Winter Literature Focus

Unit
April Larson
Fall 2007

Literature Selections
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Snow Day by Moira Fain
Stella Queen of the Snow by MarieLouise Gay
50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch
Thomas Snowsuit by Robert Munsch
The Shortest Day-Celebrating the
Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer
When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan
Weather Words by Gail Gibbons

Related Literature
The Biggest Best, Snowman by Margery Cuyler
The Lonely Snowman by Angela Holroyd
The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley
Neitzel
Elmer in the Snow by David McKee
Sadie and the Snowman by Allen Morgan
The Big Snow by Bertha and Elmer Hader
Pink Snow and Other Weird Weather by
Jennifer Dussling
Rhinos Who Snowboard by Julie Mammano

Author Study
Students will be doing an author
study on Robert Munsch, who wrote
Thomas Snowsuit and 50 Below
Zero. Students will look at the other
books Munsch has written about
winter.

Unit Plan-Language Arts

Web
Students will be
directed to websites
Students will read other
about author Robert various books about winter,
Munsch and read facts snowmen, sledding, etc.
They will be guided to read
about him and his
Robert Munschs books first.
books.

Read Snowmen
at Night and have
students make
predictions about
what snowmen
really do at night.

Students listen to
The Missing
Mitten on audio
tape at the reading
center.
Peer conferencing
for poem and
story.

Students will find a book or

poem relating to the theme
of the unit, read it, and
write a response.
Students listen as
teacher discusses
winter, snow, and
how/why it happens.

READING

Teacher will introduce

snow/winter theme, students
will join in and have a grand
conversation on what they
like/dislike about winter,
what their favorite part is
about winter, etc.

After reading the book

Snow Day, students will
be put into groups to
discuss what they would
do if they had a snow day
and school was cancelled.

TALKING

Students will

Students will create a participate in

KWL chart they will readers theatre
by doing
add to and adjust for
the length of the unit. The Snowflake

LISTENING
Read Snowflake
Bentley aloud
and then watch
the movie of the
book.

Peer conferencing
for poem and
story.

Dance.

WINTER
VISUALLY
REPRESENTI
NG

Students will
write a story
about a
blizzard.

Students will write poems

about winter, playing out in
the snow, and their favorite
thing to do in the snow.
Students will be taught about
limerick poems and write a
limerick.

WRITING

Students will write an

If I Were a
Snowflake poem.
Their snowflake poem
will be hung with the
snowflakes they made.

Students will participate in

peer conferencing
workshops.

Students will use

the authors chair
and read their
blizzard story or
snow/winter
poems.

VIEWING
Students will
watch the video
Rain and Snow
and discuss.
Students will view
paintings by
famous artists of
winter scenes.

Students go on a walk
outside and take picture
of the snow, pictures of
them playing in the
snow-making snow
angels, etc.

Students will
watch the video
Snow.

Students will
create a word wall
with snow/winter
terms.

Students will make

snowflakes out of white
construction paper,
decorate them with
glitter and hang them
from string across the
ceiling of the classroom.

Students will color a

scene with crayons,
press hard, paint
with white paint,
and sprinkle with
clear glitter.

Unit Plan-Cross
Curricular Ideas

Students will play

Toss the
Snowball-tossing a
white balloon
around a circle, the
goal being not to let
the balloon touch
the floor.

Students will play

Jack Frost tag.

d.
Ph y E

Students will take a

survey on who
likes/dislikes winter
and graph the results.

M
at
h

M
us

ic

WINTER

Scien
c

Social Studies

Students will listen

to Winter
Wonderland and
choreograph
movements.

Students will learn

concept of estimation
by estimating how
many cotton balls it
will take to make a
snowman on the
bulletin board.

Students will sing the

song Snowflakes
Falling Down (to the
tune of Row, Row,
Row Your Boat.

Students will make

maps of the U.S. and Students will be
color the areas that
have the highest visited by a local
amounts of snowfall. weatherman.

Students will insulate

snowballs using cloth,
packaging peanuts,
and other materials to
see which keeps the
snowball the longest. .

Students will take

snowballs and do
experiments to
see which is the
fastest way to get
it to melt.

Language Arts Strategies

Tapping Prior Knowledge: students think about what they already
know about winter as they listen, read, view, or write.
Predicting: students make predictions about what will happen as
they read.
Organizing Ideas: students organize ideas and sequence story
events when they read, write, view, or listen to stories read aloud.
Figuring Out Unknown Words: students figure out unknown words
as they read, listen, and view.
Visualizing: students draw pictures in their minds of what they are
listening to, reading, or writing.
Making Connections: students relate what they are listening to,
reading, or viewing to their own lives and to books they have read.
Revising Meaning: students continuously revise meaning as they
proceed with a language arts activity.
Monitoring: students ask themselves questions to monitor their
understanding as they participate in language arts activities.
Playing with Language: students notice figurative and novel uses of
language as they listen, read, and view.
Evaluating: students make judgments aloud, reflect on, and value
the language arts activities in which they participate

