SNOWING SKILLS

Use snowmen as a springboard for oral language, writing, math, reading, and science.

I’m a Little Snowman
(Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little snowman (Bend knees.)
Short and fat. (Extend arms in a circle.)
Here is my broom and (Hold out right hand.)
Here is my hat. (Touch head with left hand.)
When the sun comes out (Slowly melt to the ground.)
I’ll melt away.
But I’ll be back another day!

I’m a snow lady, (Bend knees.)
White and round. (Extend arms in a circle.)
In my hat and apron (Touch head and waist.)
I don’t make a sound. (Index finger on lips.)
When the sun comes out (Slowly melt to the ground.)
I’ll melt away.
But I’ll be back another day!

*Download this book at drjean.org.


How To
Let children discuss how to make a snowman. Dramatize making a snowman by rolling a big ball, and then a middle size ball, and then a small ball for the head. Fold two sheets of paper in half and staple. Have children write a book about how to make a snowman.



Before and After
Have children fold a sheet of paper in half. Ask them to draw a picture of a snowman before it melts on the left. Can they draw a picture of the snowman after it melts on the right? What makes a snowman melt?

*Give children cartoon frames to illustrate a snowman melting.


Snowman Addition
Draw snowmen on poster board similar to the one shown. Laminate. Children make sets (or write addends) in the top two balls and then put the sum in the bottom ball.


Snowball Math
Fill a clear jar with snowballs/cotton balls. Let each child estimate how many snowballs are in the jar and write their name and answer on a sheet of paper. At the end of the day count the snowballs. Who guessed more? Who guessed less?
*Let the children use the “snowballs” to make sets or to do addition and subtraction problems.


Frosty’s Magic Hat
Make flashcards for letters, numerals, words, math facts, or other skills. On several cards draw a black hat. Explain that when Frosty’s magic hat appears the children get to stand up and dance around. This is an easy game that you can play during transitions if you only have a few minutes.

Snowball Seriate
Cut different sizes snowballs (circles) out of cardstock. Let children seriate them from largest to smallest.


Counting Snowmen
Cut out 10 or 20 snowmen from heavy paper. Write the numerals 1-10 (or 20) on their bodies. Mix up the snowmen and then have the children put them in order.



Melt a Snowman Science Experiment
*This is such an easy science experiment, but your kids will get a kick out of it.
Give each child a clear cup with an ice cube in it. Ask them to draw a picture of what it looks like. Have them predict how many minutes it will take their ice cube to melt. Encourage them to draw what it looks like after five minute intervals. Whose ice cube melted the fastest? Whose lasted the longest?

PUZZLE DAY

National Puzzle Day is January 29th, but I'm going to talk about puzzles in today's blog.

There have been numerous research studies that confirm the importance of puzzles in cognitive development. Other benefits of puzzles include:

Small motor skills
Eye-hand coordination
Task initiation and completion
Sense of accomplishment

Puzzles also provide the opportunity for children to collaborate and cooperate with a partner or small group.

Here are a few ideas to incorporate puzzles into your plans January 29th or any day.

Story Puzzles

Have children draw pictures and write stories on cardstock. Next, let them cut the paper into puzzle pieces. (I’ve found it best to give them a limit of 8-15 pieces or they’ll end up with confetti.) Put these in an envelope and exchange with friends. After putting the puzzles together they can read each other’s stories. 

Word Puzzles

Write vocabulary/spelling/sight words on sentence strips. Cut between the letters and place them in an envelope. Children put the letters together and read the word.


Hint! Write the word on the back of the envelope so they can self-check.
Ask them to write the words after they complete the puzzles.

Poem Puzzles
Make 2 copies of nursery rhymes or poems. Glue one to the front of a clasp envelope. Make a puzzle of the other rhyme by cutting between the lines or words. Store in the envelope. Children place the puzzle pieces on top of the original and then read.

Magazine Puzzles
Let children cut out favorite pictures from a magazine. (These could relate to a theme or unit.) Glue pictures to a piece of cardstock and then cut into puzzle pieces.

Cereal Box Puzzles 

Ask children to bring empty cereal boxes from home. Cut the front sections off the boxes and cut into puzzle pieces.
*For younger students it works best to use two boxes that are the same. One can be cut up and then they can place the pieces on the whole.

Greeting Card Puzzles
Ask parents to save old greeting cards. Child can cut off the front of the cards and then use them to make puzzles.

Jigsaw Puzzle
Put a jigsaw puzzle (50-100+ pieces depending on the age and ability of your students) on a table. Explain that you will leave it out all week and if they finish their work early they can try and put it together. (You’ll quickly be able to identify the children who have done puzzles at home with their families.)

READY FOR WINTER?

December 21st is known as the winter solstice or the first day of winter. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year. Although your students will probably have sugar plums dancing in their heads this week, you might want to add a touch of science to your lesson plans with these ideas.

