In the Small Pond

In the Small Pond by Denise Fleming

                       

Genre: Caldecott Award Winner, Science
Grade Level: 2
Summary: This is an informative story depicting the four seasons and the curious animals that are a part of each season.
Theme/Skill: Show several animals from each season on the Smart Board.
Pre-reading activities: What is your favorite season and why? Why do some animals apear in some seasons and others do not? Where do animals go when they are not seen during a particular season? After deciding your favorite season, use construction paper to create a scene for that season chosen. Encourage students to ask questions and give responses to the story.
Post-reading activities: Were you surprised that some animals aren't a part of all seasons? What was your favorite and least favorite part of the story? Continue poster drawing of scenes.
Assessment: Hand in posters after sharing with a group of classmates your picture that you created. Explain why one animal may not survive in that environment according to that season.
Reflection: Students could go on a nature walk to a pond and collect water to look under the microscope at the living pond creatures. They can predict sounds they would hear outside by the pond. What would they smell? What would they see? Incorporating the senses into their writing can help tremendously with descriptive details.

White Snow Bright Snow

White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Caldecott Award Winning
Grade Level: K-2
Summary: This story shares the joys that children have when the first snowfall comes each year. It also shows the preparation steps that adults need to do when a snowstorm comes. The characters in the story built snowmen and played in the snow. When the snow began to melt, so did their snowmen and all of the other magical things that happened with the first snowfall.
Theme/Skill: Responsibility and helpful skills in order to prepare for a storm. (Weather lesson) / Science
Pre-reading activities: Asking questions to stimulate an understanding of the process which takes place when preparing for a snow storm. During what season/month does the snow start to fall? What do your parents do when the snow is all over their driveway? Do you help them shovel? What do you like to do in the snow? What happens to animals when it gets cold and snowy? While reading the story, allow time for students to generate their own questions connecting to prior knowledge of snow and winter.
Post-reading activities: Discuss with the class how snow is created. Why does it happen? What was your favorite part of the story? Why would the mailman need to start wearing different foot wear? Why was the police man sick?
Assessment: Have students create their own snowflake mobile, making three snowflakes each. Each snowflake made, would include something the student liked to do in the snow or something that the snow reminded them of during winter time. The mobiles would get hung around the room or placed on the windows.
Reflection: This book helps stimulate prior knowledge and can help process different steps that need to be made in order to prepare for a storm. People need to work together and take responsibity. This Caldecott Award winning book is a great way to integrate weather and to share how snow forms. Careers and jobs can be discussed as well. White Snow, Bright Snow has a variety of themes and class discussions that could be made from this piece of children's literature. It is an interesting read for children!