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Archives for December 2020

Steam Trains: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live!

 

Day Twelve: STEAM TRAINS

The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg is a classic Christmas book {even though it’s relatively young in the literature world} and was always one I read with my students when I taught in the classroom. I know that STEAM TRAINS are not a “winter-themed” topic but there is just something about this STEAM TRAIN going on this particular journey that just whispers “winter” to me. 

READ: Like I said above,  The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg is a classic. If you don’t have it in your Christmas library, you should really consider getting it. And if you have only ever seen the movie, you DEFINITELY need to read the book. Though a Christmas classic in it’s own right, the animation in the movie has some sort of odd feel to it….something the book doesn’t have. So, definitely check out the book. And, if you do, be sure to use the pages found in the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK!

WRITE:  Freight Train by Donald Crews is a sweet little book that lends itself perfectly to this writing activity. Whether you read the book or not, your little ones are sure to love this activity which you can find in the FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITY PACK.

CREATE: This POPSICLE STICK TRAIN CRAFT uses just popsicle sticks, white glue, red/green paint {optional} and various embellishments. You can also make TRAIN TRACKS with the same supplies! This EGG CARTON TRAIN CRAFT is more involved than just popsicle sticks and glue but you can actually work on ways to make it move! 

EXPLORE: Trains by Amy Shields- National Geographic Kids is a great little easy reader all about TRAINS. It is written at a basic level but is filled with factual information that leaves the reader with quite a bit of knowledge about TRAINS. And you can use the applicable pages in the FREE NON-FICTION mini BOOK COMPANION PACK  to check on that new-found knowledge! 

ENJOY: This GRAHAM CRACKER TRAIN SNACK is super easy to make with graham crackers, nilla wafers, cheerios and some candy. Or here is A DIFFERENT VERSION that uses graham crackers, mini Oreos, mini marshmallows and a few M&Ms. 

LEARN: There are a couple of great STEAM TRAIN documentaries to consider:

Great American Steam {3 minutes}

A Story of Steam {15 minutes}

And Then There Was One {90 minutes}

READ MORE: Below is a good mix of both fiction and non-fiction books about STEAM TRAINS. 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

I hope this EVERGREEN TREES UNIT STUDY gave you at least a few ideas about how to weave in some education this holiday season! 

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Snow: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live!

Day Eleven: SNOW

Whether you live in sunny California or frigid Minnesota, a series of WINTER UNIT STUDIES would not be complete without doing SNOW!

READ:  The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is one of my ALL-TIME favorite books because of its sweet story, lovely illustrations and sad ending. Yes, the sad ending is one of the aspects that makes it such a sweet tale. And it offers great lessons for kids and adults of all ages….and all without a single word! Be sure to grab the FREE mini FICTION BOOK COMPANION PACK to work on your student’s comprehension skills. 

WRITE: And to go along with The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is this cute writing activity. You can find it in the FREE Winter-Themed Writing Activity Pack. It’s easy and quick but really does a great job of connecting the student to the book by asking for something his/her snowman liked and something it didn’t. 

Here is my silly sample. I’m sure your kiddos can do much better than I did! My poor snowman doesn’t even have a hat….then again, if you saw the way I drew the hat on my snowman in the HIBERNATION UNIT STUDY, you might think a hatless snowman is an improvement. 

There is also a paragraph activity for kids who want to write more. This one asks the student to create a way for the snowman not to melt at the end of the book. 

EXPLORE: The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Jon Nelson is a great NON-FICTION book that does just what the title says! It tells the story of snow…how it starts, how it builds and how it falls. In addition to the easy-to-digest but real scientific text, it also has both great illustrations AND photographs. There are comprehension questions that go along with it in the FREE NON-FICTION mini BOOK COMPANION PACK that should allow your kids to take their learning to the next level. 

There is also a great 40+ minute documentary on SNOW  that I would recommend: Secrets of the Greatest SNOW on Earth by National Geographic. 

ENJOY: This Cucumber Carrot Snowman Snack is super easy to make and healthy too! In addition to some cucumber slices and a bit of cleverly-cut carrot pieces, it also uses a couple of pretzel sticks and some raisins. 

This Pretzel Marshmallow Snowflake Snack is not as healthy but is just as easy and cute! It requires just small marshmallows and some pretzel sticks!

Another SNOW snack option {that could actually be served as lunch or dinner} is these Snowman Mini Pizzas. All you need is some sort of round carb base {she used biscuit dough, but you could easily use crackers, mini pitas, sandwich thins, tortillas, or actual pizza dough} plus some sauce, cheese, olives and cleverly-cut carrot slices. 

