Whitewater Valley Railroad
Teaching and Learning with The Polar Express
Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take their...
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Jumanji
Third graders read the book, Jumangi. Then they divide into groups of four or five and choose a habitat - desert, wetlands, Arctic/Antarctic, etc. Then each group can research the habitat to learn what kind of animals live there.
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Space Science: Adventure is Waiting
These full-color handouts feature two activities. The first is a reading on comets, meteors, and meteoroids. Your space science learners will examine ten phrases and determine which of the three each characterizes. The second activity...
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The Polar Express
Students read the story, "The Polar Express." Prior to beginning the story, students predict events of the story and drink hot cocoa. Afterwards, they write a short story about Christmas and create a model train for the classroom....
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Ants
Third graders study the habits and habitats of ants. They research the use of technology as a valuable investigation tool and access other web sites for future research projects. The students make successful decisions while playing SimAnt.
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Using Alliteration in The Z was Zapped
Students discuss alliteration and how it is used in the book The Z Was Zapped. Students choose a letter and create alliterative sentences and illustrate the letter.
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Why Should We Clean The Beach?
Students volunteer for the International Coastal Cleanup. They describe the purpose of the Lake Michigan Foundation and a history of the dunes. They reflect on their experiences with writing.
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ABC It's Easy as 1..2..3..
Students listen to an alphabet book. They explore initial sounds throught the creation of a classroom ABC book. This lesson requires a program application, "Pixie."
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Little Me in a Big World: Ants
Students use the life cycle of an ant to learn about their own self-esteem. In this self-esteem lesson, students read books about ants and discuss obstacles from the stories as well as the ant behavior.