Educational Possibilities by Area of Curriculum

National Christmas Center

HISTORY:

* What does Pennsylvania have to do with Christmas?  Walk through “A Pennsylvania Christmas” and observe life-sized life-cast characters in realistic turn-of-the-century settings.

 - Visit the confectionery shop showing shelves of antique candy displays and packaging.  Learn what made Pennsylvania candy manufacturers unique in the United States.

 - See a reproduction of the earliest publicly documented decorated Christmas tree – originally displayed in Lancaster, PA in 1821.

- View an extensive Moravian putz and a Victorian indoor Christmas garden, early Pennsylvanians’ alternatives to Christmas trees.

 - Learn about Belschnickle: in which country he originated, where he got his name, and how he has played a part in Pennsylvania Christmas celebrations.  Read reproductions of actual news articles (available upon request) chronicling the adventures of persons Belschnickling over 100 years ago.  See our own life-sized version of a Pennsylvania Belschnickle.

 - Gifts go hand-in-hand with Christmas.  Pennsylvanians were the first in the country to shop at Woolworth’s when Frank W. Woolworth opened his first store, in Lancaster PA, 1879.  Tour a typical “five and dime” store stocked with goods and store fixtures that could have been found in that original Woolworth’s store.  Learn how Frank Woolworth helped start America’s tradition of decorating with glass ornaments.

* Learn how today’s incarnation of Santa Claus is based on the real life Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, Turkey, who lived over 1700 years ago.  Tour the gallery of over 500 images of Santa and see how he has been depicted through the years.

* Every family has its special celebrations and traditions.  See how these have changed over the years, and the factors that have led to those changes.

* Did you know Francis of Assisi assembled the first documented crèche in 1224 AD?

 - See how artists from around the world depict their interpretations of the Nativity and how they have incorporated local culture and beliefs into their artwork.

 - Compare nativities going back as many as 200 years and learn the various art materials used to create them.  (Crèche collections are rotated in order to allow as many as possible to be exhibited to the public.)

 - Hear an audio presentation narrating the story of the first Christmas, while viewing an elaborately constructed diorama utilizing components of multiple crèches from different time periods.

* What did people use for money 2000 years ago?  Where did they live and what did they eat?  Did they use tools?  What did they wear … and what are tear vials?  View genuine artifacts that give a glimpse into the daily life of Middle Eastern people thousands of years ago.  See life-size characters wearing clothing typical of the area and conducting business in an oasis marketplace (caravansary).

* Learn how 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon was responsible for the most widely-read newspaper editorial of all time.

- See a life-sized display showing Virginia and her father in a Victorian living room, including a tree decorated with paper ornaments that are over 100 years old.

 - Peruse a copy of Virginia’s original letter to the editor and browse family photos provided by her descendants.

 - Discuss the many differences between life in 1897 and students’ lives today, as seen in the “Yes, Virginia … vignette.

 -- How were the homes furnished and decorated?

 -- Note the ways people lived comfortably without electricity.

 -- What could a child expect as a typical holiday gift?

 -- How did people amuse themselves without television or radios?  Look into a stereopticon, a precursor to today’s Viewmaster toys.

 -- Authentic greeting card and postcard albums show how people kept in touch at the turn of the century and offer glimpses of early advertising in the form of promotional cards.

* Study “Christmas 1944 – the War Years” and see how everyone’s lives were changed.

 - Listen to an actual broadcast of Bob Hope’s Christmas with the Troops playing on an old-time radio.

 - See the young sailor who has returned home on leave, dressed in authentic military garb.

 - Note the decorations on the tree.  Discover how American manufacturers scrambled to make simple glass ornaments to replace the elaborate hand-blown German versions no longer available due to the war.  What kinds of manufacturing plants were converted to make ornaments?  What common items were used to make patriotic tree decorations? 

 - Money was tight and imports were restricted.  How did this influence holiday gift giving?  See a stack of authentic 1940’s wooden and cardboard gifts tucked under the tree.

