December 21 reading ideas
Finding reading ideas for this date…
Finding reading ideas for this date…
Use the December solstice to compare opposite seasons, explore basketball history, or read about sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner.
Special date
In the United States, the December solstice falls on December 21 in both 2026 and 2027. Compare how Earth’s tilt affects the two hemispheres.
3 reading resources
Explore this topic through Seasons in Space?.
Read passageThe passage explicitly compares daylight and seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, providing useful context for the solstice.
Read passageSpecial date
Read about a friendly basketball game and invite children to notice how players communicate, take turns, and practice skills. A simple activity can focus on passing, dribbling, or shooting at an accessible target.
7 reading resources
Explore more basketball readings about the game, players, and teamwork.
Open collectionExplore this topic through Hoops History: The Evolution of Basketball.
Read passageExplore this topic through Let's Play Basketball!.
Read passageExplore this topic through The Invention That Saved Basketball.
Read passageThe reviewed story directly depicts children preparing to play basketball and provides an age-appropriate teamwork and movement activity.
Read passageAnalyze the reasons and evidence in a basketball argument as a connection to the game’s early history.
Read passageSpecial date
Florence Griffith Joyner was born on December 21, 1959. Read a biography of the sprinter known as Flo-Jo and identify how preparation, performance and personal style shaped her story.
6 reading resources
Choose further track-and-field readings about races, training, and athletic achievement.
Open collectionExplore this topic through Athlete Biography Reading Passages.
Open collectionRead Flo-Jo’s biography and organize the documented events and achievements into a timeline.
Read passageExplore sprinting, race distances, or relay teamwork alongside Florence Griffith Joyner’s biography.
Read passageExplore sprinting, race distances, or relay teamwork alongside Florence Griffith Joyner’s biography.
Read passageExplore sprinting, race distances, or relay teamwork alongside Florence Griffith Joyner’s biography.
Read passageAlready shown above: Sports.
More reading for this time of year, alongside today’s special dates.
6 reading resources
Christmas reading for the December 1–25 teaching window, alongside the day’s own date-specific topics.
Explore themeChristmas reading for the December 1–25 teaching window, alongside the day’s own date-specific topics.
Open collectionChristmas reading for the December 1–25 teaching window, alongside the day’s own date-specific topics.
Open collectionChristmas reading for the December 1–25 teaching window, alongside the day’s own date-specific topics.
Open collectionChristmas reading for the December 1–25 teaching window, alongside the day’s own date-specific topics.
Open collectionChristmas reading for the December 1–25 teaching window, alongside the day’s own date-specific topics.
Open collectionYour topic. Your level.
Have another idea for today’s lesson? Let Pico create an AI-assisted passage with questions and an illustration. Choose the topic and reading level in the creator.
Use the December solstice to compare opposite seasons, explore basketball history, or read about sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner.