All of the above rely on the imagination to incorporate the SNOW theme into the snack but if you actually have SNOW to work with, then you may want to make some Snow Ice Cream with fresh snow, condensed milk and vanilla. 

But, really, the best SNOW snack idea is this one. Just check it out. Seriously, THIS is what I would serve and call it a day! 

And, while your kids enjoy their SNOW snacks and water, ha ha, they can enjoy The Snowman on Amazon Prime!

CREATE: There are so many SNOW crafts on Pinterest. SO MANY! I’ll just list a few of my favorites to give you a good selection: 

Symmetrical Snowflake Craft

Snowpaint

Melted Snowman

Salt Snowflakes

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

LEARN:  Your kids have probably all heard the song, Let It Snow but do they know the words? Use this SONG LITERACY PACK to teach them the lyrics and also work on some pertinent literacy skills. It’s not normally free, but if you use code SnowingWOLFe, it will be totally FREE for you! 

READ MORE: A wee bit below are several other good books on SNOW. Each would make a great addition to any SNOW study! 

I hope this SNOW UNIT STUDY provided at least a few ideas to spark an interest in SNOW this winter! 

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

Next up: STEAM TRAINS

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Sleighs: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live!

Day Ten: SLEIGHS

I wanted to create a LITERACY PACK for Jingle Bells and that started me down this path of a UNIT STUDY on SLEIGHS. I’ll admit, it’s kind of an odd topic to study but I was still surprised that I could not find a single NON-FICTION book on SLEIGHS. I think I need to start a list of topics for books that need to be written! But, there are some super cute FICTION books along with an informative video so all was not lost! 

READ: Despite the fact that it follows the same pattern as 1000 other Christmas books {the sleigh wants to grow up and work with Santa,} this book is one of my new favorites! Who knew you could fall in love with a little red sleigh? This book is a great place to start your UNIT STUDY on SLEIGHS because it does a good job of crossing over the line between SLED to SLEIGH. If you don’t have Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger, I highly recommend adding it to your Christmas collection. And don’t forget to grab the FREE FICTION mini BOOK COMPANION PACK to go along with it. 

Another cute SLEIGH book is The 12 Sleighs of Christmas by Sherri Duskey Rinker. It introduces a series of innovative SLEIGHS that Santa’s elves have invented in hopes of solving Santa’s problem. Of course, none of them work right and disaster occurs! It’s a silly book but creates an opportunity to discuss what makes a SLEIGH work and what doesn’t. And, yes, flying REINDEER is what makes Santa’s SLEIGH work! Don’t forget to make use of the comprehension activities found in the FREE mini FICTION BOOK COMPANION PACK. 

WRITE: One-Dog Sleigh by Mary Cassanova is one of my favorite types of books! Each page adds on to the last so that when the sleigh ride starts, there is only a little girl and a dog being pulled by a pony but by the time the book ends, there is a girl, dog, deer, bear, mouse and more! It’s really rather cute and lends itself perfectly to this fun writing activity. 

Your kids can either draw their own animals or cut out the ARCTIC animals and glue them on. Both are found in the WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITIES PACK. {Note: If you want the Arctic animals and downloaded the pack prior to 12-11-20, you’ll need to download the pack again.}

Of course, there is also a paragraph option that asks kids to design a new SLEIGH for Santa and describe it. 

ENJOY: As you might guess, there are not too many SLEIGH snacks out there but this cute Santa Sleigh that was designed as a gift is actually editable and made with nothing but candy so your kids will be sure to devour it! Problem is….if you buy the supplies for it {candy canes, Hershey Miniatures,  Santa Hat Kisses and Royal Icing,} you’ll end up with a boat-load of the little sleighs! A more elaborate {and expensive} version of that snack is this one. It takes a full-size candy bar, several more Hershey Minitarues, a chocolate Santa and some ribbon. It would also make a great gift!

CREATE:  Apparently candy canes are a popular item to use in SLEIGH crafts! This one requires only candy canes, popsicle sticks and hot glue. Add some ribbon if you want to turn it into an ornament! There is also this cute Paper Plate Sleigh Full of Snowmen! It requires paper plate, white/grey/black paper, some markers and glue. Paint and glitter, optional. It looks pretty easy and because it uses a cutout of your child’s hand, it’s a great one to do every year. I always loved seeing how those progress! 

EXPLORE: If you are feeling especially enthusiastic, you can set up this Sleigh-Building Challenge. It requires more time, materials and patience than I normally have but it would make a great activity for a co-op class….or a mom who typically has it all together. 

