About this book
Subject Area: Science, Language Arts
Book Summary
The book uses beautifully painted illustrations, rhyming and predictable text, and large print to pose questions to children about what happens to things in the environment when winter comes.
Objective
Children will use language, creative thinking, and socialization skills to create a class mural based on the book When Winter Comes.
Before Reading
Write Winter on the top of a sheet of chart paper. Ask the children to close their eyes and think about winter. What comes to their minds when they think about winter? Record their responses.
Teaching Plan
Our Winter Mural
Materials
- Brown or white mural paper
- Tempera paint
- Sponges
- Paintbrushes
- Tissue, drawing, and construction paper
- Chart paper
- Crayons, pencils, and markers
- Writing paper
- Child safety scissors
- Glue
- Read When Winter Comes several times so the class has an opportunity to learn the text and concepts of the book.
- Develop a language-experience chart to record what they have learned about winter. Use the book to help them to recall the answers to each question posed in the book.
- Explain to the children that they will work together to create a mural about winter that will depict things that they have learned in the book. Ask them to think of how they would depict the winter sky, ground, below ground, and the water. Work with the class to develop ideas about what types of drawings and painting should go on the mural. Make a list of their ideas and have children choose specific areas of the mural to design.
- Provide them with a variety of art materials to create their mural. Some children may want to paint directly onto the paper while others may prefer creating drawings to glue onto the mural. Use sponges to create snowy textures, similar to those used in the illustrations in the book.
- After they have completed their mural provide the children with writing paper. Assist them to write When Winter Comes at the top of their writing paper. Ask them in writing about something they learned from the book.
- Display their mural and writings. Include a copy of the cover of the book with a description of the activity. Congratulate the class for their creativity and cooperation skills.
Other Books About Winter
Stella, Queen of the Snow
by Marie-Louise Gay
Children will enjoy this very funny story about the exuberant Stella who teaches her younger brother Sam everything he needs to know while experiencing his first snowfall.
Millions of Snowflakes
by Mary McKenna Siddals
Rhyming text captures a child's reaction to the season's first snowfall.
When Winter Comes
by Robert Maass
Real-life photographs and simple text focus on the events and activities of winter.
Other Books by Nancy Van Laan
Rainbow Crow: A Lenape Tale
The Magic Bean Tree: A Legend From Argentina
A Tree for Me
- Part of Collection:
- Everything You Need:
- Subjects:Literature, Cause and Effect, Literature Appreciation, Listening Comprehension, Expository Writing, Early Reading, Early Science, Early Writing, Science through Literature, Winter, Visual Arts, Winter Themes
- Skills:Development of Reading Comprehension, Cause and Effect, Listening Comprehension, Expository Writing
