If you are looking for some Christmas stories to teach your students how to compare and contrast, check out The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree and Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story. These two stories are set in the Appalachian Mountains and have heartwarming and educational themes. They are suitable for students at a mid-third-grade reading level, but older students can also enjoy them.
Be sure to get the handout. It includes the printables you need to complete some of the activities.
Christmas Stories
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
Author and Illustrator: Gloria Houston and Barbara Cooney
Lexile Measure®: 600L
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.8
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree tells the story of a family in the Appalachian Mountains who have promised to provide the town’s Christmas tree. The story is based on the author’s grandmother and mother’s experiences.
This book tells a touching and humorous story that celebrates the spirit of Christmas, the courage of a family, and the power of tradition. It also gives the reader a glimpse of Appalachian culture and language. The illustrations capture the details and colors of mountain life. This book has earned many awards and praise, such as the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the Parents’ Choice Award.
Christmas Stories
Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story
Author and Illustrator: Cynthia Rylant and Chris K. Soentpiet
Lexile Measure®: 830L
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5
Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story tells the story of a rich man who travels by train every Christmas Eve and throws silver packages to the poor children of the Appalachian Mountains. The story is based on an actual event in the author’s childhood.
With a heartwarming and inspiring story, this book celebrates the spirit of giving, gratitude, and kindness. It also gives the readers a glimpse of the Appalachian culture and history. The illustrations capture the beauty and hardship of mountain life. This book has earned positive reviews and awards, such as the Parents’ Choice Award and the IRA Teachers’ Choice Award.
Venn Diagram Comparisons
To help students compare and contrast these two stories, I have created four Venn diagrams that focus on different aspects of the stories:
- characters’ wishes
- settings
- themes
- points of view
Students can use these Venn diagrams to organize their thoughts and write paragraphs or essays about the similarities and differences between the stories.
The handout also challenges the students to decode the dialect of the Appalachian characters in the books. For example, what does it mean when someone says, “The old woman in the sky was picking her geese” or “Come in and spell yourself”? The students will have to explain the meanings of these and other phrases from the stories.
The handout also invites the students to compare the two trains that play important roles in the stories: The Tweetsie Train and the Santa Train. The students will use a T-chart to contrast the features, functions, and effects of these trains.
This activity is ready to use with no preparation required. You can choose between Google Slides or printable pages, and you will also get full-page answer keys.
I hope you find these resources valuable and enjoyable for your students. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below.
Happy holidays!
