The Legend of the Poinsettia

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola is a beautifully written and illustrated story. It is a great choice to read when learning about celebrations around the world. I want to share a few activities to help with comprehension of the story and new vocabulary. There’s even a poinsettia craft to pair with student writing!

All About The Legend of the Poinsettia

In Mexico, the poinsettia is called flor de la Nochebuena, flower of the Holy Night. At Christmastime, the flower blooms and flourishes with exquisite red stars lighting up the countryside. Tomie dePaola retells the Mexican legend of how the poinsettia came to be, through one little girl’s unselfish gift.

One Christmas, Lucida’s mother was asked to make a new blanket to cover the figure of Baby Jesus in the Christmas Procession. Lucida’s mother agreed, but she got sick before it was finished. Lucida tried to finish weaving the blanket on her own, but the blanket was tangled and could not be fixed in time. On the night of the procession, Lucida cried because she did not have a gift to give. She met an old woman who told her that any gift was beautiful because it was given. The only gift Lucida could find was a bunch of weeds outside the church. When Lucida offered the weeds, her simple gift caused beautiful, red blooms to grow all around. These became known as poinsettias.

If you don’t have a copy of this book in your school or classroom library, click below to find it on Amazon.

we are a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The Legend of the Poinsettia Comprehension & Vocabulary Activities

This book companion includes 12 comprehension questions to help guide students through this story. These questions can be printed in full color, or use the black & white option to print on your favorite color.

This spinner activity is perfect for students working on identifying story elements. Students can complete this with partners or in a small group setting, too.

Finally, this cut and paste sequencing activity helps with retelling the story. There are eight event cards. After students put the events into order, they read the cards from start to finish to retell the story.

This book companion includes 12 vocabulary words from the story for additional practice (definition cards included, too). These cards are great for student flashcards, a pocket chart display, or used in a matching game. This pack includes a vocabulary match-up page to check for student understanding of the terms.

The Legend of the Poinsettia Craft and Writing

This poinsettia craft will add a beautiful pop of color to student writing. Students can retell The Legend of the Poinsettia in their own words, or respond to one of the other prompts I have included.