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Sunday, December 9, 2012

Auntie Claus Preview and our Polar Express Day!


I wanted to give a sneak peek at our Auntie Claus unit that my friends, Michele and Elana (Lana) and I are finishing up for teacherspayteachers.  We are publishing it under the name jemworkstudio (using our initials, get it?!).
First, we read this wonderful book and stop partway through to make a prediction for our writing.
Then comes the writing and artwork.

Next, we generate a naughty and nice list.  How do we end up on the naughty list? How can we stay on the nice list?

Their answers were very interesting...

We write about staying on that nice list.

My sample.

It makes a great hall display or bulletin board.



 
 
 
In our unit, we have a Venn Diagram activity comparing and contrasting Auntie Claus to The Polar Express.  But first, we had Polar Express Day!

 All aboard!! After our principal, Mr. Bonner has read the story to us, we board the train in the library after our tickets are punched. We have the movie soundtrack CD playing as the children board.
 

Lana takes the children on the ride to the North Pole, narrating all that we are seeing on the way. Once we arrive at the North Pole, we have a special guest!
 
 
Everyone gets to sit with Santa and tell what they would like for Christmas,
IF they have stayed on the nice list...   :)



While the children are taking turns seeing Santa, they make bell necklaces at tables and color the Polar Express page I made using Scrappin Doodles. 
See my earlier post for your free copy!



While classes take turns coming to the library for their trip,
other classes are in the AV room watching the movie. It is an all day event!



Once they have made their necklaces, the children are served
 hot chocolate and a gingerbread man.

We couldn't pull this off without our wonderful parents or our
library staff, Mrs. Barnett and Mrs. Gatreux!







 
A fun, exciting day for all! 
 
Polar Express Checklist