Or you can take the easy route like me and show your kid this quick 9-minute video, Sleighs and Sleighbells. It gives some easy-to-digest history about SLEIGHS and requires no materials or patience! 

LEARN: Check out this JINGLE BELLS SONG LITERACY PACK. It’s a great way for your kids to learn the most famous stanza of a carol we all know and love but also to work on rhyming, comprehension, reading and writing! It’s not free in my store but with code FREEJingleWOLFe, it’s FREE for you! Plus, it’s tons of fun to sing that one stanza over and over and over again! 

READ MORE: Below are some more FICTION books about SLEIGHS. But, sadly, there are no NON-FICTION books listed. Seriously, I am going to start keeping a list of all the unsung topics!

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

I hope this SLEIGHS UNIT STUDY inspires you to add this to your list of fun things to teach this holiday season! 

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Next up: SNOW

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

 

Poinsettias: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live!

 

Day Nine: POINSETTIAS

A few years ago our Homeschool Co-op had a Christmas-themed day where we swapped rooms and the kids did a series of different crafts with different teachers. I was assigned POINSETTIAS, which seemed like a fun idea but when I went to find a book to read to go with my craft, I was sorely disappointed to find a very small selection. “Very small” meaning one. There was one book about POINSETTIAS. One. On all of Amazon, there was one book. So, I bought that book, chose a craft and managed to put together a fun and festive lesson for the kids but it never felt quite complete. So, when I chose the topics for this series, I decided to give POINSETTIAS another chance.  I just knew there had to be more out there about the plant that rivals the Christmas tree as themed-foliage! 

READ:  So, Zetta the Poinsettia by Alama Hammond is NOT the one book mentioned above. Turns out a new POINSETTIA has finally come on the scene! Zetta! This is a sweet, little book written in the same spirit as many of the EVERGREEN TREE books…she just wants to be loved and appreciated by somebody this Christmas season. But, the book also imparts some factual information about POINSETTIAS along the way. You’ll also find a list of POINSETTIA facts in the very back. And if you grab the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK, you can be sure your kids retained some of the information they read. 

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola is the ONE BOOK mentioned above. As the name suggests, the book is all about the Mexican legend associated with the POINSETTIA. If you use this book, be sure to grab the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK too. 

WRITE: The FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITIES PACK offers two simple yet fun ways to write about POINSETTIAS. 

Apparently, as this series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES, progresses, my art skills are declining….and they were already in trouble to begin with!  But, hopefully, Maisy the Daisy gives you enough of an idea of what your kiddos can do with this WRITING ACTIVITY. 

And if you have a more developed writer on your hands, there is an option for him too! This WRITING ACTIVITY asks the student to create a legend for a different plant or flower. 

CREATE: I made this PAPER POINSETTIA craft with my co-op kids do. It’s supposed to be garland but I just had each kid make them as individual pieces. They are super-duper easy, inexpensive and rather classy looking. It’s been three {or four!!!} years, and we still put some of these up on our shelves during the holidays. Another cute craft is this POINSETTIA PAINT PROJECT which obviously involves paint, which has never been my best friend. But, if you are braver than me, it really does look cute. It uses sponges so fairly simple…but still messy! 

EXPLORE: I was surprised to come across so many POINSETTIA videos/documentaries:

A Look Inside a Poinsettia Farm {3 minutes}

Poinsettia Care Tips {6 minutes}

Virtual Tour 2020 {17 minutes}

ENJOY: These Poinsettia Pretzel Bites look super yummy and festive but I’m not sold on them being too POINSETTIA-like. But, they are certainly Christmassy-looking and they seem very easy to make! They require pretzels, M&Ms and white candy melts. 

Another option that looks more like POINSETTIAS,  in my opinion, are these POINSETTIA CHEESECAKE SQUARES. Cheesecake is literally my favorite dessert in the world but I admit that this snack doesn’t need the cheesecake in order to keep its POINSETTIA-ness. You could just serve up the strawberries and mint garnish as a healthy and themed snack and call it good! 

LEARN:  For the quickest way to teach about POINSETTIAS, grab the applicable pages found in the WINTER-THEMED INFORMATIONAL TEXT AND WRITING PACK.  It’s not listed as free in my store, but if you use code FREEWinterWOLFe, it will ring up as totally free!

