What's in the News Wednesday? Weather!

The hot news item in our area this week is the....
   

Temperatures were dropping all day and will be well below freezing tomorrow morning.  The strong winds blowing out of the North makes it feel even colder, too.  All of this would be a lot more bearable if we could get some snow to go along with it.  I realize that's possibly not a sentiment shared by all, but I'm pretty sure that most students would agree.  So, here are some snowy resources to use with students on this freezing, but snow-free week.

Reading

Brave Irene - a Storyline reading of the classic book by William Steig about a little girl who braves a snowstorm to help her mother who is too sick to deliver the dress she made for the duchess.

The Three Snow Bears - a free Jan Brett ebook from We Give Books.  While you are there, you can also read The Mitten and The Hat, also by Jan Brett.

Snowflake Bentley - enjoy the many resources on this site as a companion to the Snowflake Bentley picture book biography.  This YouTube video reading will do, if you don't have the book.  

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening - from Poetry Everywhere, listen to Robert Frost recite his famous poem.

Math

Snowball Fight  - practice your multiplication facts to earn snowballs you can throw at the onscreen players.  Be careful, if you miss one, they get to throw the snowball at you!

Snow Sprint- power your snowmobile by multiplying fractions. 

Snow Math - fun math activities for PreK-2 learners from Making Learning Fun

Winter Math Activities - Mathwire.com has the entire season covered with lots of online and templates for math projects with a freezing theme.


Science

The Science of Snowflakes - from PBS's It's Okay to be Smart learn how snowflakes form in a clear presentation that combines history and science.

Snow in Seconds - You might be surprised how long students will remember making snow in the classroom.  I did this with 2nd graders 4 years ago, and they still talk to me about it.

Winter Weather Wiz Kids - basic facts on every kind of wintry weather, plus a wind chill factor calculator, storm tips, and activities for hands-on learning

Social Studies

Extreme Cold Prevention Guide - Expert advice from the CDC on how to prepare your home, car, and yourself during extreme cold conditions.

Day 2 of the big snow!

Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale - ranks snowstorms in terms of its societal impact based on number of people affected and impact on the economy. Personal note:  I survived #4 in February 2003 while living in Washington, D.C.  Three days of constant snow left us buried in over 20 inches of snow.  For fun, we shoveled all our neighbors driveways.  The first day the Metro line reopened, it took me 4 hours to get to work.  Fun times!  Yes, I still love snow.

Art

100 Snowballs - What can you build with 100 Snowballs?

How to Make Paper Snowflakes - every kid should do this at least once.

Snowdays - the digital version of cutting paper snowflakes

Sports

Science and Engineering of the 2014 Winter Olympics - Videos explaining the science behind winter sports and the snow and ice surface required to participate in them.

Winter Sports for Kids - tips to get kids safely involved in physical activity throughout the chilly months.