 - Browse the display cases of Christmas cards, V-Mail and ration cards of that era.  Discuss how people communicated with troops overseas and learn why V-Mail was encouraged.  Discover how supplies were rationed and see the actual cards which were redeemed for sugar and other household staples.  Note the themes of patriotism and loyalty which decorate the Christmas cards intended for soldiers at war far from home.

SCIENCE:

* How can a piano play by itself?  Peer inside an antique nickelodeon player piano and watch as piano keys play, cymbals clang, drums beat, a xylophone strikes its notes, a tambourine rattles and wood blocks rap out the rhythm of a jaunty holiday tune.

* Get a peek at how our original sculpted characters are animated.  Determine which simple machines are used: gears? levers? pulleys?

* Study how an electric train works, then come to the National Christmas Center and see our 30-foot diameter, 5+ foot-high train platform that encircles a giant decorated Christmas tree in Toyland.  Compare early examples of model trains in our lobby display area to the more modern trains in Toyland.

* Check out our page of recommended web sites to learn more about Christmas Center wonders: stereopticons, reindeer, nickelodeons and basic electricity.

ART / GRAPHIC ARTS / PHOTOGRAPHY:

* Learn the process of life casting – the use of live models to create life-sized, incredibly realistic figures.

- See photos of each step in the process

- Compare actual examples in various degrees of completion

- Study a variety of life cast figures up close to see the degree of detail imparted to each

- Discover how costuming adds the final touch in a realistic portrayal

* Schedule an art class at the National Christmas Center.  Choose models from a wide array of characters – whimsical, life-like or fantasy creations – or sketch one of the many scenes presented.  (Arrangements can be made to open the Center early to accommodate classes.)

* Schedule a photo shoot at the National Christmas Center.  Student photographers/artists may submit copies of their NCC-related art to be displayed in our gallery for a limited time.  (Students retain all copyrights to their works.  Submissions will be accepted on the basis of quality, originality and relevance to the National Christmas Center and its exhibits, at the discretion of the NCC staff.  Students or teachers are responsible for picking up artwork at the end of the exhibit period.)

* Stroll through the North Pole Workshop and TudorTowne village to get a close-up view or original animal and elf characters sculpted and animated by Christmas Center artists.

* “Christmas as an Advertising Tool” – See how holiday images have been used throughout the years to promote even the most unlikely products (i.e. tobacco, alcohol, war bonds, guns …) in our Gallery Of Santas.

* Search out the many examples of faux finishes and folk art decorative painting inspired by artists around the world.

- See “stucco”, “stone”, “cobblestone” and “brick” on floors and walls throughout the exhibits.

 - Discover how decorative painting can be used to enhance 3-D architectural elements and add color and whimsy to a fantasy or storybook setting.

 - Note the different examples of authentic folk art which decorate the homes in Christmas around the World.  Compare style, color and designs.

SOCIAL STUDIES / INTERNATIONAL STUDIES / CULTURAL DIVERSITY:

* Observe life-cast figures representing gift givers from around the world.  Study scaled-down buildings representative of each country featured, and learn the origins of customs unique to those areas.

* Discuss how versions of foreign customs have become integrated into the American celebration of the holiday.

- Learn what prompted early settlers to wrap sassafras trees in cotton batting, and view an actual cotton-wrapped tree festooned with ornaments authentic to that time period.

 - Find the pickle ornament hanging in Toyland (there are four!) and discover the reason German children raced to the tree early Christmas morning to be the first to find that “treasure”.

- Notice examples of putzs, bowers and Christmas gardens, early American immigrants’ contributions to holiday home decorating.

* Compare and contrast how various countries have interpreted and depicted the art of the crèche over several hundred years.

 - Discuss why geographical locations may have determined what materials were used in their art.

 - Note which elements are unique to certain countries’ depictions, and how many figures are portrayed with facial characteristics and garb of their country of origin.

