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Classroom Resources

Monthly Themes

Winter

Writing Prompt

Poem:

Winter can make people excited for snow, chilled from the cold, blue over gray skies, or cheery for a holiday. Have students write a poem about their feelings for winter.

Activities

Grades K–2: Art
Winterscapes

Let children play in the “snow” and create their own snow figures. Give children construction paper, cotton balls, and glue. Help them arrange the cotton into shapes and glue the shapes to the paper. Then children can decorate their winter scenes with crayons, glitter, cloth, and other materials.

Grades K–2: Language Arts/Art
Picture This

A great poet can paint a picture with words. Have your students actually draw the picture!

Grades K–2: Science/Social Studies
All About Winter

Have students write some facts about winter. Then have them draw pictures of themselves enjoying winter.

  • Winter (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/about_winter.pdf
Grades K–3: Art/Language Arts
Winter Memories

Have children create a winter memory book with pictures and writings about winter activities and specific events.

Grades K–3: Science
The Color of Winter

Have students color winter-related pictures and learn more about winter weather.

Grades K–4: Art/Mathematics
Winter Shapes

Have students create a winter scene, using multicolored geometric shapes, such as circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, and hexagons, made of paper or other material.

Grades 1–3: Science
Weather Smarts

Brainstorm with students various ways to protect themselves from nasty weather. Then have students develop common-sense rules to follow in different kinds of weather.

Grades 1–3: Science
Seasonal Differences

Have students create a poster that shows the physical and environmental changes of the seasons.

  • The Seasons
  • http://www.eduplace.com/ss/act/seasons.html
Grades 1–5: Art
Blizzard

With a few folds and snips, students can make fun winter shapes and decorate the classroom or hallways.

Grades 1–8: Science
Quizzes

Test students' knowledge about winter.

  • Winter Fun (grades 1–2) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_1-2_quiz.pdf
  • Winter Fun Answer Key (grades 1–2) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_1-2_quiz_key.pdf
  • Animals in Winter (grades 3–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_3-5_quiz.pdf
  • Animals in Winter Answer Key (grades 3–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_3-5_quiz_key.pdf
  • Winter Science (grades 6–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_6-8_quiz.pdf
  • Winter Science Answer Key (grades 6–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_6-8_quiz_key.pdf
Grades 1–8: Language Arts
Winter Messages

Have each student send a warm winter's greeting to a family member or a friend with an e-card.

Grades 2–3: Language Arts/Art
Snowflake Sentences

Have students write several sentences that describe snow and create a snowflake shape book.

Grades 2–4: Language Arts
The Same, But Different

Have students compare two winter objects, using a Venn diagram.

Grades 2–8: Language Arts
Word Finds

Have students find words related to winter hidden in a puzzle.

  • Winter (grades 2–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_easy_wf.pdf
  • Winter Answer Key (grades 2–5) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_easy_wf_key.pdf
  • Winter (grades 6–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_hard_wf.pdf
  • Winter Answer Key (grades 6–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_hard_wf_key.pdf
Grades 3–5: Language Arts/Art
Snow Sculpture Directions

Have students write instructions for building a snow sculpture, such as a snow fort. Students can include drawings to illustrate the directions. Then, if you live in a snowy area, students can build the sculpture to see how accurate their instructions are.

Grades 3–6: Language Arts
Winter Adventure

Have students create a movie scene about a winter adventure.

  • Filmstrip (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/pdf/filmstrip.pdf
Grades 3–8: Language Arts
Winter Fun Wacky Web Tale

Students can create a wacky winter story by filling in the blanks with parts of speech.

Grades 4–6: Language Arts/Social Studies
A Story About Winter

Share with your students the Greek myth that explains why the seasons change. Then have them write their own myths about why winter happens.

Grades 4–8: Science
December in the North and South

Brainstorm with students what December is like in the northern and southern hemispheres. Then have students create a Venn diagram that compares and contrasts the two regions.

  • Venn Diagram (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/venn.pdf
Grades 4–8: Science
Pack Your Bags!

Brainstorm with students a list of items, including food, clothing, and shelter, that they would take on a northern, winter camping trip.

Grades 4–8: Science
Danger! Hypothermia!

Hypothermia can happen even during temperatures as warm as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Have students create a safety poster depicting this deadly threat.

Grades 4–8: Science
Cold Cures

Winter is often a time for catching a cold. Have students prepare a survival booklet for coping with a cold.

Grades 5–8: Language Arts
Crossword Puzzles

Have students test their knowledge of winter.

  • Winter (grades 5–6) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_easy_xword.pdf
  • Winter Answer Key (grades 5–6) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_easy_xword_key.pdf
  • Winter (grades 7–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_hard_xword.pdf
  • Winter Answer Key (grades 7–8) (PDF file)
  • http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/december/pdf/winter_hard_xword_key.pdf
Grades 7–8: Science/Mathematics
Temperature Conversions

If it's 75 degrees Fahrenheit, what is it in degrees Celsius? Have students compute the answer. Students can also convert wind chill factors.

Houghton Mifflin