Last week marked the end of our special series of Key Concept-themed #K12Media chats. We will have more special series to come, but today marks the beginning of the holiday season and believe us, there's lot to talk about! We believe in bringing current, relevant content into our classrooms. We hope that you'll join us for a stimulating chat on Monday November 28 at 8pm ET on Tiwtter, moreover, we hope you'll bring some of these questions and topics into your classroom. Let us know about it in the comments if you do and we can extend the conversation. Vote below for your choice for Monday's #K12Media Twitter Chat and we'll see you then!

Jingle All the Way

How important is music for creating a sense of “holiday cheer”? How does seasonal music impact the mood of shoppers—have we been conditioned to see holiday music as a necessity for shopping during this season? How do albums/songs that contain political or social messages impact our feelings about the holidays and holiday music (for example, proceeds from Justin Beiber’s Christmas album are being directed to charity, Band-Aid in the 1980’s “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” raised money for famine relief)? How is music being used tie into the sentimentality of the holidays?

Black Friday

The Friday following American Thanksgiving marks the official start of the holiday shopping rush with door-crasher specials, unbelievable markdowns, and line-ups often beginning the evening before the sale even begins. The hype created by these sales strategies have even led to injuries of shoppers and sales staff. Canadian cities, especially close to the American border are now beginning to compete with their southern neighbours with their own Black Friday sales, with timed deals and large markdowns. How has the emergence of “deal-hunting” created a frantic need in shoppers to participate in this type of event? Is it just about savings, or is it something else?

Merry/Happy (insert holiday here)... or not.

There are a multitude of holidays celebrated during the winter season, but Christmas is the holiday that has become the dominant norm—whether Christian or not, this holiday in many ways has transcended its status as a religious celebration and has become a cultural obligation within North America. How does the ubiquity of Christmas impact those who celebrate different holidays or those that don't have a holiday to celebrate? How and where have other holidays been embraced (if at all)? How have the differences between the religious holiday and the consumer-driven one created tension? 

Image by: Michelle Solomon