Language Arts

Reading
Winter Books

Geography/Social
Studies
Locations (Where

Snow Days
Temperature
Snowflakes
Winter Poems
Winter Activities
Holidays

does it snow)
Historical event
(effect of snow)
Celebrations:

Fall Books
Life Cycles
Leaves
Pumpkins
Orchards
Holidays
Fall Activities
Scarecrows

(What does it look

like?)

Winter

Poems
Stories

Spelling/ Vocab

&

Fall Objects
Winter Objects

English

Fall

Figurative Language
Synonyms
Discuss:Similarities &
differences, what was
learned, collaborative
conversation

Solid & liquids

(ice/ snow)
Temperature
(thermometer
)
Insects in the
Winter
Changing
colors of
leaves (why?)
Life cycle
(pumpkins/ap
ples)

Different Cultures
Fall around the word

Writing

Speech

Science

Perks:

Nature Walks
Movies
Snacks
Sledding
Pumpkin Patch

Music/Art/PE in the Winter

Christmas music
Sledding
Making snowflakes
Making snowmen
North Pole Adventure
School Plays/Programs

Math
Symmetry
(snowflakes)
Estimation: How
many cotton balls
fill up the
snowman
Measurement:
Apple Pie
Graphing: Leaf
color
Sorting: Leaves,
acorns, sticks
Music/Art/PE in the Fall
Nature Walks
Making gingerbread
men/houses, halloween
masks, scarecrows
Teaching Pitch (Fall
lesson plan)

Seasons Winter &

Fall
Themed Unit
Mini-literature files
By: Haili Cupp

Title: The Snowy Day

Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Illustrator:
ISBN: 0140501827
Description: This is a story about what a child
(Peter) does on a snowy day. After he wakes up and
notices the snow he ventures outside. This story
shows what takes place when it snows, such as,
snowball fights that he does not participate in,
snow angels, melting snowballs and much more.

Title: Owl Moon

Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: John Schoenherr
ISBN: 0399214577
Description: This story is about a father and a
daughter in the winters that go owling. (Looking for
owls) There isnt much talking, but the book
focuses on nature as well as the time spent
between father and daughter. This would be great
books to talk about word choice after looking at
this book.

Title: The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's

Wonder
Author: Mark Cassino
Illustrator: John Nelson
ISBN: 0811868664
Description: This book talks all about snow. It
talks about the shapes snowflakes take, how snow
crystals form, that not any snow crystal is alike,
and much more. It also has instructions on
snowflake catching.

Title: Winter Poems

Author: Barbara Rogasky
Illustrator: Trina Hyman
ISBN: 059042873X
Description: This book celebrates winter through
the voices of some of the world's greatest poets.
Twenty-five poems by William Shakespeare, Edgar
Allan Poe, Wallace Stevens, Edna St. Vincent Millay,
and others are accompanied by glistening acrylic
paintings of snowy landscapes.

Title: Winter Is the Warmest Season

Author: Lauren Stringer
Illustrator:
ISBN: 0152049673
Description: This book is about winter being the
warmest season because of the hot coco, grilled
cheese sandwiches, bubble baths and so much
more. They compare winter being warmer because
all of the warm things we do. This is opposite from
summer because in the summer we swim in coldwater etc.

Title: Snowflake Bentley

Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Illustrator: Mary Azarian
ISBN: 0395861624
Description: This book is about Wilson Bentley. As
a young boy he was fascinated with snowflakes.
When he grew up he captured snowflakes and
learned that no two snowflakes are the same. This
book is about the wonders of natures, a scientist
vision, and wonderful snowflakes.

Title: A Perfect Day

Author: Carin Berger
Illustrator:
ISBN: 006201580X
Description: This is a book about snow. The snow
starts to fall and finally it sticks. This book talks
about all the fun ideas and activities children can
experience and do in the snow.

Title: White Snow, Bright Snow

Author: Alvin Tresselt
Illustrator: Roger Duvoisin
ISBN: 0688082947
Description: This book is about the first snowfall
in a small town. It is very poetic and express what
happens when the snow falls for the first time and
who it affects. Not only the adults, but the fun and
exciting activities the children experience.

Title: Winter Eyes

Author: Douglas Florian
Illustrator:
ISBN: 0688164587
Description: This book is about all the fun, and
not so fun about winter. This book describes fun
activities as well as the sickness and colds to go
along with it. This book is very poetic and has great
illustrations all about winter fun.

Title: Snowmen at Night

Author: Caralyn Buehner
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
ISBN: 0803725507
Description: This book is about snowmen that
come alive at night. This book talks about the
activities that snowmen do during the night time
and why they dont always look the same in the
morning.

Title: Who Loves Fall?

