Students definitely love a snow day, but for teachers, it can throw a wrench into lesson plans. Even as the winter weather subsides and school reopens, it’s not always easy to pick up where you left off—it often takes time to get back in the groove of teaching and learning, especially after an unexpected break.
Prepare your students for the wonders of winter with 27 books about snow and snowman!
While you may welcome a snow day here and there, it’s important to have a few engaging activities planned and ready to go for your return. From winter writing prompts to reading about the science of snowflakes, these books and activities are an easy and effective way to reset after a snow day and ease your students back into learning!
Winter Reading and Writing Wonderland
There’s often nothing better, and easier, than a read aloud to welcome your students back from a snow day. Books like There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow, The Big Snow, and Snowmen at Night are perfect choices for riding the coattails of a fun-filled snow day and getting your students back in the swing of things. Whether you choose one, two, or all three books to read aloud to your students, follow up with a few writing or discussion prompts to encourage your students to reflect upon their snow day experience. Here are a few prompts to help them get started:
- What was the most exciting part of your snow day?
- Describe the first time you ever played in the snow?
- What’s more fun: sledding or building a snowman? Why?
Avalanche!
While your students likely only experienced a few inches of snow this go-round, it’s still a great opportunity to teach them about snow and ice of epic proportions. Avalanches from the True Book Series is filled with heart-pumping stories of what happens when waves of ice and snow break free from mountains and cause catastrophic damage. After reading, encourage students to work in pairs to brainstorm adjectives and action verbs they can use to describe an avalanche. Remind them to think about what an avalanche would sound like rushing down a mountain face—the crack of ice and snow, trees breaking, etc.—and what an avalanche would look and feel like. Once they have a long list, ask students to write a paragraph to describe the avalanche using as many adjectives and action verbs as they can from their list.
Snowflake Science
Your students already know that no two snowflakes are alike and that the science of snowflakes is fascinating! In Snowflake Bentley, your students will learn about another young child so intrigued by snowflakes that he grew up to become one of the first people in the world to photograph them. The perfect book to welcome students back to class after a snow day, read it aloud to your students before jumping back into your regularly scheduled science lesson or dive deeper into the world of snow with this fun and engaging read about the water cycle!
Unexpected breaks from snow, or even from cold and flu season, can really disrupt the rhythm and flow of your teaching. But with these easy, ready-to-go activities, getting your students back into the swing of learning will be a breeze! For more engaging winter reads and teaching tools to welcome your students back from an unexpected snow day, check out these other essential resources from Scholastic!
Want more great content? Click here to subscribe to our Teacher Newsletter and get teaching ideas delivered right to your inbox.