Science
Ask your students what causes winter. (Accept their answers without judging.) Have one child pretend to be the sun and stand in the middle of the circle. Use a globe to demonstrate how the earth rotates around the sun. It takes 365 days or one year for the earth to go all around the sun. Demonstrate how the earth tilts on its axis away from the sun to cause winter. Why? What happens when the earth tilts toward the sun?




Signs of Winter
Brainstorm signs of winter. What happens to the temperature in winter? What happens to the plants? What happens to animals?


Vocabulary
Make an attribute web of winter words. Include winter clothing, sports, holidays, etc.

Animals Adapt
How do animals adapt in the winter? What animals hibernate?
What animals migrate? How do human beings adapt?




Habitats
Some habitats are very cold in the winter with ice and snow. Other habitats are warmer in the winter. Use a map of the United States and have children identify their state. Do they have ice and snow in the winter? Can they find a state where it’s warm and sunny in the winter? What do they think causes the difference?

Internet Search
Visit a weather site, such as weather.gov, to compare regional weather.

Nature Walk
Go on a nature walk and look for signs of winter. Let each child take a digital photograph of a sign of winter. Put these together to make a class collage.



Trees
Explain that evergreen trees stay green all winter. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter. Can they find evergreen and deciduous trees on the playground? Can they find them in their yard at home?

Make a Book
Staple two sheets of paper and let children use descriptive writing to make a book called “Winter Is…”

Creative Writing
Invite children to write a story about “Old Man Winter.” I found this great writing paper free at www.teach-nology.com.



Read a Book
What’s your favorite winter book to read to your class?

BAKE COOKIES DAY

Need another idea to make through the week. Why not celebrate Bake Cookies Day with one of these activities.

Bake Cookies Day is December 16, but it's fun to bake cookies any day of the year. Here’s what holidayinsights.com says about today:

'Ya gotta just love Bake Cookies Day......... 


..... Christmas is for Christians 


..... Hanukkah is just for Jews 
.

.... Ramadan is for those of Islamic descent 


..... Kwanzaa is for those of African origin 


..... Native American Day is for American Indians


But, Bake Cookies Day is for EVERYONE! 


Play Dough
Put cookie cutters and play dough on a cookie sheet. Add a rolling pin (cylinder block), scissors, and plastic utensils.

Paper Ornaments
Put some cookie cutters, scissors, glue, and the scrap box out on a table. Let children trace around the cookie cutters, cut out their paper cookies, and then decorate with stickers or glitter pens. Punch a hole, tie on a string, and decorate the tree. 



Graph
What’s your favorite kind of cookie? Do a bar graph and tally the results. 



Recipes
Let children write their own “how to make cookies” recipes. 





Descriptions
Give each child a cookie and ask them to draw what it looks like. Next, ask them to write 2-5 sentences describing their cookie. Finally, they get to eat the cookie! 



What else? Read books or sing songs about cookies…or, just wait until a boring January day to do these things!! 


JOLLY HOLLY WRITING

Today you'll find some books to "entice" children to write. I know some schools don’t allow “holidays,” so I tried to focus on a “winter” theme as much as possible. I mean, who can object to winter????

WINTER WRITING
Napkin Books

Materials: holiday napkins, paper, stapler

Cut paper the size of the napkin. Insert 4-6 sheets of paper in the napkin and staple at the top as shown. Place these in the writing center for creative writing.

Note! The front of the napkin could also be used as a story prompt.


Sticker Story

Materials: holiday stickers, paper, pencils, pens

Let children choose a sticker and put it in the middle of a sheet of paper. Challenge them to write a poem or story or draw a picture around the sticker.


Giving Book

Materials: paper, rubber band, seasonal pencil, advertisements and catalogs, scissors, glue

Fold 3 sheets of paper in half. Punch 2 holes about 2 ½” down on the crease side as shown. Insert a rubber band in one hole and slide one end of the pencil through the loop. Slide the other end of the pencil through the other loop. Let children draw or cut out pictures of items they would like to GIVE to family members and friends.


Holiday Card Center



Materials: paper, pencil, envelopes, markers, crayons, stickers, scrap paper, etc.

Place the writing materials in a tub. Make a seasonal picture dictionary similar to the one shown. Add a class directory with students’ names and photos. Teach children how to fold a sheet of paper into fourths to make a basic card. Invite them to make holiday cards for family members and friends.

Note! You could also ask them to make cards for school helpers and volunteers.


Letters to Santa

Some of you may not be able to do this, but an open center where children could write letters to Santa might get them excited about writing.

Note! There are several free templates for these letters on the internet.

CUT, STRING, SEW, SNIP

Keep those little hands busy with these materials. They'd be great for a center, take home activity, morning tubs, etc.

Note! I picked up most of these supplies at the dollar store.

Cookie Cutters
Materials: cookie cutters, pencils, scrap paper, scissors

Children trace around the cookie cutters on scrap paper and then cut out with the scissors.




Children can hole punch and then use the shapes to make ornaments or a necklace.

Paper Plate Sewing Cards
Materials: holiday plates, hole punch, yarn



Punch holes around the outside of the plates. Let children “sew” yarn through the holes.

*You can also make sewing cards out of old greeting cards.


