Theme
Christmas
Explore Christmas stories and traditions for a longer holiday reading sequence.
Explore themeDecember 24 reading ideas
Finding reading ideas for this date…
Finding reading ideas for this date…
Explore Christmas Eve, Apollo 8’s Earthrise photograph, and the birthday of James Prescott Joule. Check the selected year for the start of Hanukkah.
Special date
This dated fictional diary follows a child whose family builds a blanket fort, shares cocoa, and prepares towels and treats for an animal shelter.
9 reading resources
Explore Christmas stories and traditions for a longer holiday reading sequence.
Explore themeChoose a Christmas reading collection suited to your readers and lesson.
Open collectionChoose a Christmas reading collection suited to your readers and lesson.
Open collectionChoose a Christmas reading collection suited to your readers and lesson.
Open collectionChoose a Christmas reading collection suited to your readers and lesson.
Open collectionChoose a Christmas reading collection suited to your readers and lesson.
Open collectionExplore this topic through The Cat Who Stole the List.
Read passageStudents can sequence the family’s actions and identify how each person contributes to the shelter gift bags.
Read passageOn this date in history · 1968
Bill Anders photographed Earthrise aboard Apollo 8 on December 24, 1968. Pair NASA’s image with a clearly fictional story about seeing Earth from a Moon base, and discuss how a change of viewpoint affects the character.
6 reading resources
Explore further readings about space travel and spacecraft.
Open collectionUse Explore the Solar System: Planets for Kids! as related background or for comparison.
Open collectionRead a fictional Earthrise scene alongside NASA’s real Apollo 8 photograph and compare the character’s imagined experience with the photograph.
Read passageExplore Earth and the Moon as background to the Apollo 8 Earthrise photograph.
Read passageExplore Earth and the Moon as background to the Apollo 8 Earthrise photograph.
Read passageOn this date in history · 1818
Physicist James Prescott Joule was born on December 24, 1818 and studied the relationship between heat and work. Explore a modern example of energy changing form through electricity, movement, heat, and sound in a bumper-car ride.
5 reading resources
Use Science & Experiments as related background or for comparison.
Explore themeExplore this topic through Energy Reading Passages.
Open collectionUse The Physics of Roller Coasters as related background or for comparison.
Read passageTrace energy changing from electricity to movement, heat, and sound in a modern ride; connect the example to Joule’s work on energy.
Read passagePerform a fictional solar-oven script and discuss energy transfer; the story’s measurements are imagined examples.
Read passageSpecial date
Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 4 in 2026 and December 24 in 2027. Read about the festival’s history and how families observe it today.
Distinguish historical events, religious tradition and varied family practices.
Read passageYour 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.
Explore Christmas Eve, Apollo 8’s Earthrise photograph, and the birthday of James Prescott Joule. Check the selected year for the start of Hanukkah.
