Winter Lesson Plans

1. Animals in Winter- The student will use book indexes to find out about animals in winter.
2. Basic Aspects of Winter- "This activity is a great way for young students to begin to grasp the difference in weather and seasons."
3. Celebrate Winter!- "As the winter solstice approaches, it might help your students to know that the darkest days are nearly behind them."
4. Cold Car Start- In places where it gets below freezing in the wintertime, weather reports always include both the air temperature and the wind chill—that is, how cold it feels with the wind blowing. Wind makes the temperature feel colder because it carries heat away from our bodies.
5. Culture Goggles: Same Holy Land, Different Holidays- In this lesson, students will visit the Culture Goggles exhibit in Xpedition Hall, where students select a religion to see how a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim might view the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel.
6. Curious George in the Snow Sled Ornaments- "We read the book and talk about the children's sledding experiences. What kinds of inventions would they make for better sledding? Then we make a sled ornament."

1. Developing Television Specials About Winter Holidays- In this lesson, students examine ways in which holiday television specials reflect some of the religious, historic and cultural themes of the holidays on which they focus. Students then create their own holiday television specials in groups, each focusing on a specific winter holiday.
2. Easy-to-Make Gifts- Here is a great resource of easy gifts students can make.
3. Getting Green for Christmas- In this lesson, students will examine their family's particular spending habits for a holiday they celebrate, research the financial expectations of retailers during the holiday season and at other times during the year, and write newspaper articles examining how seasonal consumerism affects particular retail industries.
4. Let's Build a Snowman- This lesson suggests building a snowman as one way to provide food for birds and animals during the winter. Students read fiction and nonfiction books and access the Internet to gain information about how animals survive during the winter.
5. Let it Snow!- "Students will create a snowperson out of art materials and learn about sequencing by writing down the steps taken to complete their snowperson."
6. Seasons of the Year- The link between the tilt of the Earth's axis to the ecliptic and seasons of the year--length of day, effectiveness of sunlight, polar day and night, and seasons south and north of the equator, as well as near it.
7. Seasons for Kindergartners- It is hard for most of us to remember how confusing time was for us when we were young. Why is it snowing now?
8. Snow Science Art- Cross curriculum lesson.
9. Snow Theme Unit- Teaching ideas that include snow.
10. Snowball Family- A very fun activity.
11. Studying Snowflakes- In December , the season of winter begins on the Winter Solstice. By late autumn, most areas of New York State have seen at least a few snowflakes. Why not take a close look at this beautiful form of water? Here is what to do.
12. Survival Kit- "This activity allows the students to become aware of what they think should be in that survival kit."
13. The Four Seasons- To understand that it is the tilt of earth’s axis that causes the seasons.
14. Tilted Earth- The fact that the earth is tilted on its axis is what's responsible for giving us different seasons. And it's why the southern hemisphere is getting ready for winter at the same time the northern hemisphere is heading into summer.
15. Teaching Shapes Using Read-Alouds, Visualization, and Sketch to Stretch- This lesson encourages strategic reading and real-world math connections using a variety of techniques. Three interactive read-alouds of winter-themed books guide students through the concepts of shape and pattern.
16. Tundra-Arctic- Students examine the relationships among temperature, precipitation, natural vegetation and animal life.
17. Using Snowflake Bentley as a Framing Text for Multigenre Writing- In this lesson, students will create a working definition of multigenre. Then, using that knowledge, they will work together to create their own multigenre piece about winter, using Snowflake Bentley as a model.
18. What's Up With the Weather?- In this lesson, students will pull from their research, conversations, and everyday lives to determine whether or not an area is safe enough from severe weather to make a home. Students will be challenged to form an opinion, and justify their ideas to others.
19. Winter Holidays- "This lesson provides students with an opportunity to learn about the traditions of various winter holidays."
20. Winter Shape Game- "This activity will help children notice likenesses and differences in objects. Place holiday symbols on the poster board. Trace them."
21. Winter Survival- "In this lesson plan the students will learn what to do when stranded in a car during the middle of winter. From this experience my students will also learn how to construct a winter survival kit for their parents car."