In this activity, students will draw conductor cards, count the syllables, and then place the card on the appropriate spot on the syllable sorting train (1, 2, 3 syllables). AND: Compound Trains: In this activity, the students will have a list of words like the ones in the picture below, and will have to write down trains” or compound words that they find when they put the cards together. “compound Students will be encouraged to come up with 6-8 from the deck of cards. EXAMPLE OF A FEW WORDS: BOTH: Social Studies/Technology Integration: Santas Around the World Some children in this country believe in Santa Claus if they celebrate Christmas. In other countries or cultures, children believe in other figures. Have the students research Clauses” around the “Santa world using iPads and briefly write down and share their findings with their group members. Art: Building your own Conductor In this center, set up supplies so that the children can make themselves into a conductor. They can be creative with this center and incorporate knowledge about conductors from the book to make their own. These can be hung up around the classroom. Writing: Sequencing Events Have the students write a Article” of The Polar Express, sequencing the events in the order they “News happened. The student will have to pick out a few main ideas of the story and focus on these in the paragraph they are allotted. This will help the students remember what happened in the story, as well as recognize the main ideas, and communicate this using new language and words from the story. Reflections and Documentation/Evidence of Lesson Effectiveness There are so many ways to incorporate this Christmas classic in the classroom. These are a few of the ideas I decided to share because I found that they were appropriate for the grade level I intend to teach. These activities will help the students learn new vocabulary, recognize compound words, count syllables, learn about other cultures, and most importantly, have fun. I would only do this lesson if a clear majority of my students celebrate Christmas, and I would still emphasize that there are other holidays and not everyone celebrates in the same way. Taking pieces from different resources allowed me to create a full-bodied lesson that encourages educating the whole student. Literacy and writing are used as well as a social studies and art integration. This allows students of all interests to better comprehend the material and further extend on their learning. The students will walk away with a better understanding of phonics after this lesson.
In this activity, students will draw conductor cards, count the syllables, and then place the card on the appropriate spot on the syllable sorting train (1, 2, 3 syllables). AND: Compound Trains: In this activity, the students will have a list of words like the ones in the picture below, and will have to write down “compound trains” or compound words that they find when they put the cards together. Students will be encouraged to come up with 6-8 from the deck of cards. EXAMPLE OF A FEW WORDS: BOTH: Social Studies/Technology Integration: Santas Around the World Some children in this country believe in Santa Claus if they celebrate Christmas. In other countries or cultures, children believe in other figures. Have the students research “Santa Clauses” around the world using iPads and briefly write down and share their findings with their group members. Art: Building your own Conductor In this center, set up supplies so that the children can make themselves into a conductor. They can be creative with this center and incorporate knowledge about conductors from the book to make their own. These can be hung up around the classroom. Writing: Sequencing Events Have the students write a “News Article” of The Polar Express, sequencing the events in the order they happened. The student will have to pick out a few main ideas of the story and focus on these in the paragraph they are allotted. This will help the students remember what happened in the story, as well as recognize the main ideas, and communicate this using new language and words from the story. Reflections and Documentation/Evidence of Lesson Effectiveness There are so many ways to incorporate this Christmas classic in the classroom. These are a few of the ideas I decided to share because I found that they were appropriate for the grade level I intend to teach. These activities will help the students learn new vocabulary, recognize compound words, count syllables, learn about other cultures, and most importantly, have fun. I would only do this lesson if a clear majority of my students celebrate Christmas, and I would still emphasize that there are other holidays and not everyone celebrates in the same way. Taking pieces from different resources allowed me to create a full-bodied lesson that encourages educating the whole student. Literacy and writing are used as well as a social studies and art integration. This allows students of all interests to better comprehend the material and further extend on their learning. The students will walk away with a better understanding of phonics after this lesson.
christmas_on_the_polar_express__2nd_.docx