The Wolfe Pack {Reviews~Resources~Suggestions~Support for the Discerning Homeschool Mom}

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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.

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.

Nutcrackers: 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 Two: NUTCRACKERS

Surely, your kids have seen NUTCRACKERS somewhere during the holidays. Maybe you’ve even taken them to see The Nutcracker Ballet. But do they know what NUTCRACKERS are and how they came to be associated with Christmas? Use this UNIT STUDY to equip you with some fun tools to teach your kids all about NUTCRACKERS!

READ: Confession! I did not realize that the ballet was based on a book. I thought the books were expanded forms of the ballet. But, nope! It’s the other way around. The story was written long before Tchaikovsky took a piece of it and turned it into a ballet!

There are several versions of Nutcracker available to read. Depending on ages, I would suggest the unabridged version of the original story, Nutcracker by E.T.A Hoffman. There are numerous editions of this book with various illustrations put out by different publishers but if it’s by E.T.A Hoffman, it will stick to the original storyline. The one listed below is one of my favorites because it was illustrated by Maurice Sendak, famous for Where the Wild Things Are. Plus, you can snag a FREE mini Book Companion Pack to go along with the book. 

There are also abridged versions of E.T.A. Hoffman’s story, along with a myriad of other adaptations by dozens of other authors. Additionally, there are books based on the famous ballet, which, of course, cut out much of the original story but do serve as a helpful tool to prep kids who are going to see the ballet for Christmas. You can find several other suggestions at the bottom of this post. 

CREATE: There are several NUTCRACKER crafts, though, much to my disappointment, I could not find any that actually crack nuts, haha!  But, I’m not sure how I imagined I had the skill set to create something handy and hardy enough to crack a nut… In any case, here are a few NUTCRACKER crafts that I could manage and, therefore, suggest…..

This Craft Stick Nutcracker Ornament Craft uses only craft sticks, acrylic paint, a hot glue gun and whatever decorative items you want to use for embellishment {feathers, sequins, buttons, glitter, etc}. I’m faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from being considered “crafty”  but even my craft box contains those items. So, this would be an easy choice for me!

This  Jar of Nutcracker Spoons is unique and super cute! But the supplies list would require me to wait for Amazon Prime to deliver as it includes wooden spoons, polymer clay, mod podge and felt. But, it seems simple enough so it might be worth the wait for 2 Day Shipping. 

If you have an artist on your hands, these How To Draw a Nutcracker Step-by-Step instructions seem adaptable to both the beginner and more advanced art students. And all you need is paper, pencils and whatever medium you want to use for color! I could totally do this one! 

And for the easiest nutcracker “craft”, try these Nutcracker Coloring Pages. Print and done!

EXPLORE: There is actually a small NUTCRACKER museum in Washington state. Not only do they have a museum, but they also have a gift shop and a couple of websites. If you go to the main page at Nutcrackermuseum.com, you’ll find a short video that includes some interesting NUTCRACKER history. It’s also an advertisement for the museum but the owner is a super cute 95-year-old woman who just wants to spread her love of NUTCRACKERS with the world! It’s definitely worth checking out! 

ENJOY: These Nutcracker Wafer Cookies are super cute and even my own kitchen skills could manage them. But they’re not the kind of snack I could whip up in ten minutes to accompany a read aloud.

For that, I would probably go for these Nutcracker Juice Box Treats. They require just a couple of juice boxes, some candy, a few apple sauce cups and a wee bit of construction paper. Not only are they cute, they manage to squeeze in a couple of food groups too….kinda. 

Or, if you’re short on patience and skill but like to plan ahead, NUTCRACKER shaped candies are easy to find during the holidays. I think Reeses even has a NUTCRACKER version! 

I’d be remiss if I did not suggest the hands-on approach for a NUTCRACKER snack….get your hands on an actual NUTCRACKER and crack some nuts!

Or, if you are wanting the easiest of ways to enjoy a NUTCRACKER snack, pop open a can of mixed nuts and enjoy while watching this seven-minute video from a walnut-cracking company in Turkey!

LEARN: Apparently, a non-fiction look at NUTCRACKERS is not the hottest topic in the publishing world as I was only able to find one book. But the one I did find, The Art and Character of Nutcrackers happens to have been written by none other than the super cute 95-year-old museum owner mentioned above. Unfortunately, my library did not have the book and it’s about $30 on Amazon but it does look like a very informative coffee-table book so might be worth checking out if you have a real fan of  NUTCRACKERS on your hands. 

But for a short history of NUTCRACKERS, you can grab this WINTER-THEMED INFORMATIONAL TEXT and WRITING PROMPTS PACK for free with code 12DAYSofWINTERWOLFe. It also includes comprehension questions and writing prompts! 

