Co-Op Lesson Plan, Week Four
- Kathleen Ordinario
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
This week marked Week 4 of my Christmas Around the World co-op class. We “traveled” to a place that holds a big piece of my heart, the Philippines. I was in the Philippines back in 2008, spending Christmas and New Year’s there with Ryan, who was my boyfriend at the time but is now my husband, and his family. It was my first time celebrating the holidays outside the U.S. and it was an experience I’ll never forget.
After a fifteen-hour flight I stepped off the plane. I was immediately surrounded by a foreign language, new customs, and the warm hospitality that the Filipino people are known for. Even though I couldn’t always understand every word, I could feel the meaning behind the celebrations, the love of family, faith, and togetherness that makes Christmas so special there. Ryan lived in the Philippines until he was seventeen, so he still has lots of family there on his mother's side and it was his Tita Linda that we stayed with.
The Philippines is famous for having the longest Christmas season in the world, beginning in what they call the “Ber Months” September, October, November, and December. From the moment the calendar hits September 1st, the decorations go up, Christmas songs fill the air, and you can feel the joy everywhere you go. It was such a unique experience being there. I remember thinking, "these people are crazy for Christmas!" in a good way.
We spent Christmas Day at Tito Jim’s house. The whole family gathered together, cousins running in and out of the doorway, aunties filling every counter space with food, uncles laughing loudly over stories they had told a hundred times. I remember sitting there, watching it all unfold feeling both out of place and completely welcomed all at once.
As I looked around the room, parols glowing in the windows, Christmas music playing in Tagalog, relatives embracing one another as if no time had passed, I realized I was witnessing something truly special. Even though I was far from home, surrounded by a language I barely understood, I felt the familiar warmth of Christmas in a new way that year. It wasn’t in the gifts or the decorations, it was in the way everyone showed love so openly, the way they welcomed me in without hesitation. It was a Christmas I’ll never forget, and one that still shapes the way I see the season today.
Of course, I couldn’t talk about the Philippines without mentioning the food! Christmas tables there overflow with favorites like lechon (a whole roasted pig), pancit (rice noodles for long life), rice always rice! Everything was fried or stewed. Vegetables in creamy sauces I had never seen before, fresh fruit and desserts made from glutens rice, leche flan and halo halo filled with shaved ice, red sweet beans, and colorful jellies. Be sure to take a lot of food and eat it all! You may be considered rude it you don't. I was always stuffed. ;)
We also talked about Balikbayan boxes in class. Large packages filled with gifts, clothes, and treats sent by Filipinos living overseas to family back home. My husband actually worked for a Balikbayan compony for a few years when we first got married. I remember helping him tape the boxes closed and seeing everything from TVs, to shaving cream, cookies and shoes.
One of the most iconic Christmas decorations in the Philippines is the Parol lantern. A bright, star-shaped lantern that represents the Star of Bethlehem. You see them hanging from homes, schools, and shops beautiful reminders of the light that guided the wise men to Jesus. The Parol isn’t just decoration; it’s a symbol of hope, something the Filipino people carry so beautifully in their culture. We made a simplified version for my class the kids glueing pieces of colored cellophane to wooden stars that I hung tassels from. The kids loved all the colors.
This week, instead of making a special Christmas treat for the kids to enjoy, I decided to take a small break from my kitchen and buy something instead. One of my favorite things about Filipino cuisine are the desserts. Never too sweet, made with, purple ube, red bean past and chocolate. After church, we drove over to our local Filipino market Sea Food City. After, filling our grocery cart with the essentials, shrimp chip, longganisa, short ribs, spicy vinegar, and rice always rice, we headed over to the bakery. I picked out a red bean bun for the kids to try and a few extra for us as well.
Co-Op Lesson Plan
I have fourteen students, and our lesson is one hour long. I also have two helper teachers. As all you moms out there know, keeping the attention of fourteen 5–7-year-olds is a big challenge in itself. So, I deiced to break the lesson up into three parts, geography, Christmas traditions, and craft time. Each child would also take home the Christmas treats I made for them. Here is the co-op lesson plan I made, I hope you find it helpful!
I start every lesson with a name circle. Each student says his or her name and we repeat their name as a group. Hopefully we all know each other's names by the end of the semester!
Geography:
Look at the map of the world and ask, "how many contents do we have?" Sing the content song. Link to my world map
Give hints about the country we will be learning about. Challenge one of the students to find the country on the map.
Christmas Traditions:
Pick out three to four Christmas traditions unique to the Philippines.
Read from the curriculum and ask question comparing our own Christmas traditions to those in Philippines.
Show videos if appropriate. I showed two videos for Philippines, From Our Family to Yours and Parol Walking Tour
Craft:
Christmas theme craft, provided by the Gather 'Round curriculum or something that I came up with.
Philippine craft: parol star
Supplies for the craft: wooden stars, cellophane, tassels, glue sticks.
Curriculum:
Teaching about the Philippines this week brought back so many memories for me. I thought about being young, surrounded by a culture that felt so different from my own. Now, years later, standing in a classroom filled with eager little faces, I was able to share that experience. As the kids worked on their Parol lanterns and we listened to Filipino Christmas songs, I couldn’t help but smile. The same warmth I felt in 2008 filled our classroom too. That’s the beauty of this Christmas Around the World series. Every country celebrates in its own way, but the message remains the same, a Savior came for us all.
Next week in our Christmas Around the World journey, we'll be learning about Sweden, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Every week of teaching this co-op has stretched me, blessed me, and reminded me how much joy there is in learning together.
If you’ve enjoyed following along, I’d love for you to subscribe to my email list, so you never miss a post, recipe, or a bit of encouragement. You’ll be the first to know when new lessons and cozy seasonal stories are up, and maybe even get a few treats in your inbox too!
Comments