If you live in an area of the world that sometimes snows at Christmas, you know the yearly anticipation of whether or not it will be a white Christmas.
Will it be a white Christmas in your city? Are the odds strong or weak? Are there places in the United States that are guaranteed to have snow at Christmas?
Your students can use the Internet to read historical data maps to decide what the chances are that their area will see snow at Christmas.
After looking at the historical data, use the Internet to find the local forecast for your particular area. Students may have different information to analyze depending on where they are staying or traveling to for vacation.
Another aspect of weather to compare is how the weather for the month of November and December compares to previous years. Has it been colder or warmer? Why could that be?
Reading these maps is also a good time to introduce the concepts of Lake Effect Snow, which is especially prominent around the Great Lakes. There are maps online that also show this data and explain the Lake Effect process.
Combine this activity with others to create a set of holiday-themed workstations or literacy centers.
Use the holiday season as a costume to look up information, read maps, analyze historical data against current conditions, and share with your classmates. This is the type of information that children will go home and share with their families.