Short films are like teacher gold. They’re packed with emotion, story arcs, and teachable moments, all in under five minutes. Around the holidays, nothing beats using Christmas animated shorts for teaching writing skills that spark empathy, creativity, and deep thinking.
This set of six Christmas short films gives students rich visuals and heartfelt stories to spark their writing. Each lesson includes discussion questions, suggested themes, and writing prompts tied to key skills such as summarizing, comparing characters, and explaining cause and effect.
Whether students are writing from a character’s perspective, summarizing emotional moments, or analyzing how filmmakers use visuals and sound to show emotions, these lessons make writing meaningful and merry.
All handouts for this post, including printable organizers, cloze writing exercises, and Google Slides, are available in my Winter Vault, a seasonal collection of classroom-ready resources. To access this handout and other winter-themed resources, click the button below. Sign up using your email, and we’ll send you the username and password immediately.
Why Use Animated Shorts for Figurative Language and Tone?
Featured Christmas Short Films
Each of these lessons is built around Christmas animated shorts for teaching writing skills such as summarizing, comparing characters, and explaining cause and effect. With rich visuals and emotional storytelling, students stay engaged as they master key standards.
The Gifting Hour (2:00 – Erste Group, 2023)
A girl wants to give her sister a gift that reflects years of love and gratitude.
Themes: Gratitude · Generosity · Emotional Growth
Writing Focus: summarizing and theme development
Ask: How does the filmmaker show the main character’s understanding changing over time?
📝 Extension: Write a paragraph summarizing how the girl’s feelings evolve and what this says about the true spirit of giving.
Believe in Christmas – Edgar’s Magic Night (2:27 – Erste Group, 2022)
Edgar, a lonely retiree, moves into a nursing home where he struggles to fit in. With courage and a little Christmas magic, he finds belonging and purpose once again.
Themes: Loneliness · Courage · Community
Writing Focus: compare and contrast
Ask: What moment shows Edgar feeling lonely? How do visuals and sound reveal his emotions?
📝 Extension: Compare Edgar’s emotional journey with Justino’s. How do both characters find connection through creativity?
Justino (3:30 – Lotería de Navidad, Spain)
Justino works the night shift in a mannequin factory, leaving playful surprises for his daytime coworkers. Though unseen, his kindness is finally recognized when they gift him a lottery ticket.
Themes: Kindness · Recognition · Isolation
Writing Focus: compare and contrast
Ask: How does the filmmaker use silence and setting to show Justino’s loneliness?
📝 Extension: Write a paragraph comparing Edgar and Justino. How do both men create joy for others while staying out of the spotlight?
These short films offer more than seasonal sparkle; they invite deep thinking, emotional reflection, and meaningful writing. Whether your students are summarizing events, comparing characters, or analyzing cause and effect, these scaffolded activities build both writing fluency and empathy.
All printable organizers and Google Slides are available in the Winter Vault.
Want to go even deeper with your students?
If you’re looking to make your December writing lessons both meaningful and merry, this curated set of Christmas animated shorts for teaching writing skills is ready to go. Download the handouts, access the Winter Vault, and bring seasonal sparkle to your classroom.
The full Teaching Reading with Animated Short Films Christmas resource includes:
60+ short films, including “The Stepdad”
skill-by-skill organizers for theme, character, tone, figurative language, mood, and more
answer keys and writing prompts
Printable + Google Slides version
If you missed the first two posts in this Christmas Short Film series, be sure to check out:
See the product that inspired this post.
Are you looking for additional fun activities to use with Christmas animated short films? This resource is packed with animated short films your students are sure to love!
2 comments
For what grade levels do you recommend these be used?
Author
4th through 6th grades