Winter Holidays Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie 

Which winter holidays do you celebrate? (Make connections)

What is your favorite winter holiday? (Make connections)

During the Movie (Pause Points) 

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:51: Why might early Christians have carried so many Yule traditions over to the Christmas celebration? (Make inferences)

Timecode 2:08: Why might the lunar-solar system influence the creation of so many holidays? (Identify cause/effect)

Timecode 4:26: How are Kwanzaa and Hanukkah similar? How are they different?  (Compare/contrast)

After the Movie 

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Winter Holidays topic. (Make connections)

Which holiday traditions are your favorite? Which customs would you like to add to your celebration? (Make connections)

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the Winter Holidays Topic Page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.