STEM Students Connect British Holiday History and Engineering Through Christmas Card Design
FELTWELL, United Kingdom — Students in Dani Noorlun’s STEM classes recently blended history, culture and engineering by exploring the origins of the Christmas card as part of their “Traditions of the Host Nation” unit.
Students learned that the first commercial Christmas card was created in England in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole commissioned artist John Callcott Horsley to design a card he could send widely. With the introduction of the Penny Post, the tradition quickly spread across the United Kingdom, evolving from early Victorian designs—some featuring unexpected imagery such as insects and lobsters—into the familiar holiday cards exchanged today.
Building on the historical lesson, students transitioned from learning about tradition to applying engineering concepts through hands-on design. Kindergarten through second-grade students created pre-designed cards, while fourth- and fifth-grade students were challenged to design original cards incorporating more complex mechanisms such as pop-ups, sliders or a combination of both.
“Understanding the culture of where we live is just as important as the science behind the build,” Noorlun said. “This project shows students how traditions evolve through creativity and innovation.”
By combining British cultural history with paper engineering, the project highlighted how holiday traditions continue to adapt over time—while giving students a practical introduction to design, mechanics and creative problem-solving.
