Items Needed:
Books: No Matter What, God Gave Us Love
Worksheets: 3/4" Blank Tracing, Letters N, n Writing Worksheet, Heart, John 3:16 at Christmas, "Bee" Attitude, Dot-to-Dot
CD-Rom: Charlie Church Mouse Preschool
CD: Hide 'Em In Your Heart, Vol 1
Activities: Small Christmas items, eyedropper, paint, ball or stuffed animal, modeling clay or playdough, cinnamon, glue, applesauce, straw, tactile letters and numbers, various craft supplies
Objectives:
Theme: "Bee" Attitudes - Love
Bible Story: Jesus' Birth
Objective: God loves us so much that He gave Jesus to us as a baby.
Scripture: Luke 2
My First Hands-On Bible:
The Beginning Reader's Bible
Through the Bible in Felt: pg 153-158
Verse: John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Steve Green – Hide 'Em In Your Heart, Vol 1 - #18
Bible Song: Away in a Manger (Traditional)
Away in a manger (rock baby in your arms)
No crib for a bed (shake head "no")
The little Lord Jesus (point up)
Laid down His sweet head (place hands beside head to "sleep")
The stars in the sky (flick fingers in the air)
Looked down where He lay (place hand on forehead and "look")
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay (place hands beside head to "sleep")
Books of the Bible: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations
Math: Count by 10's
Science: Taking Care of Me - Sleep and Water
Social Science: Needs vs. Wants
Letters: N, n
Numbers: Create Groups 0-20
Literacy: Setting
Sight Word: he
Book of the Week:
Comprehension Questions:
What is your favorite part of the Christmas story?
Why did God send His Son as a baby?
It says in the Bible the Jesus loves us so much that He humbled Himself and became man (Phil 2:5-8). Do you think it was hard for Jesus to leave Heaven and come down to earth as a baby?
Why do we celebrate Christmas?
Suggested Activities:
• No Matter What
- Make a special gift for someone you love. Use ideas from crafts done so far in the 5 Year Curriculum. Add a card with the title, "I love you because...".
- Print and cut out the Heart template. Use an eyedropper to drop paint on the heart. Fold the heart in half and push the paint around. Open up for a colorful surprise.
- This book is an excellent example of God's unconditional love for His children. Praise God that we are all His children!
• Literacy - Setting - When the story happens:
- Using the book No Matter What
• Love Preschool Bible Story Activities & Color Sheets:
- If we want to know what real love is, we need to look at how God loves us. Focus on the love that God has for us that He would give His only Son as a baby. We love because God loves us. Love isn't just saying "I love you," but also showing love to others, even those we don't like very well.
- What is Love? (I Cor. 13:4-7)
Patient, kind, not envious of others, not proud, not selfish, behaves well, does not think wrong of others, is glad when others do what is right, protects, trusts, hopes, and never gives up.
- "Bee" Attitude Printable:
Print the "Bee" Attitude printable. In the top tier of the bee hive, have the child write the attitude of the week. In the next tier, have the child draw a picture of the Bible story. In the bottom tier, ask the child to draw a picture of himself having this attitude.
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- Using modeling clay or play dough, create your own nativity scene. Have the child tell the story using her creations. This would be a wonderful "Family Night" activity.
- Play the "Wise Men" adventure and use the coloring sheet on the Charlie Church Mouse Preschool Cd-Rom. Read more...
- 
God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren - Little Cub questions why we must love others, even the seemingly unlovable.
- Christmas Action Story (Author Unknown)
Read the following story pausing after reading the italicized words. Have the child do the following actions when the specific words are spoken:
Angels - wave arms like angel wings.
Mary - place hands together and place under the chin as in praying
Joseph - show muscles
Baby & Jesus - hold arms and rock back and forth
People had been waiting for a very long time. As a matter of fact, people had been waiting since the first man and woman had to leave God's special garden because they disobeyed. They were waiting for God to keep His promise to send them a Savior.
One day an angel spoke to a girl named Mary and told her she was going to have a baby. Then the angel spoke to a man named Joseph, who was going to be Mary's husband. The angel told Joseph that Mary's baby was special. He was God's son, Jesus!
While Mary and Joseph were waiting for Jesus to be born, they had to go on a long trip. The ruler of the land had made a law that people had to go to their hometowns and write their names in a special book so that leaders could count how many people there were. So Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted. They had to walk all the way!
