Elementary Instant Lesson™

The World's Best Santa

Pre-Reading Activities

A: Class Vote

If a student is the best student in your class for this year, we say, "He/she is the Student
of the Year."

Talk with your class. Decide who in your class is:

the hardest-working student of the year.

the funniest student of the year.
the sleepiest student of the year.
the kindest student of the year.

B: Vocabulary

Look at this picture. Label the things in the picture.

chimney, reindeer, sleigh, Santa Claus, snow, gift, sack

C: Discussion

Work in small groups. Imagine you are having a contest for the "Santa of the Year".
Answer this question:

What sports for Santas would you have? (One answer is done for you.)

1. climbing chimneys
2.
3.
4.
 Reading Activities

A: Ordering Questions

Put the words in each sentence in order to make questions.

1. for 2005 / is / the / Who / of the / Year / Santa ?

2. from / Where / he / does / come ?
3. in Gallivare / Who / met / in November ?
4. sports / do / What / did / they ?
5. Wintergames / When / are the / Santa Claus ?

B: Comprehension
Read today's article. Find the answers to your questions from Reading Activity A.

The best Santa in the world is from

Estonia
Sweden, November 20 (Reuters) - The Santas from Denmark, Finland,
Aare Rebban from Estonia is the Russia, England, Estonia and Spain
winner of the Santa of the Year for competed to find out who was the
2005. best Santa. They competed in
chimney-climbing, porridge-eating,
r
Santas from around the world met in eindeer-racing and other sports.
Gallivare in northern Sweden this
week, for the Santa Claus The winner for 2005 is Estonian
Wintergames. Santa, Aare Rebban. The
Wintergames take place every year.
Article © 2005 Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2005 www.english-to-go.com
Words: compete - try to win a race

C: Vocabulary Hunt

Find words with these meanings in today's article.

• the person who is first in (or wins) a competition

• came together at a place
• food made from oats cooked with milk
• going up or down using your hands and feet
• going very fast in a competition to see who is the fastest

D: True Or False

Read today's article again. Decide if these sentences are true (T) or false (F).

1. The Santas at the Santa Claus Wintergames came from different countries.
2. The 2005 Santa Claus Wintergames took place in November in Gallivare, Sweden.
3. The Santas did different sports at the Santa Claus Wintergames.
4. Chimney-climbing, porridge-eating, and reindeer-racing were the only sports in the
Santa Claus Wintergames.
5. The Santa Claus Wintergames will be held again in 2006.
 Post-Reading Activities
You may do one or more of these.

A: Internet Research

Find out more about the Santa Claus Wintergames. Go to

http://www.santaclauswintergames.com/infoeng.html

B: Write A Postcard/Email

Imagine you were at the Santa Claus Wintergames.

Write a postcard or an email to a friend about them.
(You could be: a Santa, a judge, a tourist or someone who lives in Gallivare.)
 TEACHERS' NOTES AND ANSWER KEY

Pre-Reading Activities

A: Class Vote - Notes

Do this activity as a class. If your class are particularly friendly, they may enjoy a secret ballot. Otherwise,
hold a quick discussion for each of these titles (and/or any others that suit your class). Be careful to avoid
having any discussion that may hurt someone's feelings: i.e. the 'sleepiest' student should be someone quite
happy to get the title, not someone you are angry with for sleeping through your classes!

Reading Activities

A: Ordering Questions - Answers

1. Who is the Santa of the Year for 2005?
2. Where does he come from?
3. Who met in Gallivare in November?
4. What sports did they do?
5. When are the Santa Claus Wintergames?

B: Comprehension - Answers
1. Aare Rebban, 2. Estonia, 3. Santas from around the world, 4. chimney-climbing, porridge-eating,
reindeer-racing, 5. every year (in November).

C: Vocabulary Hunt - Answers

winner, met, porridge, climbing, racing

D: True Or False - Answers

1. T, 2. T, 3. T, 4. F (...and other sports), 5. T.

Santa Claus Wintergames

is an annual and very nice gathering of Santas
from all over the world.
All the Santas that participate are registered and
authorized by the Santa organizations.

The purpose of the competition is to pick out

the Santa of the Year.
The Santas compete against and with each other in
typical Santa-sports, for example chimney-climbing,
porridge-eating, kick-sledding and reindeer-racing.

During the days of competition you can see and meet

the Santas in various places around Gällivare,
in shops, at the town square and at the
homestead area.
The children can get a ride in a horse-sledge with the
Santas.

The Santas that participated in 2004 came from

Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Russia, England, Estonia and Spain.
This year there was also competitors from
the Swedish travel-television programme
När & Fjärran.

The Santas that participated in 2005 came from

the same countries as last year.

We hope that even more countries will participate next year.