How to Build a Snowman, It’s “SNOW” much fun!

Good Morning, and Happy Monday blogger friends!  For the past few weeks my class has been busy learning about beginning, middle, end and sequencing events.  One how to writing activity we did last week that was engaging and a lot of fun was how to build a snowman.

Last year we had a lot of snow around the time we did this activity so we had the chance to go outside and make real snowmen.  Unfortunately, the snow has been nonexistent this year, so I improvised and brought the snow inside. To be honest, I think I liked doing it this way instead because I liked how each student got to bring their snowman home.

I went to the magical world of Michael’s and bought all the supplies:

I bought one of these tubs to make the actual snowman.  Inside there are four separate bags of model magic.  For my class of 18 students I used two whole bags. 

I also bought different colors in these smaller bags.  I bought one red, one orange, and two black (I wasn’t sure how much they would need to make the snowman hat). I ended up using just a little bit of the red and orange and half of one of the bags of black. 

To decorate the snowman I bought:

Wiggly eyes

sequence (for the buttons)

ribbon (for the scarf)

To begin my lesson I read the short sequencing story Tess Builds a Snowman it is part of the Learn to Write series.  When we started our all day Kindergarten program this writing series was part of our curriculum.  It includes ten books to supplement as you introduce new writing strategies.  I like it because it is clear and to the point.   

After we talked about the book and went over the sequence I had my class do the Kagan structure Hand up/Pair up.  For anyone who is not familiar with this strategy students walk around the room with their hand in the air.  When they find another peer with their hand up they high five and read or say whatever the activity we are working on is.  For this lesson they had a strip of paper with the sequence of building a snowman and they read the order of steps to their partner and then said their favorite part.  After each partner is done sharing they high five and move onto another partner.  

These are the strips of paper I used for this activity:

                               

 

 

Once we finished our quick partner activity I gathered the students and told them that we were going to build our own snowmen.  The pure shrieks of excitement put a smile on my face and I couldn’t wait for them to get started.  We talked about the supplies and brainstormed how they could use them together and then they got started.  The students worked at their own pace and once they were finished they grabbed the graphic organizer and wrote the steps they did to make their snowman.

I think my students did a great job and I love how they are all so different.  Some students even decided to make pirate snowmen.  Also, the students encouraged each other and got ideas from each other as they completed their snowman so it was fun to hear the different conversations as I walked around and helped.

                              

                               

                                

If you are interested in the graphic organizer I used it can be found in my How to Build a Snowman Writing Packet as well as my How to Writing Bundle.