* See the beauty of Israel and its countryside as shown on the DVD “In the Footsteps of Jesus”, accompanied by Hebrew and Christian music of the region. (Also available for purchase at a discounted rate to educators booking tours.)

* Trace the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem on the map in The First Christmas, and then experience an incredible re-creation of portions of that trip.

- Walk through an oasis marketplace peopled by life-sized characters authentically garbed.

- Hear Middle Eastern music and listen to Latin and Aramaic being spoken.

- Peer into a life-size replica of a home typical of those inhabited in that region 2000 years ago.

- See how they cooked their meals, and what foods they ate.

- Learn why they slept in lofts, and why furniture was rare.

- Discover the hardships of travel, many of which are still common today.

- Walk into a cave (“a stable place”) at the end of the journey and realize that there are people today who have lived in the same type of home; some of whose families have lived in those spots for hundreds of years.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

* Walk through TudorTowne, a storybook village.  At each stop, read pages of the original Christmas fairy tale that accompanies it. 

* An extensive collection of study aids, including cryptograms, fill-in-the-blank papers, word searches, crossword puzzles, word scrambles and brain teasers incorporate words, terms or facts learned during students’ tours through the National Christmas Center.  Contact us for a detailed list of these, and study guides, which are available for use prior to your visit, or as follow-up activities.

* Use the many imaginative scenes and varied story lines at the National Christmas Center as a basis for a creative writing workshop.

* Younger students will enjoy story time, with a book of the teacher’s choice read by Santa or a National Christmas Center staff member. (by prior arrangement only)

* Older students will be challenged by unfamiliar vocabulary words that can be culled from Christmas Center exhibits.  “Stereopticon”, “wassail”, “crèche”, “putz”, “nickelodeon”, “bower”, “war time rationing” … see how many new terms can be introduced into your students’ studies.

THEATER ARTS:

* Younger students may don simple costumes and use a variety of props to act out a play in the North Pole Workshop, narrated by a Christmas Center staffer (by prior arrangement only).

* Older students many take advantage of the many examples of stage and set design to debate what “works” and what wouldn’t.

- Discuss what elements are used to create scenes that stir people’s emotions.

- What part does lighting play in an effective setting?

- Note how and why colored spotlights are used.

- Determine the focal point of each scene and discuss by what means the focus was brought to the viewer’s attention.

- See some tricks of the trade, including mountain landscaping made with crinkled, painted paper, “boulders” crafted from lightweight material, carved Styrofoam, and a night sky created with draped fabric and hidden lighting.  Try to determine how the angel appears and disappears in The First Christmas.

RELIGION:     

* Re-trace Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

- Learn details of everyday life in biblical times as students travel through a life-sized Jewish “village” peopled by life cast characters.

- See actual artifacts and coins from that time period, including the well-known “widow’s mite”.

* See how the Nativity has been depicted in The Art of the Crèche.  Examples of crèches from around the world cover over 200 years of history.  (Individual crèches are rotated for public display because of space limitations.)

* View the DVD “In the Footsteps of Jesus”, a peaceful, reflective counterpoint to the often violent images of the Holy Land seen on the news recently.  Bible verses lead into contemporary photographs of life in the Holy Land, with famous sites identified onscreen.  Hear the Hebrew and Christian music that accompanies this DVD, made exclusively for the National Christmas Center. (Copies of the DVD are available to schools at a discounted rate.)

* Fruit of the Spirit – Travel the storybook village of TudorTowne and discuss which characters are exhibiting the “fruit of the spirit”.  Have student give specific examples.  A study guide is available for this exercise.

* Learn the story of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, Turkey.  Discover how legends associated with him, and his good deeds, were the inspiration for today’s more secular version of Santa Claus.

* St. Francis of Assisi is credited with assembling the first documented Nativity scene in 1224 AD.

FIVE SENSES:

* A “five senses” tour can be arranged for early elementary-ages students highlighting the sights, smells, tastes, touch and sounds of the Christmas season.  (If interested, please notify us when scheduling your tour.)