1. Winter Literature Focus Unit April Larson Fall 2007

5. Unit Plan-Language Arts Web WINTER READING TALKING VISUALLY REPRESENTING VIEWING WRITING LISTENING 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. Read Snowmen at Night and have students make predictions about what snowmen really do at night. 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. Students will write an “If I Were a Snowflake” poem. Their snowflake poem will be hung with the snowflakes they made. Students listen as teacher discusses winter, snow, and how/why it happens. Students listen to The Missing Mitten on audio tape at the reading center. 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 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 read other various books about winter, snowmen, sledding, etc. They will be guided to read Robert Munsch’s books first. Students will be directed to websites about author Robert Munsch and read facts about him and his books. Students will find a book or poem relating to the theme of the unit, read it, and write a response. 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 view paintings by famous artists of winter scenes. Students will participate in peer conferencing workshops. Students will watch the video “Snow.” Read Snowflake Bentley aloud and then watch the movie of the book. Peer conferencing for poem and story. Peer conferencing for poem and story. Students will create a KWL chart they will add to and adjust for the length of the unit.

6. Unit Plan-Cross Curricular Ideas WINTER Math Students will take a survey on who likes/dislikes winter and graph the results. Science 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. Students will be visited by a local weatherman. Students will make maps of the U.S. and color the areas that have the highest amounts of snowfall. Social Studies Phy Ed. Students will play “Jack Frost” tag. Music 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 listen to “Winter Wonderland” and choreograph movements. Students will play “Toss the Snowball”-tossing a white balloon around a circle, the goal being not to let the balloon touch the floor.