Play Dough Writing

Let children make a pancake with the play dough and then write with a golf tee. This will strengthen those little fingers as they practice writing letters, numbers, shapes, words, etc.

Bells
String bells on pipe cleaners and string to make jewelry.



Gifts for the Birds
Materials: pipe cleaners, cereal with holes

Let children string cereal on pipe cleaners. Twist the ends to make a circle and hang outside for the birds.

Cut It Out
Materials: catalogs and advertisements

Put catalogs, coupons, advertisements, etc. in a center with scissors, glue, and paper.
Children can cut out objects they would like to “get or give” and glue them on a paper.

SEASONAL STANDARDS

Don't let standards be the Grinch and steal away your fun this month. Take a look at some of these ideas I’ve got for you!

Sight Words
Each day let children write a high frequency word on a strip of paper and glue the ends to make a link in a chain. They can practice reading over previous words each day as they add a new word and link.

Snowman Math
Give children the outline of a snowman similar to the one shown. They can take buttons or other manipulatives and place sets in the top two sections. Join them together in the bottom circle to make the sum. Ask students to write the equation.


*Give children a certain number of buttons. How many different combinations can the make on the snowman to come up with the same sum?


Descriptive Writing
Fold 2 sheets of paper in half and staple to make a book for each child. Children think of a title for their books and add their name as author and illustrator. Have them write and complete the following statements on each page:
(My holiday) smells like…
(My holiday) looks like…
(My holiday) sounds like…
(My holiday) feels like…
(My holiday) tastes like…

*For younger children run off the sentences and let them dictate sentences.

Preposition Elf
Hide an elf or similar seasonal toy in a different place in the room every day. Encourage children to use complete sentences as they describe where the elf is.

*Let children take turns hiding the toy and calling on friends to describe its location.


Read, Read, Fast as You Can! You Can Do It! We Know You Can!
I saw this delightful bulletin board many years ago. What an engaging way to get children to read sight words and entertain them while waiting in the hall.

THANKFUL BOOKS

Are you working on lesson plans today? Here are some books to encourage the "authors" in your classroom this week. These are a good example of what I call a "rabbit trap." Children will want to write in them, read them, and then take them home and share them with their families.

Napkin Book
Purchase seasonal napkins at the dollar store. Cut paper (4-36 sheets) the size of the napkin and staple it inside. Children can draw pictures and write about what they are thankful for.

Paper Plate Book
You'll need paper plates, blank paper, and pipe cleaners (cut in half) to make this book. Cut 8" circles out of the blank paper. Put 4 sheets of the blank paper between the two paper plates, punch a hole at the top, and bind with a pipe cleaner. Children can draw favorite foods or write what they are thankful for in this book.
*Younger children could cut out foods they like from magazines or grocery store flyers.

Thanksgiving Journal
Children can make this book and then use it over the holidays to record what they do. For each book you will need 2 sheets of white paper, a sheet of construction paper, a plastic fork, and a rubber band. Place the white paper on top of the construction paper and fold in half. Punch two holes 3" from the top on bottom on the creased side as shown. Insert the rubber band in one whole and loop the end of the fork through it. Insert the other end of the rubber band through the other hole and secure the fork.
Hint! Large plastic forks and skinny rubber bands work best.

We Give Thanks
(Tune: “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore” )
We give thanks for food we eat.
Hallelujah.
We give thanks for food we eat
Hallelujah.
We give thanks for families…
We give thanks for friends so dear…
We give thanks for all the earth…

*Let children suggest other things they are thankful for and insert the words in the song.

Here is a link to run off the above book.
drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2007/11_Nov/1booksNov/weGiveThanks.pdf

COLOR YOUR DAY HAPPY

Something old...something new!

Did you know that Crayola makes WINDOW MARKERS and WINDOW MARKERS WITH CRYSTAL EFFECTS that are washable and will bring out creativity in anyone. I bet you could think of a dozen more ways to use these in your classroom.  (Yep!  Available on Amazon!)

Reading
Write letters, words, numerals, shapes, or anything you want to reinforce on windows or mirrors.
*Let children wear sunglasses and identify the information with a pointer.

Writing
Let children practice writing letters, numerals, spelling words, etc. on classroom windows.
* How about rainbow writing? Make giant letters, shapes, words, etc. on windows. Children can take the markers and trace around the figures with different colors.

Reward
Use these as a reward or when children finish their work early.

Reminders
Use the classroom mirror as a message board to write words of encouragement, reminders, or to celebrate accomplishments.

Special Days
Let children decorate classroom windows for holidays, seasons, themes, or other special events.

Brainstorm!
Write a word or theme and invite children to add their own thoughts to the window.

Sign In
Children can write their name or a special message when they come to school each morning.

Graffiti
What an open-ended art center this could be throughout the year!

Note! You could even have “window washer” as a classroom job. I found it was best to wipe off the marks with a wet towel before using a window cleaner.

ITSY BITSY SPIDER

How about another new video for your children?

https://bit.ly/drJItsyBitsy