As December 21st marks the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the season brings a mix of weather patterns and teaching opportunities. From snowy landscapes to icy adventures, these 5 cross-curricular lesson ideas will help your students dive into the magic of winter. Using resources from our Units on the Sun, Ice Age, Shelter, Rain & Show, and Glaciers, you can integrate science, geography, and history into your classroom while embracing the spirit of the season.
Science
With your students, celebrate the Winter Solstice with our Sun Unit, especially with Rotation, Revolution, and Eclipses.Nicolaus Copernicus, Anaxagoras, Galileo Galilei, Hans Bethe, and Charles Critchfield are just a few of the people who have made observations that changed the way we view the Earth and Sun. Have students research one of these people and write a report about how the person’s findings added to the knowledge of the Sun.
Math
From our Ice Age Unit, students learn that the Ice Age started around 70,000 years ago, peaked around 20,000 years ago, and ended around 10,000 years ago. Have students do some math problems using these numbers. For example: In approximately what year did the Ice Age start? In approximately what year did the Ice Age peak? What year signaled the end of the Ice Age? What year will be 70,000 years from today?
Art
Have students work together to draw a mural showing different kinds of structures people call home in cold weather. Students might look through the Shelter Unit to see tents, houseboats, apartments, igloos, and so on, as well as the size and shape of various homes. Students might also want to look at Shelter from the Cold for ideas about the kinds of building materials used for homes.
Language Arts
After reading our complete Unit on Rain & Snow, find a moment for reflection and poetry with your students. Many poems prominently feature snow, including Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Read aloud a selection of “snow” poems. Encourage students to write their own narrative poems about snow.
Social Studies
Roald Amundsen and his crew won the race to the South Pole, which you can read about in Traveling on Glaciers from our Glaciers Unit. They reached the pole just five weeks before another group. That group, led by Robert Scott, met a tragic end. Have students research information about the race to the South Pole. Ask them to prepare a report for presentation to the class. Suggest that they prepare visuals including a time line for use during their presentation. As an additional resource, don’t forget our Antarctica Unit!