Author: Bob Raczka
Illustrator: Judy Stead
ISBN: 0807590371
Description: This book is about things that love
fall. This book help children learn about the sports,
fun, and holidays in fall. It also has a fall facts page
to learn more about fall.

Title: Fall (As the Earth Turns)

Author: Lynn M. Stone
Illustrator:
ISBN: 1559160195
Description: This book is from a series of books
The Changing Earth (As the Earth Turns Series) This
specific book, Fall (As the Earth Turns) introduces
the movements of the Earth that are responsible
for the arrival of autumn, and describes the
changes in plants and animals that happen when
autumn comes to North America.

Title: Its Fall!

Author: Linda Glaser
Illustrator: Susan Swan
ISBN: 0439400171
Description: This book is a great book to
introduce students to fall. This book explores the
animal life, the plant life; the colors and feeling you
get in the Fall months. It also has an activity page
with different activities you can do outside.

Title: Fall Mixed Up

Author: Bob Raczka
Illustrator: Chad Cameron
ISBN: 0761362150
Description: This book is about Fall, but
everything is mixed up. Yes, you go trick or treating
in the Fall but you dont go trick or treating for
stuffing. In this book everything about fall is mixed
up, the holidays, sports, food, and so much more.
This book will keep students engaged and will
spark up great conversation about what REALLY
happens in Fall.

Title: Fall Leaves

Author: Don L. Curry
Illustrator:
ISBN: 0516259040
Description: This books helps students
experience Fall by identify words with the season.

Fits national reading standards by linking images to the text to provide picture clues and introducing
age-appropriate vocabulary.
- Top reading specialists have leveled this text as appropriate for emergent readers.
- The repetitive language, structure, and rhyming patterns help children decipher words.
- Word lists at the back of each book help build reading vocabularies.
Grades K-4 National Social Studies Standards
- People, Places, and Environments: III
- Examine the interaction between humans and their physical environment
- Individual Development and Identity: IV
- Describe personal connections to place, especially immediate surroundings
- Identify and describe ways family, groups, and community influence the individual's daily life and
personal choices

Title: Why Do Leaves Change Colors?

Author: Betsy Maestro
Illustrator: Loretta Krupinski
ISBN: 0064451267
Description: This book is an informative concept
book. It teaches children how and why leaves
change colors. It also has places that the children
can go and visit as well as activities they can do
with leaves.

Title: How Do Apples Grow?

Author: Betsy Maestro
Illustrator: Giulio Maestro
ISBN: 0064451178
Description: This book is book teaches students
how an apple grows. Starting from the bud, to the
flower, to the fruit, and when it is ready to be
picked.

Title: The Pumpkin Patch

Author: Elizabeth King
Illustrator:
ISBN: 014055968X
Description: This is another book that talks about
the life cycle of a plant, in this a pumpkin. It also
describes all of the things that go on at a pumpkin
patch.

Title: Fall is here! I Love It!

Author: Elaine W. Good
Illustrator:
ISBN: 1561481424
Description: This book takes place on the farm.
This book describes the smell, touch, taste, colors,
and sights of fall.

Title: In November
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Jill Kastner
ISBN: 0152063420
Description: This book is a soft quiet book that
talks about the month of November. The cold
weather that is soon to come, pushing away all of
the warm weather, plants, and some animals.

.
Title: Mouses First Halloween
Author: Lauren Thompson
Illustrator: Buket Erdogan
ISBN: 0689831765
Description: This book is about mouses first
Halloween he finds out that first impressions can
be misleading and nothing is really that scary. This
book takes you through the different aspects of fall.

Title: Scarecrow
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator:
ISBN: 015201084X
Description: This book is about the life of a
scarecrow. He can see everything and everyone
can see him. He sees each season changing and
the crops growing.

Title: The Apple Pie Tree

Author: Zoe Hall
Illustrator: Shari Halpern
ISBN: 0689831765
Description: This book is about two sisters whose
tree is finally producing apples. This is another
concept book about how things grow from blossom
to fruit. It also has an Apple Pie recipe that would
be great for math and measuring.

Response to Themed Teaching

I believe that this is a great approach to teaching, especially if you
want to be very organized. I really like this approach because I love to be
organized, but it is also A LOT of work. I found myself wanting to find lesson
plans and print out worksheets to go along with each day. I found myself
wanting to plan more activities etc. It does have its benefits be for both the
teacher and the student because it is laid out and organized. It would be
easy for a substitute to come in and teach this whole themed unit. It would
also be very easy for students to get the hang of the units by theme and
would make for very smooth transitions. I think the students would learn a lot
from these themed united because you can integrate other subject areas so
easily. The only drawbacks I see would be the time it takes designing these
themed units. Also, I added a few field trips and food/drink ideas that may
not be possible in many schools.