Lesson Plan

Wild Christmas Reindeer Lesson Plan

  • Grades: PreK–K, 1–2

About this book

Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3
Lexile Measure: 670L
Guided Reading Level: P
Age: Age 6, Age 7, Age 5
Genre: Fantasy
Subject: Cooperation and Teamwork, Animals, Determination and Perseverance, Christmas, Manners and Conduct

Overview

I use The Wild Christmas Reindeer as part of a Jan Brett author study. I also use it to remind students how to treat others. My students enjoy the story and the illustrations.

Objective

Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; and for personal fulfillment.

Materials

  • The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

Set Up and Prepare
Tell the students that you are going to read the words on a page then give them a chance to discuss the illustrations and notice the details.

Directions

Be sure to have the students talk about the story that is happening at the side of each page.  Allow time for the students to notice the details in the illustrations on each page. Discuss the lesson Teeka learned in the story.

Lesson Extensions

The students could visit Jan Brett's website for more activities and coloring pages based on The Wild Christmas Reindeer.
The students could learn more about Norway and reindeer by visiting the Internet links listed in the resources.
The students could use KidPix on the computer to draw their own illustrations.
The students could write a book about reindeer and use their KidPix drawings to illustrate it.

Related Resources
www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/piggybacks_wild_christmas_reindeeer.htm
The Wild Christmas Reindeer newsnotes -  www.janbrett.com/newsnotes/reindeer_newsnotes2.htm
Winterfarm coloring page - www.janbrett.com/reindeer_towers_coloring_page.htm
Winterfarm ornaments - www.janbrett.com/reindeer_ornaments_coloring_page.htm
Norway links:  www.visitnorway.com/
Map - http://drift.uninett.no/kart/norgeskartet/index.php
Flag - http://fotw.fivestarflags.com/no.html
The World Factbook: Norway - www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/no.html
The Royal Family - www.kongehuset.no/default.asp?lang=eng
Norway photos - www.jorgetutor.com/noruega/noruega.htm
Christmas in Norway - www.californiamall.com/holidaytraditions/traditions-Norway.htm
Rosemaling - www.elca.org/countrypackets/norway/crafts.html
Rosemaling styles - www.rosemaling.org/styles.htm
Rosemaling samples - www.twinportsrosemaling.org/new-gallery.htm
Norwegian trunk - www.state.nd.us/hist/forms/olsontrunkletter.pdf
Scandinavian festival - www.twinportsrosemaling.org/
Reindeer links: www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/caribou_reindeer.html
http://arctic.fws.gov/carcon.htm

  • Part of Collection:
    Jan Brett Author Study
  • Subjects:
    Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences, Writing, Animals, Arts and Creativity, Christmas, Communication and the Internet
  • Skills:
    Development of Reading Comprehension, Writing
  • Duration:
    1 Class Period
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