Using different versions of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"

This lesson allows the teacher to read different versions of this classic in accents indigenous to certain cultures and then provides a writing lesson for students to write their own version of "'Twas the Night" for their school!

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts

By Dirk Robertson

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Related topics

• Learn more about Louisiana, The Night Before Christmas, compare and contrast, holidays, language arts, literature, poetry, read-alouds, word choice, and writing.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn the differences between certain cultures via the use of vocabulary and accents in various versions of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
• compare and contrast the language of various versions of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” with their own.
• produce their own version of “‘Twas the Night…” for their own school using the worksheet provided.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 days

Materials/resources

• The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
• Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair
• Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell (if you want another Cajun story to enhance the Cajun dialect focus of this lesson)
• Gullah Night Before Christmas by Virginia Mixson Geraty
• An Irish Night Before Christmas by Sarah Kirwan Blazek
• Hillbilly Night Afore Christmas by Thomas Noel Turner
• The Teachers’ Night Before Christmas Steven L Layne
• The Night Before Christmas, in Texas, That Is

Pre-activities

This lesson requires no preparation other than the rehearsal of basic writing skills. The teacher can choose to prepare the storytelling by going over new vocabulary language prior to reading. This author prefers doing that after the reading to give the students a chance to create meaning in the context of use in a question-and-answer session after the reading. The time you have to devote to discussion will affect preparation.

Activities

The steps below can be performed by the teacher as needed (you may choose to do many steps in one day or you may spread your lesson across the week as your schedule suits):

1. Read the traditional The Night Before Christmas to inform children who may not have heard the familiar version.
2. Explain the Cajun culture to the students:
   • show a map indicating the bayou country of Louisiana and how children there live in little houses on poles in the bayou and are surrounded by alligators
   • explain how they talk differently from the way they talk because the people are known as Creole and come from the country of France
3. Read the “Cajun Night Before Christmas” and discuss the differences afterward:
   • “was Santa in a sleigh?” (no, a skiff- Why? because they are in the bayou)
   • “were reindeer pulling the sleigh? (no, alligators- Why? because of the bayou)
   • “were the alligators’ names different from the reindeer?” (yes, Why? because the Creole people came from France so the gators had French names)
   • “were sugarplums mentioned as a food in the Cajun story?” (no, Why? because the Cajunfoods Gumbos and Yams were appropriate)

   This analysis can continue with other language in this story as long as the teacher wishes.

4. If the teacher wishes to repeat step 3 with other versions of the poem, he/she may do so (but be ready to budget more days!)

The Next Day

5. Have a writing lesson and have the whole class work together to compose their own version of “‘Twas the Night…” for their school (be ready to suggest some key phrases unique to your school to help the students along if they need it)
6. Publish the finished student product either on a software program or as a craft project with construction paper and display!

Assessment

Go to Christmas Lesson Rubric to print off a copy and have the students evaluate themselves when asked questions about the lesson;

Do the following for the teacher evaluation of the lesson:

• interview each child afterward and ask them specific review questions comparing/contrasting the two versions
• Why were there alligators instead of reindeer?
• Why was there a skiff instead of a sleigh?
• Why was there gumbo instead of sugarplums?
• What was the Cajun Santa wearing?
• What does Santa wear in our school?
• Can you name an alligator’s name?
• Can you name a reindeer’s name?

Evaluate the written product to see if the student correctly wrote their own version of “‘Twas the Night…”

Supplemental information

Nothing other than be ready to research the Cajun culture and other cultures you pursue in case questions arise from the students!

Comments

I like reading books with different accents and fell in love with this Cajun story several years ago. The first graders really enjoy hearing this different language and experiencing this Christmas poem through different eyes!