You know that weird stretch of school between Thanksgiving and Christmas break?
I’m talking about the days when students are either half-asleep from turkey leftovers or wildly sugar-buzzed from non-stop candy canes. At this point, we’re all counting down to Christmas break while wrapping up loose ends so we can start fresh in January.
Traditionally, teachers survive this awkward window of time by pulling out a movie (IYKYK). But then the doubt creeps in: “Am I allowed to just show this? Will my admin pop in right as Buddy the Elf is eating gum off the subway railing?” It’s worth the risk if it means you can ALSO put a dent in the eleventy-million-and-one holiday tasks your school has voluntold you to complete by Friday. ‘Tis the season!
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I’ve teamed up with TEN secondary ELA teachers to put together a full Movie Marathon in ELA to help you get through the craziest school days of the year with lessons that are fun and aligned to the standards (so that you can actually get away with it). Grab the entire collection of Movie Marathon ideas at Mrs. McManus ELA’s blog.
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So here’s the holiday sanity saver that I personally lean on quite heavily between November and December: Use TED Talks that are aligned to themes of miracles, gratitude, generosity, and blessings that you can loosely connect with the season at hand.
They’re short, they’re free, they’re student-friendly, and when paired with the right task cards, they hit multiple ELA strands—reading, writing, speaking, and listening. They might just be exactly what you need to engage your students without relying on typical movies that might be frowned upon.
Why TED Talks Work in Middle School ELA
Think about it: middle schoolers love videos. They’re glued to YouTube, TikTok, and reels all day. TED Talks scratch that itch—except instead of dangerous challenges or gross slime recipes, you’ve got speakers (sometimes even teens themselves!) talking about kindness, gratitude, generosity, or gifts that have no price tag.
That’s not fluff. That’s theme, speaker’s purpose, tone, evidence, and perspective all bundled up in a neat 5–10 minute package.
And because these talks are short, you don’t fall into the “just showing a movie” trap. You can show the TED Talk in its (brief) entirety followed by task card choices—more on those in a sec—-and then replay the TED Talk so students can intentionally look for clues to their task card prompts. Students will be reading, writing, speaking, listening, and analyzing multiple aspects of each TED Talk you share with them during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break.
The Magic of Task Cards
Okay, but how do you actually use a TED Talk without it turning into passive viewing? Answer: task cards.
I’ve created a set of 24 ready-to-use task cards—6 each for reading, writing, speaking, and listening—that transform a 5-minute TED Talk into a full, standards-aligned lesson. Think of it as turning “watching a video” into “wow, I just hit half the ELA standards without breaking a sweat.”
Here’s a peek:
- Reading Task Cards (6) → Students identify theme, analyze evidence, and make text-to-self connections.
- Writing Task Cards (6) → Narrative prompts, persuasive responses, and quick writes that let students extend the speaker’s ideas.
- Speaking Task Cards (6) → Pair-share, small group debates, and mini-presentations based on the talk.
- Listening Task Cards (6) → Focus questions to track main idea, supporting details, and tone—because yes, listening is a legit standard.
How It Looks in Action (Modify from here as needed)↴
Let’s say you play a short talk on gratitude. Here’s what you can do in one 45-minute class period:
- Warm-Up (5 min)
Students respond to a quick prompt like: “Name one thing you’re grateful for that no amount of money in the world could buy.” - Watch the Talk (10 min)
Hit play, allowing students to watch all the way through without interruption. - Stations or Rotations (20 min)
Divide students into groups of four or five so they can work through the task cards: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening. Each group uses the corresponding task card to dive deeper. Example:
- Reading tasks analyze theme, point of view, inferences.
- Writing tasks drafts responses to quick prompts.
- Speaking tasks focus on tone, stage presence, etc.
- Listening tasks track audience appeal + details.
- Reading tasks analyze theme, point of view, inferences.
- Play the TED Talk again while groups work
- Accountability: Allow students individually to choose one task card from each category (reading, writing, speaking, listening) to record a formal response to and then turn those in. Fun + easy: allow students to then circle which one of those four they want you to actually grade (spot check–make it super easy on yourself–nothing too formal here). It keeps them on their toes while holding them individually accountable for the their own work… All without you having to grade a billion papers.
Why This Is the Perfect Holiday Plan
- Short & Engaging → Kids can handle 5–10 minutes of focus way better than 90 minutes of a movie.
- Admin-Approved → Standards, strands, task cards = your bases are covered.
- Low Prep for You → Grab the curated talks, print or project the task cards, done.
- Student Buy-In → These talks feel real, relatable, and modern—not dusty textbook passages.
And let’s be real: by mid-December, you don’t need “Pinterest-perfect.” You need survival tools that work.
The Seasonal Angle (Gratitude, Giving, Miracles)
What makes this even better is that the talks I’ve curated aren’t random. They’re tied to holiday-friendly themes like gratitude, generosity, blessings, kindness, and miracles.
That means you’re not just keeping students busy—you’re fostering reflection and discussion that actually fit the season. Imagine students writing persuasive responses about the power of kindness, or debating what really counts as a “miracle.” That’s way more meaningful (and memorable) than streaming a movie they’ve seen a dozen times already.
Scheduling Tip
Use one TED Talk lesson before Thanksgiving, one after, and sprinkle the rest between December concerts, assemblies, and last-minute fire drills.
Get the Whole Set Here—My Gift to You🎁
I’ve curated 5 student-friendly, holiday-themed TED Talks + 24 standards-based task cards to carry you from Thanksgiving to Christmas break.
👉 Instead of scrambling for random activities, grab this free set and know your students will be engaged, your admin will be relieved, and you’ll actually get to go home at a good time since I’ve already done it for you😊
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Need a little more ELA movie magic? I’ve teamed up with TEN secondary ELA teachers to put together a full Movie Marathon in ELA to help you get through the craziest school days of the year with lessons that are fun and aligned to the standards (so that you can actually get away with it). Grab the entire collection of Movie Marathon ideas at Mrs. McManus ELA’s blog.
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