Language Arts Skills

Print
Sound out words using phonics
Use classroom resources
Consult a dictionary or glossary
Apply spelling rules
Capitalize proper nouns and adjectives

Comprehension
Categorize
Classify
Note details
Compare and contrast
Use context clues
Notice organizational patterns of poetry, plays, and
stories
Recognize literary genres

Language
Notice compound words
Use contractions
Use possessives
Appreciate rhyme and other poetic devices
Use punctuation marks
Use simple, compound, and complex sentences
Combine sentences

Reference
Use a glossary or dictionary
Read and make graphs, tables, and diagrams

Study
Follow directions

Technology
Video

Primary Science Series Snow

Weather Fundamentals Rain and Snow
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Audiotapes

The Missing Mitten by Steven Kellogg

Tackylocks and the Three Bears by Helen Lester
Three Cheers for Tackylocks by Helen Lester
Winter Fun by Rita Schlacher

Internet

The Winter Solstice Trivia- http://fun.familyeducation.com/holidays-andcelebrations/childrens-science-activities/32939.html

All About Snow- http://www.surfnetkids.com/snow.htm
The Official Robert Munsch Website- http://robertmunsch.com/
Snowflake Dance- http://www.ipgbook.com/books/WIIS.HTM
-Snow Songs and Poems- http://www.theteachersroom.com/snowmen.htm

Cameras

Digital camera for taking the walk outside and

also can be used to document activities
throughout the week

Grouping Patterns

Whole Group
Discussion of winter
Read aloud of Snowmen at Night
Readers theatre of The Snowflake
Dance
Grand conversation about people who
like winter and people who dont
Word wall
Walk outside and snow pictures
Viewing paintings
Watching videos
Jack Frost Tag
Singing the Snowflakes Falling
Down song
Survey-who likes/dislikes winter
Estimation activity
Weatherman visit
Authors chair
Winter Wonderland choreography
Toss the Snowball

Small Group
Snowball melting
Snowball insulating
Peer writing workshops
Snow Day activity

Independent

Audiotape
Snowflake making
Mapmaking
Poem writing
Story writing
Reading other related
literature
Robert Munsch author study
Website findings
Writing a response to poem
or story
Painting a winter scene

Schedule
A.M.

P.M.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

L.A.-Introduction of
unit. Discussion of
snow/winter why it
happens.
L.A.-Grand
conversation about
winter/snow. Students
will brainstorm ideas
as a class for their
stories about a
blizzard and begin
writing.
L.A.-Students will
create a KWL chart
which will continue
throughout the unit at
the beginning of each
day.
MATH-Students will
do a survey of who
likes/dislikes winter
and graph the results.

S.S.-Students will be
visited by a local
weatherman.
S.S.- Students will
make maps of the U.S.
and color the areas
that have the highest
amounts of snowfall.
MATH-Students will
learn concept of
estimation by
estimating how many
cotton balls it will take
to make snowman.

L.A.-Students will
find a book or poem
relating to
snow/winter and
write a response.
L.A.-Students will
participate in peerconferencing
workshops.
L.A. -Students will
watch the video Rain
and Snow and
discuss.

L.A.- Students will

participate in The
Snowflake Dance.
L.A.-Read the book
Snow Day and students
will go into groups to
discuss.
L.A.- Students will be
directed to websites
about Robert Munsch.

MUSIC-Students
will sing the song
Snowflakes Falling
Down.
L.A.-Students will
listen to The Missing
Mitten on audio tape
at the reading center.
L.A.- Students will
read out various
books about snow,
winter, snowmen,
sledding, etc.

L.A.-Students
will watch the
video Snow.
L.A.-Students
will create a
word-wall.
L.A.-Students
will make
snowflakes to
decorate the
classroom.
MUSIC-Students
will listen to
Winter
Wonderland and

L.A.-Read
Snowmen at
Night.
L.A.-Limerick
poems will be
introduced and
students will
begin rough
drafts.
L.A.-If I Were a
Snowflake poem
will also be
introduced and
students will
begin rough draft.

L.A.-Students will
go on the walk
outside, take
pictures, etc.
P.E.-Students will
play Jack Frost Tag.
SCIENCE-Students
will insulate
snowballs and see
which materials
keeps the snowball
the longest.

L.A.- Students will view

paintings of famous
artists of winter scenes.
L.A.-Students will
create their own winter
scene.
L.A.- Students will
listen to Snowflake
Bentley and then watch
the video.

SCIENCE-Students
will take snowballs
and do experiments
to see which is the
fastest way to get it
to melt.
L.A.-Students will
use the authors chair
and share their
blizzard story or their
poetry.
P.E.-Students will
play Toss the
Snowball

Assessment

Spelling test with word wall words

6+1 Writing Traits (Rubric for stories and poems)
Observation of interaction with small groups
Report of elements of winter (Rubric)
Portfolios of artifacts from the unit (Checklist)
Science experiments (Observation of participation)
Social Studies maps (Quiz on states locations)
Math graphs (Worksheets on graphing)
Discussion and questions in a large group following
videos on snow/winter
Check for understanding by prompting questions to
the class as a large group