Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus: 5th Grade ELA

The story behind “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” starts with a child’s simple question. Have you ever wondered who wrote this famous response to Virginia’s letter about Santa? His name was Francis Pharcellus Church, and he was a newspaper writer for the New York Sun. Back in 1897, when Virginia’s letter arrived at the newspaper office, Mr. Church was already a well-known writer who usually wrote about serious topics like politics and war.

At first, Mr. Church didn’t even want to answer Virginia’s letter! He thought writing about Santa Claus wasn’t serious enough for him. But his boss asked him to do it anyway, and something special happened. This tough newspaper writer, who had seen many sad things while reporting during the Civil War, wrote one of the kindest and most beautiful newspaper articles ever written.

The funny thing is, Mr. Church wrote thousands of articles during his life, but the one he’s most famous for is his response to Virginia about Santa Claus. His wonderful words about believing in things we can’t see – like love, generosity, and faith – have been reprinted more times than any other newspaper editorial in history. Even today, more than 125 years later, people still read his words during the holiday season.

Historical Background of the letter ‘Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus’

In 1897, eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote to the New York Sun asking whether Santa Claus existed. Editor Francis P. Church’s response became one of the most famous newspaper editorials ever published. His thoughtful reply not only addressed a child’s simple question but also explored deeper themes of faith, imagination, and the intangible values that enrich human life.

DEAR EDITOR:
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.” Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
VIRGINIA O’HANLON
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET

Key Excerpt from Church’s Response:

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age… Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Opinion Writing Worksheet based on “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus”

“Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” serves as an excellent writing prompt for teaching opinion writing (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1) because it naturally leads students to engage with the art of persuasion and evidence-based argumentation. After reading Church’s editorial, students can analyze how he builds his argument using both emotional appeals and logical reasoning to support his position. The letter provides a relatable context for students to develop their own opinion pieces, whether they’re agreeing or disagreeing with Church’s perspective.

Worksheet 1: Understanding Opinion Writing

In his response to Virginia, Francis P. Church supported his opinion with reasons and evidence. Let’s analyze his writing before creating our own.

 1. Identify Church’s Main Opinion

Read the editorial and complete:

Church’s main opinion is: _________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

 2. Find Supporting Evidence

List three pieces of evidence Church uses to support his belief:

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

Worksheet 2: Planning Your Opinion Piece

Choose ONE of these writing prompts:

– Do you agree with Church that “the most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see”?

– Should adults encourage children to believe in things they cannot see?

– Was Church’s response to Virginia appropriate for both children and adults?

My Opinion Statement

(Remember to make it clear and strong)

I believe that _________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Evidence Planning Chart

	My Reasons	Supporting Details	Examples
1.
2.
3.

Worksheet 3: Writing Framework

 Introduction Paragraph

– Hook your reader: __________________________________________________

– State your opinion: _________________________________________________

– Preview your reasons: _______________________________________________

 Body Paragraph 1

– Topic sentence: ____________________________________________________

– Evidence/Example: _________________________________________________

– Explanation: ______________________________________________________

 Body Paragraph 2

– Topic sentence: ____________________________________________________

– Evidence/Example: _________________________________________________

– Explanation: ______________________________________________________

 Body Paragraph 3

– Topic sentence: ____________________________________________________

– Evidence/Example: _________________________________________________

– Explanation: ______________________________________________________

 Conclusion

– Restate opinion: ___________________________________________________

– Call to action or final thought: ________________________________________

Writing Checklist

Before submitting your final draft, check for:

– [ ] Clear opinion statement

– [ ] At least 3 supporting reasons

– [ ] Specific examples and details

– [ ] Transition words (first, furthermore, in addition, therefore, in conclusion)

– [ ] Strong conclusion

– [ ] Correct spelling and punctuation

– [ ] Varied sentence structures

Students learn to support their arguments not just with personal experiences but also with textual evidence from Church’s response, developing crucial analytical and persuasive writing skill

Mr. Church reminds us that sometimes the most important things in life are the things we can’t touch or see, but we can feel in our hearts. He took a simple question from a little girl and turned it into a message that has touched millions of people’s hearts for over a century!

Click for more Christmas writing prompts from our Workybooks library:

1. If you could be one of Santa’s elves for a day, what would you do?
2. Write about your favorite holiday tradition and why it’s special to you
3. Imagine you’re a snowflake falling from the sky – tell your story
4. Describe what the North Pole looks like in your imagination
5. Write a letter to Santa explaining why you were nice this year
6. Create a holiday recipe for kindness and joy
7. If you could give anyone in the world a gift, who would it be and why?
8. Write about a time when you helped someone during the holidays
9. Describe your perfect Christmas morning
10. What would happen if Christmas lasted for a whole week?

Each prompt can be used to practice:

• Descriptive writing
• Creative storytelling
• Opinion writing
• Personal narrative
• Persuasive writing

Make your holiday lesson planning merry and bright with our Christmas-themed worksheets!