Lesson Plan for The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Snowy Day Lesson Plan

Since I live in Georgia, my students have never seen snow. Reading something like The Snowy Day allows them to see the snow without the cold. The addition of a snowy video on the smartboard just helps the atmosphere.

Materials:

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Novel Effect

Crayons

Pattern for Snowglobe

CardStock

Plastic plates

Elmer’s Liquid Glue

Cotton Balls

Makeup pads

Hot Glue Gun/Glue (Be careful it gets HOT!)

Glitter (if desired)

Standards Framework (from the American Association of School Libraries):

I. INQUIRE

Build new knowledge by inquiring, thinking critically, identifying

problems, and developing strategies for solving problems.

V. EXPLORE

Discover and innovate in a growth mindset developed through experience and reflection.

Procedure:

Prior to class, copy the Pattern for Snowglobe onto the cardstock, one for each student.

Normal welcome procedure (mine follows, but use your own):

Hallway greeting (Good morning or good afternoon, give them directions, and we have a feelings board where they touch the picture that shows how they are feeling.)

Send to the story rug (I inherited a rug that has squares with books and a letter of the alphabet, it makes it easy to give them each their own space.)

2 yoga poses (They seem to really enjoy the poses and it’s a good way to calm them at the beginning of our routine.)

Movement (We normally dance to one of the videos by Danny Go. The students seem to respond best to them. Be sure to preview to make sure that there is actual movement. I normally tie the dance to either the story we’re reading or the time of year. Be aware if you have students who can’t celebrate holidays.)

Settle the class on the story rug

Talk about snow (my students have never seen snow so we discussed what they thought it was like and then I gave some real world experience since I grew up in the North).

Read The Snowy Day with Novel Effects

During reading, make sure to stop, pause, question. I had my students identify things, count footprints, predict what would happen, etc.

Suggestions of questions to ask:

How many footprints?

What does Peter have in his hand?

What do you think will happen when Peter hits the tree?

Why did Peter’s mom give him a bath?

What color is Peter’s snowsuit?

After reading, give each student a copy of Pattern for Snowglobe printed on cardstock. Have them write their name somewhere outside the globe.

Have the students draw a “snowy” scene within the globe. I gave mine directions to draw an image or idea from the story. Use the Elmer’s glue to stick cotton balls and makeup pads to create “snow” within the globes. **Note, make sure that they don’t allow the cotton to puff up too much or the covers won’t fit.

When they’ve finished their pictures, take the globes, spread a little glitter in the globe and then use the hot glue to glue the plate over it to form a dome.

Once dry, hang them up or send them home with the students.

For me, this was a great way to let my students experience snow. Since I live in the South, we rarely see snow. Ironically, the month after I did this, we did actually have snow. Enough that we all got to experience it. My students came in after we got back from the snow days and told me excitedly that they got to see snow like Peter. A lot of them played in it, although there wasn’t enough to have the adventure that Peter had.