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Co-Op Lesson Plan, Week Six

This week in my Christmas Around the World co-op class, I told my students we were heading to Spain. Their eyes lit up like they always do and for a moment I saw the world through the eyes of my student's. Every week we open a new door, discover a new country, and step into another corner of Christmas. Spain did not disappoint. I started the lesson by pointing to the map and asking, “Who remembers what continent Spain is on?” A few eager hands shot up, a couple of shy voices whispered “Europe,” and together we found it. I love these little moments, tiny sparks of learning that really add up.


As we settled in, I shared with them that Spain has very deep Catholic roots, and because of that, many of its Christmas traditions are centered around faith and the story of Jesus. The kids immediately recognized the word “nativity,” when I told them that the most popular Christmas decoration in all of Spain is the nativity scene. In Spain, some families will set up life size nativity scenes. Some nativity scenes are so big and elaborate they cover entire tabletops, with rivers, marketplaces, and tiny figurines, all centered around the birth of Jesus.


Then came the part they loved the most, the El Tió de Nadal. We called it “The Christmas Log” It's real mane? "The Pooping Log". This tradition comes from Catalonia, and the moment I described it, there were definitely giggles bubbling up. Families take a wooden log, paint on a big happy face, give him a red hat and a blanket to keep him warm. His name is Tió, and the children “feed” him snacks each night leading up to Christmas. But the real fun comes on Christmas Eve, when the children hit the log with sticks while singing a silly song, and Tió “poops” out presents and treats. My classroom erupted into laughter. There’s nothing funnier to a six-year-old than a log that poops candy. Honestly, I was giggling too. We made a simple version of the Tio de Nadal for our craft and the kids had a blast drawing on his face, each one making something different. I hope it will hang in their Christmas trees this year!

co-op lesson plan

We ended with one of Spain’s most magical celebrations, The Three Kings Parade. On January 5th, cities all across Spain hold large, beautiful parades to welcome the Three Wise Men. The kings ride through town on floats dressed in dazzling robes and toss candy out to the children waiting along the streets. I showed them a video, and they were mesmerized by the camels, glittering costumes and fun music. I asked my student's, "What were the three gifts the wise men brought to baby Jesuse?" I'm always pleasantly surprised when these kids work together to come up with the right answers.


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:

    

Craft:

  • Christmas theme craft, provided by the Gather 'Round curriculum or something that I came up with.

  • Spain craft: make our own tio de nadal.


Curriculum:


This week I made Tarta de Santiago, a simple Spanish almond cake that dates back hundreds of years. I cut thick square slices and packed them up for each child to take home.


co-op lesson plan

Tarta De Santiago (Spanish Almond Cake)

Makes one 9' cake

Ingredients:

333g (2 2/3 cup) almond flour

250g (1 1/4 cup) sugar

5 eggs (room temp)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of 1 blood orange


Method:

  1. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. In a large bowl add all the ingredients (except the almond flour) and mix together. Add the almond flour and mix on the stand mixer or with a whisk.

  3. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

  4. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 10 minuets. Dust generously with powder sugar and enjoy!

co-op lesson plan

At the end of class, I handed them out the Tarta de Santiago, I made sure to ask our two questions of the week:

“What country did we learn about?” and “Can you point to it on the map?”

They line up, each one telling me "Spain!" and finding it on our world map. Those tiny moments of confidence make my whole week. As I passed out their little boxes of cake, I felt that same rhythm that’s been growing with each lesson. The joy of watching these children connect pieces of the world to their own lives. Teaching this class has stretched me, blessed me, and filled my Mondays with so much laughter!

Next week, our Christmas journey continues with Uganda! This was my favorite country, so don't miss out! I hope you’ll follow along as we travel to another corner of the world. If you haven’t already, make sure you’re subscribed to my email list, so you never miss a lesson, a recipe, or a peek inside our cozy Made at Home life.


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