READ MORE: See below for the very small list of POINSETTIA books available…and one of those is a coloring book! I’m telling ya…there’s a real market opportunity here for somebody! 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

I hope this POINSETTIAS UNIT STUDY gave you at least a few ideas about how to teach this subject {which was probably not on your list of “things I wish I knew how to teach about” before now!} 

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Next up: SLEIGHS

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

The Iditarod: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic! To read more about the concepts behind my UNIT STUDIES, read this. 

If you find it handy to have a simplified printable of these suggestions, you can find one, along with several free printables,  here in the FREE Iditarod Unit Study Printable Pack.

Otherwise, read on for a more detailed version with links embedded! 

{Note: The links are pink! Just think, “pink link” if you are wanting to follow a link to something.}

THE IDITAROD

INTRO: If you are not familiar with THE IDITAROD, it’s basically a multi-day sled-dog race across the infamous trail in Alaska. While we lived in the U.P. of Michigan for a few years, we were able to witness the start of one of the qualifiers for THE IDITAROD and, while it was crowded and cold, I’m so glad we made it happen. We also went on a homeschool field trip to a local dog-sled facility and had to wait for hours for our turn on a sled. But, my goodness am I glad we waited! The thing I remember most about both of those experiences were the dogs. They were nothing short of ecstatic to be there doing their “jobs.” It really brought to light that some dogs are truly made to fulfill certain roles and to perform specific tasks. And, sled dogs, as hard as their jobs may seem to us, love what they do! 

READ:  Akiak by Robert J Blake is based on the true story of an amazing sled dog. I won’t spoil it for you but will say that it not only speaks to the amazing skill and heart of this sled dog but also gives quite a few peeks into what THE IDITAROD is. Check out the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK for a couple of quick comprehension activities to go along with it. 

If You Were a Kid At The Iditarod by Jose Gregory is a book that’s part fiction and part non-fiction but it’s chockfull of great info about THE IDITAROD! Be sure to grab the FREE mini NON-FICTION BOOK COMPANION PACK too.

Born to Pull by Bob Cary includes a lot of cool information about sled dogs and does a great job of showcasing them as the ones who deserve most of the glory related to THE IDITAROD.  

Storm Run by Libby Riddles shares the true story of the first woman to win THE IDITAROD which did not occur until 1985. 

Togo by Robert J Blake is the story of an unlikely sled-dog who ended up leading the trek to save an Alaskan town from Diphtheria.

WRITE: Sled dogs are the heart and soul of THE IDITAROD and really deserve most, if not all,  of the credit for any sled that crosses the finish line.  With this cute little writing activity, your kids can create their own sled dog by giving him a name and completing a sentence about what makes him special. You can find it in THE IDITAROD UNIT STUDY PRINTABLE PACK.

There is also another writing activity that calls for more writing which should be fun for slightly older kids! 

LEARN: If you don’t have access to the books mentioned above, another great option is this short reading passage found in THE IDITAROD UNIT STUDY PRINTABLE PACK. You’ll find an informational text reading passage with comprehension questions and a writing prompt. 

CREATE: So, you know I’m all about easy crafts but, I gotta say, there aren’t too many easy crafts based around THE IDITAROD {unless you count these coloring pages. Ya can’t get much easier than that.}

There are some not-so-easy crafts, though. But, they do look rather fun and would surely serve as a great reminder of learning all about THE IDITAROD.

There are a couple of options to make itty bitty dog sleds out of popsicle sticks. And you can even print out little dogs to pull your sled! 

Or you can go even more complicated and make an entire sled team out of paper! 

If you have a painter on your hands, this Huskey painting looks super cute. It does cost a couple of bucks to buy the tutorial but it might be worth the agony of trying to free-hand it. 

EXPLORE: There is a really great educational website dedicated to nothing but THE IDITAROD. If you do any extra exploration on this topic, I would definitely start here.  

I also highly recommend this 3-minute video, What Is The Iditarod. It’s short but gives a great little overview of the subject. 

If you want to enjoy something quick just about the dogs and how they train, this little video will do the trick! 

Or you could go the route of this nearly two-hour documentary, Iditarod 2020 Highlights. 

And, if nothing else, check out these cute husky puppies just because! 

ENJOY: Unless you’re down for making husky-shaped cookies, the snack options for THE IDITAROD are pretty limited. But, what happens when homeschool mamas can’t find what they want? They get creative! So, check out this video and let your kids eat LIKE husky dogs! All you’ll need is some deli turkey, a banana, plain yogurt and a few blueberries. 

READ MORE: There are lots of great options for books about THE IDITAROD. Below is just a small sample….

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

I hope this IDITAROD UNIT STUDY gave you a little inspiration for teaching about this unique subject. 

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Next up: POINSETTIAS

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

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