Christmas Unit Study - Science
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Science Lesson Plans for Christmas
A Christmas Unit Study (Science) ~ Christmas is such an amazing time of year to celebrate the birth of the blessed baby, Jesus. While parents and teachers who are teaching about the events of the Bible, and the events of the seasons, why not turn it into a fun unit study? Add some math, science, social studies, language arts, art, and music to your lesson plans with some of these ideas.
Contents at a Glance
A Christmas Unit Study
The Biblical Story
- Archaeology & the Bible
- Find out what archaeological evidence has been found to support Biblical stories. Scroll down about three-fourths of the way down the page to find Chrsitmas information.
- The Biblical Account of the Birth of Christ
- Matthew ~ Chapter 1: The Geneology of Jesus, The Birth of Jesus Christ
Matthew ~ Chapter 2: The Visit of the Magi, The Escape to Egypt, The Return to Nazareth
Luke ~ Chapter 1: The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold, The Birth of Jesus Foretold, Mary Visits Elizabeth, Mary's Song, The Birth of John the Baptist,
Zechariah's Song
Luke ~ Chapter 2: The Birth of Jesus, The Shepherds and the Angels, Jesus Presented at the Temple
Animals at the Manger?
People often think of the animals that may have been surrounding Jesus at His birth. Christmas cards often depict Mary riding a donkey into Bethlehem, although it does not directly tell us that she rode a donkey, or walked, or rode in or on something. The Bible tells us that Mary laid baby Jesus in a manger, but we do not know which, if any, animals were nearby. Most likely, animals were not far away, but it should make us consider how popular interpretations leave an impression as to what the Bible actually says.
~ Please read the passage from the Bible carefully for yourself.
Zoology ~ Study of Animals
Ideas for a secular animal unit for Christmas: a study of the deer family (reindeer, caribou, elk, moose, etc.) or polar animals (polar bears, snow fox, etc).
"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."
Luke 2:4-7
Genesis 1:20-25
~ "And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."
~ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
~ God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."
~ And there was evening, and there was morning-the fifth day.
~ And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.
~ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."
Animal Units
- God Created the Animals
- The children and I worked on an enormous animal unit last spring, and will continue a bit this fall. Check our school blog for games, lapbook minis, notebook pages, charts, worksheets, and links to about a million animal websites!
- The Scripture Alphabet of Animals
- Check here for an alphabetized list of Biblical animals, their descriptions, and verse references.
- Animals in the Bible
- Look at pictures,read about Biblical animals of Israel, and learn their names in Hebrew and English.
- Animals of the Bible
- Search over 130 animal and related terms in this WebBible Encyclopedia from Christian Answers.
- List of the Animals in the Bible
- Find an alphabetical listing of Biblical animals, brief descriptions, and Bible references here.
- Animals of the Bible Crafts
- Create some cute animal projects with these directions from DLKT's Growing Together!
- Animals of the Bible Quiz
- Test your knowledge with this 20 question quiz.
- God & Animals
- Find lessons plans about Balaam's donkey, Sampson's lion, Daniel and the Lions, and sheep in the Bible.
- No Room in the Inn ...
- Christian Answers suggests a possible birth place for the Holy Baby.
Shepherds & Sheep
The Shepherds and their sheep play an important roll also at the time of the birth. Jesus is many times referred to as the "lamb" or "shepherd" in the Bible.
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"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night."
Luke 2:8
Hands - On Animal Study
"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."
Luke 2:20
Christmas Botany ~ Study of Plants
Gorgeous Christmas trees, poinsettias, holly, and Christmas cactus give students the opportunity to learn about plants as part of your Christmas unit study.
- Real Trees for Kids
- "The story and science of real tree farming" written for children. This website has wonderful unit studies for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. It includes lesson plans, worksheets, and online research materials all in one spot.
- Christmas Tree Safety
- Observe a video of a Christmas tree on fire and learn how to properly care for live trees to help avoid this type of disaster.
- A Christmas Science Fair Project
- How can you preserve your Christmas tree to live way beyond the season? Try this experiment to find out.
- The Christmas Poinsettia
- Read this article to know how and when to care for your poinsettia throughout the year.
- Euphorbia pulcherrima
- Huh? What? Read about this beautiful plant at this link. :)
- Holly Plant Study
- Use this study to learn about form, color, fragrance, botanical family, environment, growth pattern, daily and seasonal sequences, the four elements, biochemistry, medicinal uses, relationship to other kingdoms, herbal lore, and beautiful pictures of a holly's ant's life cycle.
- Christmas Cactus
- "Flower Expert" teaches plant classification, facts, growth, and care about this very pretty plan.
O Christmas Tree ...
Consider a Live Tree for Christmas!
