Winter Literature Focus Unit

1. Winter Literature Focus Unit April Larson Fall 2007

2. Literature Selections • Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner • Snow Day by Moira Fain • Stella Queen of the Snow by Marie-Louise 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. Unit Plan-Language Arts Web Students will be directed to websites about author Robert Munsch and read facts about him and his books. Students will read other various books about winter, snowmen, sledding, etc. They will be guided to read Robert Munsch’s books first. Peer conferencing for poem and story. 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. Students will find a book or poem relating to the theme of the unit, read it, and write a response. Read Snowmen at Night and have students make predictions about what snowmen really do at night. Students listen as teacher discusses winter, snow, and how/why it happens. READING TALKING Students will participate in readers theatre by doing “The Snowflake Dance.” Students will use the author’s chair and read their blizzard story or snow/winter poems. Students will create a KWL chart they will add to and adjust for the length of the unit. Students listen to The Missing Mitten on audio tape at the reading center. LISTENING Read Snowflake Bentley aloud and then watch the movie of the book. WINTER Peer conferencing for poem and story. VISUALLYREPRESENTING 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 create a word wall with snow/winter terms. Students will write a story about a blizzard. VIEWING WRITING Students will watch the video “Rain and Snow” and discuss. 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 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. Students will color a scene with crayons, press hard, paint with white paint, and sprinkle with clear glitter. 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 view paintings by famous artists of winter scenes. Students will watch the video “Snow.”

6. Unit Plan-Cross Curricular Ideas Students will sing the song “Snowflakes Falling Down” (to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” 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 take a survey on who likes/dislikes winter and graph the results. Students will listen to “Winter Wonderland” and choreograph movements. Math Music Students will insulate snowballs using cloth, packaging peanuts, and other materials to see which keeps the snowball the longest. . WINTER Students will play “Toss the Snowball”-tossing a white balloon around a circle, the goal being not to let the balloon touch the floor. Phy Ed. Science Students will take snowballs and do experiments to see which is the fastest way to get it to melt. Social Studies Students will play “Jack Frost” tag. Students will make maps of the U.S. and color the areas that have the highest amounts of snowfall. Students will be visited by a local weatherman.

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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-and-celebrations/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

10. Grouping Patterns • Small Group • Snowball melting • Snowball insulating • Peer writing workshops • Snow Day activity 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 don’t • 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 • Author’s chair • “Winter Wonderland” choreography • “Toss the Snowball” • 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

11. Schedule

12. 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