Here's a ppt about Santa and writing letters to Santa.

I'm having a letters to Santa contest, so this is the introduction to that. Maybe some of you can use this, or part of it for your own classes.

UPDATE: Hey everyone. This lesson was one of my most successful lessons last year. I made doing the assignment voluntary because the students were expected to work on it during their own time. (However, my co-teachers gave them a bit of their own post-exam class time to work on the letters in class) Out of the 800 students I have, about 200 actually did it... which I was impressed with.

Key to making it successful is getting really good prizes. I have candy canes with Christmas jelly candies for the runners up (7 runners up in each grade) and the winner in each grade gets the candy cane with jelly candy as well as a Christmas box shaped like a Christmas character filled with Chocolate. What you do doesn't have to be so extravagant, but if you want good results the students have to be excited about the prizes.

I left a big Christmas box on my desk in the teachers' room that the students could slip the letters in to.

To see some of the amazing letters I got last year, check out this link https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.704222340880.2295001.25900329&type=1&l=f680345cf7 The album should be public.

Update 2 I uploaded the newest version of my powerpoint!

I'm planning on using it with all grades... but tomorrow will be the first time. I think the prizes I picked up will be a pretty good incentive to all grades to do their best. My coteachers are also really supportive and will be encouraging the students, and giving some of their own class time to work on it. I'll post after I do the lesson and let you know how it goes! Please let me know how it goes in your class if you do it!

I just started using this one today! Thanks for making such a great lesson. I used it following a short course on cursive writing. My Co-teacher didn't like the white lie part as she thought my students still believed in Santa or that it took something away from the "magic of Christmas" I blame myself for that because last year we watched "The Polar Express" a lot. At any rate I took out that slide to "keep the magic alive" as I was shocked to find that a large portion of my class (boys mostly) still believed in Santa.

This was first grade middle school. It was really strange. I thought my co-teacher was being a jerk but in Korean she asked how many believed in Santa or whatnot and many put up their hands.

Oh, as for the actual lesson. I wrapped an old A4 paper box and cut a slot in the top to make a "Christmas Mail Box"  I will have this up in the class for the letters until the 29th. I will also wrap some snacks for the prizes. I will show them at the beginning of class, so the students see what they are working for, but they just don't know what's inside.

I've taught this lesson for 2 days now,and it's going really well in all my classes. It's hard to keep their attention at first, but they're really excited about the contest and seem to be taking it really seriously. I think the prizes I've chosen have helped:
One each for honorable mentions. The grand prize is one of the candy canes plus a large chocolate reindeer, penguin or duck. (couldn't find a picture)

As far as the white lie slide goes... It was the last slide I added and I really debated about whether to add it or not, but I wanted to talk about what happens to the letters that children write Santa. It has gone over fine in my classes. Most of the students say they either never believed in Santa, or they stopped believing when they were 6 or 7.

Also! The wrapped box idea! Great! I'm definitely going to use that. Thanks!

Have tried and tried to download Hollylove's PPT but to no avail.  :(
Keep getting told "unable to download as in use by another user ".Any ideas as to how I can overcome this ?

Can't wait to give this one a try- thanks so much!

Great idea! Thanks for posting! Are you mailing your letters to Santa? If so, to whom?

I never mailed them to anyone. On Christmas day my friends and I spent hours reading through them and deciding on the winners. I still have a lot of my favorite ones. I haven't been able to part with them. haha!

I need everyone's words of wisdom: will this work for an all boys school?

Just bumping this topic as it's relevant now! I'm doing it this week with my students (new school) and they're going crazy over it! Again, I can't emphasize how important it is to get good prizes. I'm lucky enough to have a budget from my school this year, but I used to fund it on my own.