Watch the video series for tips about live trees:
~ How to Choose a Christmas Tree
~ Caring for a Living Christmas Tree
~ Planting Your Living Christmas Tree
Planting a Live Christmas Tree
Christmas Cactus, Poinsettia, Holly, or Evergreen Tree?
Reading List for your Unit
Meteorology ~ Study of Weather
What is the weather like at Christmas time where you live? Christmas is many times thought of as a time of snow and cold weather. (Consider the songs "White Christmas", "Let it Snow", "Frosty the Snowman" and others.) But the truth is, of course, that every kind of weather may exist during December depending on several factors.
Let it Snow ...
- All About Snow
- Find out everything about snow at the National Snow and Ice Data Education Center.
- Snow Crystals
- Discover the incredible complexity of these unique, miniscule crystals that God has created. Beautiful pictures, snowflake physics lessons, and snow / ice activities will peak your interest, also.
- Crystals, Christmas, and Science
- The lesson plan contains directions to create a piece of crystal artwork.
Climate & Seasons
Astronomy ~ Study of the Stars
The Wise Men & The Star of Christmas
Who were these Wise Men of the East? Astronomers, scientists, scholars, kings? What were they following? When did they find the Christ Child?
~ It is interesting to note when they arrived according to the Bible versus popular notions.
The Star of Bethlehem
The Visit of the Magi
* * * * * *
After Jesus was born
in Bethlehem in Judea,
during the time of King Herod,
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked,
"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?
We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Matthew 2:1-2
Shining Bright
- What was the Star of Bethlehem?
- Research scientific theories of the star in this article.
- The Star of Bethlehem
- "Was the Star of Bethlehem a real astronomical event? A myth created by the early church? Explore the history and science for yourself..."
- Zoom Astronomy
- Enchanted Learning is a very thorough, well organized, fun website for children to learn a variety of topics. Research planets, the sun, moon, stars, and other celestial bodies. You will find informative articles, charts, astronomy dictionary, worksheets, activities, crafts, quizzes, and other materials to make your unit exciting and complete. Access to many of the resources are free, or you can join for a inexpensive yearly membership to access even more fantastic stuff!
- Gold
- Research gold's characteristics, uses, history, and monetary value of this precious metal.
- Frankincense
- So, what is this special gift given to the Christ Child? Where does it come from and how is it used?
- Frankincense
- Read the definition from the WebBible Dictionary.
- Myrrh
- Why is this herb considered a wonderful gift?
- Myrrh
- Read the definition from the WebBible Dictionary.
Classroom Items
A Twitter Christmas
Light up your Christmas with Electricity!
Light has always been a symbol of Christ, the Light of the World! Candles have provided light for centuries, and now after Edison invented electricity, we love to decorate with beautiful electric lights!
Light Bulbs
- Christmas Tree Light Up!
- This fun game really makes you thick about electrical connections as you try to light all the bulbs on the tree!
- Who Invented Electric Christmas Lights?
- Find out from the Library of Congress' Everyday Mysteries!
- Christmas Bulb Chromotography
- Christmas lights and electricity are cool to explore. What a bright idea! Sorry, I couldn't help the bad pun!)
A Season for Science
A special thank you to one of my favorite artists,
Mr. Phillip Martin,
whose beautiful clipart is adorning this page!
Physics, Chemistry, & Engineering Ideas
- Christmas Science
- Read an article about possible Christmas science experiments.
- Christmas Science
- Check out these interesting engineering and chemistry pages.
- The Case of the Christmas Cookie Mystery
- Use clues about chemistry to solve this mystery!
- The Chemistry Carols
- Very clever!
- Santa's Sleigh ~ Researcher Explains Science of Christmas Magic
- Fun article!
The Most Important Thing about Christmas
Jesus, the Son of God, was born as a baby, grew up, and gave His life for our sins.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17
Countdown to Christmas
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Special thank you!
Thank you for your "Squidoo Angel Blessing" on this page! ~ Some of these "angels" pages are featured on my "Gratitude for Angel Blessings" page. You will enjoy visiting their pages via there or by clicking the avatars below.Jesus brought
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May God bless you every Christmas season!
I hope you have a wonderful CHRISTmas!
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javrsmith
Dec 23, 2010 @ 6:28 pm | delete
- Electrifying! This lens has been blessed by a Squid Angel.
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JoyfulPamela
Dec 27, 2010 @ 7:50 am | delete
- Thank you!!
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mcochs
Dec 2, 2010 @ 6:44 pm | delete
- Awesome lens! Merry Christmas!
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MisterJeremy
Nov 30, 2010 @ 7:42 am | delete
- Good stuff. We are doing a unit about stars at my preschool for Christmas. Will refer to some of your astronomy links. Blessed.
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JoyfulPamela
Nov 30, 2010 @ 9:25 am | delete
- Thank you! I hope the children have fun learning about the stars! =D
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