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Christmas: The History of the Christmas Tree - Self-Paced

Completed by 14 learners
Ages 11-16
Self-Paced Class
Do you know why we place a Christmas tree in our homes each holiday season? Or why we decorate it with ornaments? Come learn all about the history of the Christmas tree in this self-paced class!
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(497 reviews)
Rising Star

2 pre-recorded lessons
2 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content

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Go at your own pace
Your learner can start learning when they want and progress at the speed that works best for them.
Start when you want.
Learn at your own pace
Access course material for a full year.
Get hands-on support from teacher.

What's included

2 pre-recorded lessons
2 weeks
of teacher support
1 year access
to the content

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8
This class focuses on the origin of the Christmas tree! We may be able to connect the Christmas tree to the use of evergreens in the ancient world, but the tradition of the Christmas tree stems from so much more than that. In this class we will follow the evolution of the Christmas tree from a few evergreen boughs on the hearth during winter solstice to billowing tree in the living room over Christmas. We will cover Prince Albert and Queen Victoria's influence on the popularity of the tree, how abolitionists boosted the popularity of the tree during the Civil War and Reconstruction era, how the tree changed in shape and size over the centuries, when artificial trees became popular, and more!

Students will also learn about the ornaments on the tree, including how revelers used to hang their presents on the tree, how Germany was the birthplace of the ornament as we know it, and how Hallmark got their start in the ornament industry. The tree came with many dangers at first, most of them fire related, so we will take a look at the changes that were made to make trees safe for the home. There is a lot more to the Christmas tree than meets the eye!

This is a self-paced class and has no live meetings. For each lesson, I will post a lecture video, as well as discussion questions and links to other resources in case students want to learn more about the topics we'll cover that week. 

Students do not need any prior knowledge of the history of Christmas to take this class. I will provide a basic rundown of any pertinent information needed to understand the context of any historical moments we discuss.

Learning Goals

Students will learn more about the origins of the Christmas tree. 
Students will learn how the tradition of the Christmas tree has changed over time and how trees are used today.

Syllabus

2 Lessons
over 2 Weeks
Lesson 1:
The History of the Christmas Tree - Lesson 1
 This lesson will talk about the early history of the Christmas tree and will include discussion questions. 
Lesson 2:
The History of the Christmas Tree - Lesson 2
 This lesson will talk about more recent Christmas tree history and will include discussion questions. 

Other Details

Supply List
No supplies needed.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Meet the teacher

Joined August, 2019
4.9
497reviews
Rising Star
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in History from Wilson College
Bachelor's Degree in History from Wilson College
I recently completed my Masters in Humanities and since my concentration was in American Studies, I wrote my thesis on the way in which Americans brought world holiday celebrations over and made them their own. During the research and writing of my thesis, I studied the history of the Christmas tree and the ways in which Americans changed the tradition of the Christmas tree.

Reviews



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