Bah humbug! “This expression is used when someone does not approve of or enjoy something that other people enjoy, especially a special occasion such as Christmas: 31% of people think we spend too much time shopping for presents. Bah humbug!” (Cambridge English Dictionary)
Where did bah humbug originate?
Bah humbug was a famous phrase in the Christmas Carol. Dickens uses ‘bah humbug’ to suggest fraud, since Ebenezer Scrooge considers the celebration of Christmas to be a total sham.
Story prompt
The holiday season is time of celebration with many joyous events! However, there seems to be creatures and characters in our books and movies who lurk about and try to stop the good times. Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge are two such killjoy characters.
Provide this story prompt:
Create a character who tries to disrupt a holiday occasion or put everyone in a bad/sad mood:
- Name your character.
- Describe what your character would look like
- Use details to describe the characteristics/personality of your character.
- What occasion would your character disrupt and what is the plot to do it?
- What quotable expressions might be remember, like “bah humbug!”.
- Draw a picture of the character (can be raised line character or created with tactile materials)
Modification: Instead of creating a typical word document, turn this story into a book format by dividing the story into pages (with or without illustrations) using a book app or a book template in Word, Google Docs or Pages.
If this is a class activity, each student should present the story to the class. Have the class vote on who created the best character her, most intriguing plot and best quotable phrase.
We would love to read the bah humbug stories that your students write! Please share these stories with us at [email protected]!
Idea adapted from the Insistute for Disabilities Research and Training (IDRT)
by Diane Brauner
Back to Paths to Technology’s Home page
