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3 Christmas Carols to introduce the story of the birth of Jesus

• Dictionary Work  
• Vocabulary in Context
• Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks At Night

• Internet fun  research for purposes of comparison
• Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

We Three Kings

• Stress & Intonation Practice
• Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

Further Practice

• Role play or Discussion

NOTE:

• Sheet music &/or recorded music is available from the internet.

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Away In A Manger

Notes:  

• This is often the first carol, which is taught to English children.
• The story of Jesus' birth can be told first if students are young.  This can be found in detail in the Bible and on the internet. 
• Almost every primary school in England re-enacts the story of Jesus every Christmas.  This is called a Nativity Play.  They dress up as Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, the three wise men, animals & Jesus is usually a doll. 

In brief: 

Jesus' parents (Mary & Joseph) lived in Nazareth.  One night, Mary had a vision in which the Angel Gabriel told her she would have a baby - The Son of God.  Months later, Joseph and Mary had to travel by donkey to Jerusalem to pay their taxes, but there was no accommodation available.  As Mary was pregnant, an inn-keeper took pity on her and allowed the couple to stay in his stable, where his animals were kept.  This was where Jesus was born and the feeding trough became his bed. (See the carol on this page entitled: Away In A Manger)

That night, shepherds on the hillside were visited by a host of angels and told to pay homage to Jesus.  This, they did.  (See the carol on this page entitled:  While Shepherds watched their flocks by night)

Later the same night, three wise men (kings) arrived from the Orient to worship Jesus;  they were guided there by a large star in the east.  They presented him with gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. (See the carol on this page entitled: We Three Kings)

Away In A Manger

• Exercise:    1
• Activity:      Dictionary Work
• Practice:     Vocabulary

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Pre-teach the missing vocabulary by instructing students to look up the words in their dictionaries.  (Preferably, they should use English-English)
• If students do not have dictionaries, or find this exercise too difficult, turn it into a matching exercise with the definitions.

• bless

• bright (adj)

• crib

• hay

• heaven

• lowing

• manger

• nigh (adv)

• pray

• sweet (adj)

• tender (adj)

• thee

• Exercise:    2
• Activity:      Gapped
• Practice:     Vocabulary in context

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Instruct students to work in pairs.
• Ask students to complete the gaps, using the words above.  Point out that some words are used more than once.
• When they have completed as many gaps as possible, instruct them to mill and compare their answers with other pairs.
• Finally, give the correct answers.

AWAY IN A ............... 

Away in a ..............., no ............... for a bed,

The little lord Jesus laid down his ............... head.

The stars in the ............... sky looked down where he lay;

The little lord Jesus asleep on the ................

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The cattle are ..............., the baby awakes,

But little lord Jesus, no crying he makes.

I love thee, lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,

And stay by my side until morning is ................

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Be near me, lord Jesus; I ask ............... to stay

Close by me for ever and love me, I ................

............... all the dear children in thy ............... care,

And fit us for ............... to live with ............... there.

The Answer Key

• Exercise:    3
• Activity:      Singing
• Practice:     Pronunciation & Intonation within a musical context

Away In A Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay;

The little lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

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The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,

But little lord Jesus, no crying he makes.

I love thee, lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,

And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

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Be near me, lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay

Close by me for ever and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

Vocabulary Note:  

• A MANGER = A feeding trough for cattle

• A CRIB = A cradle (A small bed for new babies)

• THEE (old English) = YOU  

• NIGH = near  (It cost me [nearly/nigh on] £3,000)

• TENDER = gentle

WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT

Comprehension of the wording of this carol may present difficulties.  Nevertheless, this is a very traditional carol, which will help to present and embellish the story of the birth of Jesus.  Pre-teach new vocabulary before attempting the exercises.  The following 'irreverent' task will then help students to understand the context of the wording through comparison.

• Exercise:      1

• Activity:        Internet Fun Task

• Practice:       Comparison of wording

• Skill:              Using the internet for research purposes

INSTRUCTIONS

• English children delight in singing different (irreverent) words to this song. 

• According to the availability of computers, instruct students to work in pairs, groups, or as a class

• Instruct students to use various search engines to find the alternative wording.  Instruct them to key in the words:  "While shepherds washed ....."  They will discover that version and other versions too.

• Then encourage them to explain how the alternative versions vary in meaning from the original version.

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• Exercise:      2

• Activity:      Singing

• Practice:       Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

While Shepherds watched their
flocks by night

While shepherds watched their flocks by night

All seated on the ground

The angel of the Lord came down

And glory shone around.

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"Fear not," said here for mightY dread

Had seized their troubled minds.

"Glad tidings of great joy I bring

To you and all mankind.

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"To you in David's town this day

Is born of David's line

A Saviour who is Christ the Lord

And this shall be a sign."
 
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"The heavenly babe you there shall find

To human view displayed

All meanly wrapped in swathing bands

And in a manger laid"

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Thus spake the Seraph and forthwith

Appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God who thus

Addressed their joyful song"
 
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All glory be to God on high

And to the Earth be peace

Goodwill henceforth from heaven to men

Shall begin and never cease."

• spake = spoke (old English)
• Mischievous English children tend to sing 'While Shepherds washed their socks by night' 

WE THREE KINGS

NOTES

• Often, just verse-1 and the chorus are sung.  Although verses 2-6 tend to be omitted, I have included them below in isolation.

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• Exercise:      1

• Activity:        Singing

• Practice:       Pronunciation & Intonation in a musical context

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• Exercise:      2

• Activity:        Composing

• Practice:       Stress & Intonation

INSTRUCTIONS

• The formation of the following verses resembles the pattern used in the composition of limericks:-

  • the final words in lines 1,2,4 rhyme with each other (are/afar/star, night/bright/light)

  • in line 3, the first half of the line rhymes with the second half (fountain/mountain, leading/proceeding)

• Instruct students to create their own verses, following the same pattern.  They can use the existing verses as a foundation and gradually change the words.  The meaning can be about anything, but the finished lines must fit into the music.

Verse-1

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

Chorus

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy Perfect Light

Verse-2
 
Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to rein

[Repeat Chorus]

Verse-3 
Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray'r and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

[Repeat Chorus]

Verse-4 
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

[Repeat Chorus]

Verse-5 
Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to Heav'n replies

[Repeat Chorus] 

This carol can be heard at http://www.carols.org.uk/we_three_kings_of_0rient_are.htm

• References to God in the form of pronouns, etc. must start with a capital letter, e.g. Him,  Light
• Thy = your

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER PRACTICE

• Create a nativity play (children)
• Discuss the feasibility of the story (adults)
• Advanced students could re-create the story from the details given in the carols
• Create an alternative story, e.g. a modern version, or one with a different ending, etc.

Return to Christmas Index