Another way to expand learning on the topic of NUTCRACKERS is to study the man behind the ballet. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers: Tchaikovsky by Mike Venezia offers a thorough but digestible look at Peter Tchaikovksy. We love the entire series of Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers {they also have a series on artists} and if you decide to use this book, there is also a FREE mini Book Companion Pack to go with it!

WRITE: And, once you’ve learned all about NUTCRACKERS, here is a fun little writing activity that kids of all ages will enjoy! It’s FREE in the Writing Activities Pack: Winter Unit Studies. 

Here’s my ridiculous sample! 

There is also an option for kids who want to write more. This assignment asks the student to write a persuasive paragraph from the perspective of the NUTCRACKER. 

READ MORE: Check out these additional books on NUTCRACKERS! Chances are, your library also has great options too! 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

 

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

I hope this NUTCRACKER UNIT STUDY PACK gave you a few fun ideas of how to teach something new this winter!

Be sure to check out the others 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: POLAR BEARS

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.

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

by Leave a Comment

{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 One: GINGERBREAD

Whether it’s cookies, cakes, lattes or candle scents, your kids have surely been exposed to GINGERBREAD in one form or another. But do they know anything about what it is or why it’s part of our Christmas traditions? Let this UNIT STUDY help YOU teach your kids all about GINGERBREAD! 

READ: Chances are, you’ve read one or two versions of the Gingerbread Boy over the years. They all seem to follow the same concept where he is trying to run away and the crowd who follows grows and grows. It’s a fun concept that has loads of potential for literacy fun along the way!

I chose Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett to start because it follows the same pattern as the others only the baby does not die in the end! That’s my kind of story for sure! 

Another fun option is The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires. This one has a southwest flair so it’s much less “Christmassy” but the desert animals add a nice twist to to the whole thing. But, be prepared…this cookie does not survive the ordeal!

Oh, and be sure to check out the FREE FICTION mini BOOK COMPANION PACK. It includes a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast the two stories! 

WRITE: In the FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITIES PACK, you’ll find two GINGERBREAD options. One is this cute little guy that needs to be dressed up in a new persona. And, with that, he needs a new statement too! 

Here’s my silly attempt at a GINGERBREAD REINDEER. It doesn’t need to make sense for learning to take place…as a matter of fact, I think the sillier, the better! {I realize now that my poor reindeer has no ears, oops!}

There is also an option for kids who can/like to write more.  This activity asks the student to create an escape plan for the  GINGERBREAD Man!

CREATE: The two most obvious suggestions for a hands-on GINGERBREAD experience would be to bake cookies or build houses. Pinterest has a plethora of those options and, chances are, you’ve got experience with those already {though, if that’s not the case, I really do recommend both of those activities!} But, let me show you a few other ideas…

These Scented Gingerbread Ornaments are made out of sandpaper and are seriously the cutest GINGERBREAD craft of all! They look super easy to make with fairly common supplies, depending on whether you are married to a handyman or not {that would be a “no” for me. Sandpaper would be something I’d have to pick up for this craft.}

This Gingerbread Play-dough looks fairly quick and easy to make, though I’d be tempted to take an even easier route and just add some GINGERBREAD scent to store-bought Play-Doh and call it a day. Either way, I’m sure the littles would get a kick out of this hands-on way to explore the scent of GINGERBREAD while making an army of malleable GINGERBREAD boys and girls. 

There are also these easy-to-make Stuffed Gingerbread Boys and Girls that take no unusual supplies and can be decorated very simply with crayons or full-on with glitter and baubles. 

EXPLORE: Watch this quick, one-minute video on Pepperkakebyen, The World’s Largest Gingerbread Town. 

Or check out this much longer, but highly informative 44-minute long Gingerbread Journeys that is free on Amazon Prime. 

Gingerbread Journeys

ENJOY: Finding GINGERBREAD things to eat is super easy during the holiday season. Cookies, bread, cake, drinks, creamer, pancakes, hot cocoa….if there was a Pumpkin Spice option in November, there is a GINGERBREAD option now. But, if serving up something sweet is not your desire, you could just as easily light a scented candle to enjoy while reading a good GINGERBREAD book! 

LEARN: I looked far and wide for an informative non-fiction book about GINGERBREAD, but I failed. I checked out our local library but came up empty! Then I tried Amazon and found nothing! {There’s an untapped market for any budding authors!} But, this WINTER-THEMED INFORMATIONAL TEXT and WRITING PROMPTS PACK does include a couple of pages about GINGERBREAD. Be sure to use code 12DAYSofWINTERWOLFe to get the entire pack for free! 

READ MORE: Below you’ll find a great selection of GINGERBREAD stories. Ninja. Girls. Patriots. Mice. Dogs. And more! 

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

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

I hope you found at least a wee bit of something helpful in this GINGERBREAD UNIT STUDY PACK!

Be sure to check out the others 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: NUTCRACKERS

 

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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