Merry Christmas Curious George by Margre and H.A. Rey - Teaching Ideas


We first see George and the man with the yellow hat at the Christmas tree farm where George promises to be a good monkey. As George is swinging from tree to tree he finds himself in a tree that is being cut down and taken to the local hospital. As George clings to the tree in the back of the truck, he sees the man with the yellow hat and the Christmas tree farm getting further and further away. George is feeling a bit scared but because he is also very curious, he decides to explore the hospital in which him and the tree were taken. In the hospital George causes much mischief as he roams the hallways and rooms. Upon entering one room he sees the Christmas tree he rode in on. George decides that the tree must be decorated, so he sets about the hospital finding all kinds of goodies to decorate the tree- an x-ray, a balloon, some bandages and a crutch. The nurse that walks in and finds George is not at all happy with what he has done so she picks him up and starts to throw him out of the hospital but the kids see the tree which makes them giggle and laugh. When the nurse sees that George has made the children happy she invites him to stay and decorate the tree with the children, with the right kind of decorations. By the end of the story, the man with the yellow hat has found George, the tree is beautifully decorated and the children have opened their presents. George could not be happier, until....

Listed below are all kinds of reading skill and strategy examples and ideas that you can use to create a meaningful activity using this fun holiday book.

I have also created a True False Comprehension Game to go along with this story if you are just looking for a fun center activity or quick and fun assessment of comprehension.


Reading level: 3.2
Theme/subject: Christmas, curiosity
Genre: Holiday

Suggested Vocabulary/phrases: tromped, tinsel, chattering, chimed in, scampered, reunited

Reading skills and strategies:
·   Asking questions - {possible questions before} I wonder what trouble Curious George is going to get into in this book. {possible questions during} I wonder if the man in the yellow hat will find George. I wonder if George is going to get into trouble for messing everything up. {possible questions after} I wonder what George’s and the man with the yellow hat’s Christmas tree is going to look like.  **Remember to have your students answer/reflect their questions.
·  Author's point of view – Third. Be sure to find 3 pieces of evidence to support this (he, his, they).
·  Author's purpose – entertain {evidence} George decorated the tree with some silly things. George mixed up the presents. It was silly when the nurse was chasing him on the book cart.
·  Beginning, middle, end - {most important event from beginning} George and the man in the yellow hat went to the Christmas tree farm to find a Christmas tree. {most important event from middle} George decorated the hospital Christmas tree with things from around the hospital. {most important event from end} The man in the yellow hat found George at the hospital.
·  Cause and effect – Why were George and the man in the yellow hat going to the Christmas tree farm? Because they wanted to pick out the perfect tree for their home. How come George got put into a truck without the man with the yellow hat? Because he was in the tree that the men cut down. Why did the man with the yellow hat chase after George and the truck? Because he was trying to save George. Why did George decorate the hospital Christmas tree? Because when he saw it there was nothing on it. Why did George mix up the bows on the presents? Because he thought they would look better on different presents. Why was the nurse going to throw George out? Because he messed everything up. Why did the nurse decide to let George stay? Because the children were happy. Why did Santa give George the star to put on the top of the tree? Because he was a monkey and could climb to the top.
·  Character analysis - describe George {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character}
·  Classify & categorize – Classify Christmas tree decorations: categorize traditional ornaments and stuff George put on the tree.
·  Compare & contrast – The first tree George decorated and the tree at the end of the book.
·  Connections - {possible text-to-self connections} Going to a Christmas tree farm to pick out a fresh Christmas tree. Being in a hospital. Decorating a Christmas tree.
·  Drawing conclusions & inference – Why do you think the children were so sad?{text clues} The children were in the hospital and it was almost Christmastime. {what I know} If I were in the hospital over Christmas I would be sad. {my conclusion} I think the children are sad because they are going to be in the hospital for Christmas.
·  Main idea & details - {main idea} The story is mostly about George being loose in a hospital. {details} George decorated the hospital Christmas tree. George mixed up all the bows on the Christmas presents. The nurse was going to get rid of George.
·  Plot - the turning point or climax in the story was when the nurse noticed that the children were happy.
·  Predict – What do you think the story is about? Do you think George is going to be a good monkey at the Christmas tree farm? Do you think the man in the yellow hat will find George? Where do you think George is going to be taken? What do you think George is going to do at the hospital? Do you think George is going to get into trouble at the hospital?  Do you think the nurse will let George stay?
·  Sequencing – George and the man in the yellow hat went to the Christmas tree farm to find a tree. George was in a tree that got put into the back of a truck. The tree in the truck got delivered to a hospital. George was running around the hospital. George decorated the Christmas tree. George switched around all the ribbons on the Christmas gifts. The nurse was going to kick George out of the hospital. The children begged for George to stay. The nurse let George stay. George helped redecorate the Christmas tree. The man in the yellow hat found George. Santa came and let George put the star on the top of the tree.
·  Story elements - list title, author, characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.




http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Merry-Christmas-Curious-George-True-False-Comprehension-Game-1011717


Happy planning!

1 comment

  1. My kids love Curious George-I didn't even realize there was a Christmas version. Thank you for sharing this! :)

    NotJustChild'sPlay

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