Christmas Trivia Quiz

©Jane Logan, 2003 www.loganstrategy.ca

Music and entertainment
1. How many las in a line of “Deck the Halls”?
2. Who made “White Christmas” famous?
3. How many swans a’swimming? Seven
4. How many lords a leaping?
5. Who played Santa in The Santa Clause?

The Christmas story

6. In what town was Jesus born? Do you know a second name for it, after the king?
7. What gifts did the three kings offer to Jesus?
8. Bonus point: spell the gift that starts with “M”
9. Who appeared to the shepherds?

Christmas around the world

10. What are other names for Santa Claus?
11. What is the country of origin of the poinsettia?
12. How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Spanish?
a. Oye Como Va
b. Adeste Fideles
c. Feliz Navidad

True or false

13. In Holland people believe Santa Claus is accompanied by Black Peter, who punishes bad children.
14. Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria the first Christmas tree in England in 1841
15. Italians traditionally leave pizza, spaghetti and a bottle of chianti for Santa’s reindeer.
16. In Quebec, many French Canadians attend midnight mass and hold a “referendum” afterwards, during which they eat a meat pie known as tourtiere.
17. In Guatemala, a special feast is prepared for mice on Christmas Eve, since they
are the humblest of God’s creatures. It features mozzarella.
18. Wassail is a medieval drink made of gin and tonic associated with Christmas caroling.
19. In Germany, many people hang a pickle in their Christmas tree. The first person to find it gets an extra gift.

The Grinch who Stole Christmas

20. Who is the author of this book?
21. Which actor plays the Grinch in the movie?
22. What town does it take place in?

A Christmas Carol

23. Who wrote this story?
24. What was Mr. Scrooge’s first name?
25. What expression regarding Christmas is Scrooge known for?
26. Name the Crachits Bob, Mrs., Peter and Tiny Tim, Martha
27. Who says “Give like Santa, save like Scrooge?”

The Night Before Christmas

28. What did the author and his wife wear on their heads?
29. What are the names of Santa’s reindeer?
30. What is the last line of this memorable poem?


Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

DECEMBER 14, 2009 - SNOW DAY ASSIGNMENT

Happy Snow Day, ELA 9-01! Thank you for checking here for today's assignment. The following should be completed prior to Wednesday's class:

1. Carefully read and complete the "TOPIC, TITLE & THEME" assignment posted below.
2. Carefully read and complete the "RHYME" assignment posted below.
3. Read "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe, and answer the following questions for "The Bells":

"The Bells" Questions

1. What is the TITLE of this poem?
2. In each stanza (there are four stanzas in this poem), what type of bell is ringing?
3. In each stanza, for what occasion does each bell ring?
4. In each stanza, what emotion is caused by the ringing of the bells?
5. In each stanza, what is the topic (consider your answer to questions 2 and 3)?
6. In each stanza, what is the theme (consider your answer to questions 3, and 4)?
7. Locate and identify as many types of RHYME in "The Bells" as you can.

RHYME

“Excellent rhymes surprise. It is all very well that a reader may anticipate which vowel-sound is coming next, for patterns of rhyme give pleasure by satisfying expectations; but rhyming becomes dull clunking if, at the end of each line, the reader can predict the word that will end the next.


“Where’er you find “the cooling western breeze,”
In the next line it “whispers through the trees”;
If crystal streams “with pleasing murmurs creep,”
The reader’s threatened (not in vain) with “sleep”… - Alexander Pope

“But who – given the opening line of this comic poem – could predict the lines that follow?” (Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, Kennedy & Gioia, 600-601).

Read the following poem, then answer the qeustions below:

On My Boat on Lake Cayuga

On my boat on Lake Cayuga
I have a horn that goes “Ay-oogah!”
I’m not the modern kind of creep
Who has a horn that goes “beep beep.”

William Cole
(1919-2000)

Define the following types of rhyme, then try to write your own rhyme using each type:
http://people.usd.edu/~mrogge/RDTN/210poetryterms.html

EXACT RHYME

CONSONANCE

END RHYME

MASCULINE RHYME

FEMININE RHYME

What type of rhyme does Cole’s poem have?


What is the RHYME SCHEME in Cole’s poem?

SEARCH:
Using print and/or internet sources, please find THREE poems that clearly show THREE different types of rhyming. Copy the poem, label the type of rhyme used, and be sure to write down the TITLE, POET, and URL/PUBLISHER.

TITLE, TOPIC & THEME

“In reading a poem, some people assume that its words can be skipped over rapidly, and they try to leap at once to the poem’s general theme. It is as if they fear being thought clods unless they can find huge ideas in the poem (whether or not there are any). Such readers often ignore the literal meanings of words: the ordinary, matter-of-fact sense to be found in a dictionary… Consider the following and see what you make of it,” (Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, Kennedy &Gioia, 499-500).
Read the following poem, then answer the questions below:

This Is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold


William Carlos Williams
(1883-1963)

1. What is the topic of the poem (what is the poem about)?

2. Consider the meaning of the title. Why has the author chosen this title? How does the title connect with the theme?

3. What is the theme of the poem? What is the poet teaching us about the topic? (Theme = “big idea,” “life lesson,” “poet’s message”)

Top 10 Things to Do on a Snow Day

Is today a snow day? Are you home sick, or simply missed the bus? Here is a list of things you should be sure to do while at home:

1. Make a steaming mug of cocoa or coffee; be ready to refill as necessary throughout the day.
2. Remind yourself of overdue and upcoming assignments. Tuck them out of the way first to hand in when you return to school.
3. Crank up the music and dance in your pajamas.
4. Learn one new grammar or punctuation trick at Grammar Girl (trust me, this will impress a friend in need of proof reading; plus 1 popularity point).
5. Learn how to make those origami cranes from Heroes (season 1), or maybe a jumping frog if that's too complicated for a first try.
6. Proofread the assignment you thought was finished and ready to hand in. Chances are, you made at least one "stupid" mistake that is easily fixed. Use this checklist if you need some guidance.
7. Quote every line possible while watching your childhood favorite Disney cartoon. Mute the TV and see if you can still say all the lines.
8. Read a book on the Canada Reads List. Many of these great reads can be found online at Google Books.
9. Try on and photograph every possible outfit from your clothes closet; figure out what new combinations actually would work for school. Save yourself the stress of trying to figure this out in the morning by making a photo album of possibilities to pick from on short notice.
10. Do a touch typing speed test. Try to increase your speed and accuracy.