Mrs. | | | | Final note: this exact same lesson can be done |
| Claus and paste them over the background. This | | | | using the book "Liberty's Journey" by Kelly |
| might look like Santa visiting Mt. Rushmore, the | | | | DiPucchio. In this story the Statue of Liberty |
| Statue of Liberty, The Great Wall of China, or | | | | wants to take a look around the rest of the |
| any other place you can imagine! | | | | United States. Choose background photos of |
| Next, have your students create a journal entry | | | | places in the United States and then superimpose |
| for the travel log describing where he is and what | | | | Lady Liberty. Write about where she is and why |
| he's doing there. For instance, "Santa has always | | | | she chose to stop there. |
| wanted to visit Mt. Rushmore. Usually he just gets | | | | |