ALL ABOARD…Teaching Our Students about Polar Express

 

 

Christmas is coming!!! Yeayyyyy!! 

 

It is time to close up the first have of the school year with winter celebrations. My favorite thing to do with my kiddos during the last couple of days before our Winter break is to do all sorts of “Polar Express” activities.

 

I love having the opportunity to have my kids dress up in pajamas and come to class excited about a fun yet learning experience. 

 

Things to do:

1. Entering the classroom with a Golden Polar Express Ticket!!! I printed mine in color on cardstock paper and laminated them for durability.

 

1. 2.    Read Aloud: Present the beautiful story in two different ways: the visual read aloud narrated by Liam Neeson’s amazing voice and the movie by Tom Hanks. 

 

1. 3.    Reading Comprehension: Have a class discussion that leads to the completion of diverse graphic organizers. These can be:

a.   Making Connections

b.    Parts of the Story

c.    Sequence of Events

d.    Character Traits

e.   Main Idea

f.   Plot: BME

g.   Comparing and Contrasting the Book and the Movie

 

1. 4.    Writing activities:

a.   Letter to Santa

b.    The First Gift of Christmas

c.    Visiting the North Pole

 

1. 5.   Word Work: Going over vocabulary presented in the story with cards and having students put them in alphabetical order. 

 

1. 6.   Math: Students may work on varied topics completing task cards stations such as place value, 2-digit addition, 2- digit subtraction, ordering numbers. All Polar Express themed!!

 

1. 7.    Science: Making Hot Chocolate in order to investigate how mixtures and solution work and differ from each other. Of course, once completed… let’s drink!!!!! 

 

1. 8.    Social Studies: Let’s learn the story of St. Nick!!!!!!!

 

 

This year things do look a little different. I personally teach second grade in person to my students. Whether in person or virtual, this year presents challenges and adjustments. In terms of this activity, I can’t have my students drink from a big pot of hot chocolate, for security purposes. Still, that does not mean that we can’t adjust and still have fun. In my case, I changed hot chocolate for individually wrapped and sealed Nesquik chocolate milk and cookies!!! Oh, my kids will have fun and enjoy themselves as will I along with them. 

 

   All About The Polar Express    

  

 

This resource is the resource I will be using with my kiddos this week: “The Polar Express Unit of Study” . It is available in both English and Spanish and it includes the following activities:

 

Graphic Organizers

Vocabulary Cards

 Polar Express Tickets

Writing Prompts

 Place Value Math Station

 2 Digit Addition Math Station 

2 Digit Subtractions Math Station

 Ordering Numbers math Stations

 

 

   

Love,

 

 

 

 

 

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