A British Christmas: The first Christmas card

Objective & content

This Look Closer episode (British Christmas mini-series, episode 70) is a one-minute documentary about one of the first Christmas cards, from London in 1843, told with real photos of the card and drawings. A single narrator explains that Henry Cole had too many Christmas letters to answer, so he asked the artist John Horsley to draw a picture with a message, and they printed a thousand cards. Learners then look closer at the card: its words (A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You), the family party in the middle and the people who help the poor on the left and the right. They meet the past simple to tell the story (had, sent, asked, printed, didn't have), the present simple for the card and for Britain today (people help the poor, shops sell), large numbers (a thousand, a billion) and a closing opinion question with better than. Learners listen, then answer the 10 questions in the app: 7 on facts and 3 on vocabulary (artist, the poor, middle).

Materials & prerequisites

You need the episode (audio and slideshow) and the printables: a one-page pupil pack and teacher pack (the text, three pictures, the key words and the 10 questions, with the answers highlighted in the teacher pack), a pupil question sheet and a teacher answer key. There is no lesson plan. Learners should know the present simple and meet the past simple of common verbs (had, asked). Christmas card names the subject, so it is taught for understanding; artist and the poor are explained in the episode, and the three parts of the card are shown on screen.

Curriculum alignment

Tagged art-and-expression-of-feelings (6e, "Arts et expression des sentiments", study topic "The imagery of the holiday season", Cycle 3). The episode targets CEFR level A1+.