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

Students will be
Students will read
directed to
other various books
websites about
about winter,
author Robert
snowmen, sledding,
Munsch and read
etc. They will be
facts about him and
guided to read
his books.
Students will Robert
find a Munschs
book or poem relating
books first.
to the theme of the
unit, read it, and
write a response.
Students listen
as teacher
READING
discusses
winter, snow,
and how/why it
happens.

Students listen to
The Missing Mitten
LISTENING
on audio tape at
the reading
center.
Read Snowflake
Peer
Bentley aloud
conferencing
and then watch
for poem and
the movie of
story.
the book.

WINTER

Teacher will
Peer
introduce
conferencing
snow/winter theme,
for poem and
After reading the
students will join
story.
book Snow Day,
in and have a grand
students will be
conversation on
put into groups to
what they
discuss what they
like/dislike about
would do if they
winter, what their
had a snow day and
favorite part is
Students school
will was
aboutStudents
winter, will
etc.
Students will
TALKING
participate
cancelled.
create a KWL
use the
in readers
chart they will theatre by
authors chair
add to and
and read their
doing
adjust for the The Snowflake
blizzard story
length of the
or snow/winter
Dance.
unit.
poems.

Students will make

snowflakes out of
white construction
paper, decorate
Students will
them with glitter
create a word
and hang them from
wall with
string across the
snow/winter
ceiling of the
terms. Students will
classroom.
color a scene
with crayons,
press hard,
paint with
white paint,
and sprinkle
with clear
glitter.

VISUALLY
REPRESENTING
Students will
write a story
WRITING
about a
Students will blizzard.
write
Students will
poems about winter,
write an If I
playing out in the snow,
Were a Snowflake
and their favorite thing
poem. Their
to do in the snow.
snowflake poem
Students will be taught
will be hung with
about limerick poems and
Students will the snowflakes
write a limerick.
participate in peerthey made.
conferencing workshops.

VIEWING
Students

Students will
watch the
video Rain
and Snow and
discuss.

Students will
view paintings
by famous
artists of
winter scenes.

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.

Unit Plan-Cross
Curricular Ideas

Students will
play Toss the
Snowballtossing a
white balloon
around a
circle, the
goal being not
to let the
balloon touch
the floor.
Students will
play Jack
Frost tag.

d.
Phy E

Ma
th

Mu
s
c i

WINTER

Scien
ce

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
color the
be visited by
areas that
a local
have the
weatherman.
highest
amounts of
snowfall.

Students will
take a survey
on who
likes/dislikes
winter and
graph the
Students
will
results.
insulate
snowballs using
cloth,
packaging
peanuts, and
other materials
to see which
keepswill
the
Students
the
takesnowball
snowballs
longest.
.
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 Triviahttp://fun.familyeducation.com/holidays-and-celebrations/childrensscience-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

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

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.

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