Finally, they arrived in Bethlehem. Mary was ready to have her baby. But Bethlehem was so crowded that they couldn't find a place to stay! Everywhere they went they were told, "There is no room!" Finally, a kind innkeeper said they could stay in his stable. And just in time, too! That night Jesus was born! Mary wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a manger to sleep. All of the angels joined in and said, "Glory to God! Peace on earth to those who love God!"
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Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons white glue
2/3 cup applesauce (cinnamon applesauce works too)
1 cup of cinnamon
Directions: Stir ingredients until they form a soft ball. If the dough is too dry, add more applesauce. If the dough is too wet, add more cinnamon. Dust a flat surface with cinnamon. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin or press with your fingers to approximately 1/4" thick. Rolling the dough too thin makes the ornaments brittle. Thick ornaments take longer to dry. Use a cookie cutter to create your shapes. To make the letter shapes or imprints (as pictured above), push a straw or cookie cutter approximately half way into the dough. Poke a straw through the dough to create a hole for a string. Let the ornaments dry on a baking rack. Depending on thickness, this will take at least 24 hours. For quicker results, place the ornaments in a dehydrator or a 150 degree oven (gently flipping every hour) until done.
- Click for a Collection of ABCJLM Christmas Recipes, Books, Crafts, and Ideas
• Letters - N, n
N - body, pick up, valley
n - down, hump
Letters N, n Writing Worksheet - Use these worksheets to practicing correctly writing the letter, drawing pictures of words that begin with the letter, and finding the letter in words.
Letter N Activities - Use these ideas to further study each letter. Ideas include Letter Posters, crafts, books, snack ideas, and computer games.
• Needs vs Wants:
Christmas is a wonderful time to discuss the difference between needs and wants. On a large piece of paper, create two columns labeled "Needs" and "Wants." At the beginning of the week, explain the difference between the two. Explain that we all need food, water, shelter, love, and God. Beyond that almost all things fall under the "wants" column. As opportunities arise, add to the list asking the child whether the item at hand should fall under the "Needs" or "Wants" column.
• Taking Care of Me - Sleep and Water:
- Sleep (Information Source - National Sleep Foundation)
Our bodies are like cars that require gas to run. After a good night's sleep, our tank is full. By the end of the day, we are running on empty. Sleep allows our bodies to refuel or prepare for the next day. Children ages five to twelve need ten to eleven hours of sleep each night. Your brain needs sleep to be able to focus and concentrate. Sleep allows us to pay attention, be creative, get along with others, and problem solve. Your body needs sleep to be able to grow, heal, and fight sickness. We need sleep to keep us healthy, happy, and able to do our best. Lack of sleep causes us to be grumpy, forgetful, impatient, and disobedient. It also affects our growth and immune system. Everything alive sleeps - whales, dogs, insects.
- Water (Information Source - Livestrong.com)
The human body is composed primarily of water, making up over half of a person's body weight. Water is important in growth and development and without it the body will stop working.
"Water is an essential component of blood, which is responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. This is especially important in childhood, when development is at its peak. Blood also carries waste products such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide away from working muscles. If a child doesn't get enough water, the blood can't do its job."
Digestion - Water helps break down food and fluids for the body to use and helps get rid of waste.
Body Temperature - Water helps regulate the body's temperature during physical activities.
Body Functions - Water keeps the body working the way it should.
• Sight Word:
Help your child create a short sentence using the weekly sight word. Write the sentence on 3/4" Blank Tracing paper for the child using proper capitalization and punctuation. Have the child copy the sentence.
• Numbers:
Using several small Christmas items (stars, stickers), create groups of 0-20.
• Send Christmas cards and have your child assist by signing his name and telling you his address. Demonstrate the proper way to address and stamp a card.
• Math - Count by 10's
Tune: B-I-N-G-O
Watch me count by 10's today
By tens to one hundred
Ten, twenty, thir-ty
Fourty, fifty, six-ty
Seventy, eighty, nine-ty
One hundred is the end-o
• View & Read: 
God Gave Us Christmas- A wonderful book that explains the true meaning of Christmas.
pages 10-13 Who is Jesus?
page 55 - When was Jesus born? (turn back to pages 50-53 to view a Bible time line)
page 68 - Where was Jesus born?
page 78 - Why did Mary name her baby Jesus?
• Fine Motor Skills:
Make crayon rubbings - Using tactile letters and numbers, place a piece of paper over the cards and have your child color. The child will have the surprise of a letter or number when she finishes. (This works best if you tactile letters and numbers are made out of sandpaper and will not work if they are made out of yarn.)
• Gross Motor Skills:
Play catch with a stuffed animal or ball and count by 10's for each catch.
• Visual Perception Skill:
Dot-to-Dot
