1. ASManager2.zip Driver
2. H_FLOWER.txt File Contents

H_FLOWER.txt Driver File Contents (ASManager2.zip)

Name: <  >
Class: <  >
Date: <  >

Winter Flower in Legend and Custom

How do customs start? Some customs have been around a very long time and we can only guess how they began. Other customs are more recent. Some are based on legends, including the custom of decorating homes, offices, and churches with bright red poinsettia plants at Christmas.

Are all poinsettia plants red?

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If your answer is "no," you are right. But "red" is the color in the legend you will read about in this activity.

Name and save this file now.  (Press Ctrl-S, type a name for the file, and press Enter.)

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Legend of the Poinsettia:

One Christmas Eve in Mexico, a small boy had no gift to place before the crib in his village church. He knelt outside in the snow to pray. Suddenly, a plant sprouted where he knelt. It grew with beautiful scarlet leaves. The little boy took the plant as a gift for the Christ Child. In Mexico, the plant is called Flor de la Noche Buena (Flower of the Holy Night).

Think about the legend. Then, complete the puzzle poem based on the story. Work with a writing partner to figure out the correct words to use.

The snow is <  >
It's <  > night
I have no <  >
To give the <  >.

But look what <  >
Here where I <  >
The <  > are red
The <  > are green.

Flower of this <  >
Be my <  > to the <  > <  >.

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Write your own poem about one of these:

- A small child with no gift to give a loved one

- A magic plant with bright colors

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Now, for the curious! Just how did the Flor de la Noche Buena (Flower of the Holy Night) get the name poinsettia? Here's how:

Fact about the Poinsettia Flower:

In 1828, the first United States minister to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, saw the Flor de la Noche Buena and brought plants back to the U. S. The poinsettia plant, named in his honor, became the most popular of Christmas plants. Hundreds of thousands are purchased each December for gift giving.

Do you think Dr. Poinsett knew the legend of the Flor de la Buena Noche plant? Why or why not?

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Pretend you are Dr. Poinsett. You are out walking in a garden in Mexico. Suddenly, you see a lovely flower with red petals and green leaves. Write a story about what happens. Write what Dr. Poinsett says when he first sees the big red flowers.

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Share your story with a writing pal. Make changes. You might like to draw or paint a picture to go with your story. It could make a nice card or gift for someone who likes a good story!

If you haven't done so already, name and save this file now.  (Press Ctrl-S, type a name for the file, and press Enter.)

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end of activity
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