This year, The Literacy Shed has been working with John Lewis to create some teaching resources which can be used alongside their Christmas advert in order to spread their message. This Christmas, through their iconic advert, John Lewis aims to highlight children’s charities Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland.
In the advert, we see a middle-aged man trying, and often failing, to learn how to skateboard. We wonder why he is doing this, as he seems to be getting quite a few injuries. His wife is excited about Christmas, and we see the couple attending parties and putting up the tree. It seems like a pretty normal lead-up to Christmas, apart from the skateboarding. Then the doorbell rings. We see a young girl standing there nervously clutching a skateboard, and it becomes clear that our hero has been learning to skateboard to make the girl, their new foster daughter, more comfortable upon her arrival.
We have planned a series of lessons based on the theme that doing small things for people can be more powerful than giving gifts.
Watch an interview with John Lewis discussing why they have chosen to tell this story this year.