Additional Learning Resources for December’s Winter and Snow Learning Pack with Read, Paint, Cook Activity Calendar, Lesson Plans, and Art Appreciation of Claude Monet with The Build Your Masterpiece Class.
Need an updated Activity Calendar for 2021? Download our updated Calendars by clicking the button below!
Digital Product Update News Below:
Due to the digital nature of this unit study, I wanted to record any changes that are made, and I will link to the page or pages that you can directly download easily in the future. If you catch any hiccups while using the study, please kindly let me know, and I will try my best to update it as needed. Thank you!
Nov. 29th 2021 - I spotted a small hiccup in our Math & Reading Connections - there are 2 19’s in the counting cards (silly human I am!) So, I have updated it now, but I wanted to leave the new page to download here, so you can easily grab it and reprint it. :)
Lesson 1: Snow
“The color of winter is in the imagination.”- Terri Guillemets
We will be focusing on Snow in a variety of ways this month. This is the first read, paint, cook lesson on snow that is in the activity calendar from Dec 1-3
Read:
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
Animals in Winter by Richard Van Gelder
Winter Snow Fun by Wendy Dunham
The Mitten by Jan Brett
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt
Paint:
Winter Art Appreciation by Claude Monet: “The Road in Front of Saint-Simen Farn in Winter" by Claude Monet, 1867
Cook:
Hot Chocolate, recipe included in 2nd edition.
Lesson 2: Candy Canes
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home.” - Edith Sitwell
We will be focusing on Candy Canes for the next 3 days!
December 4th, 5th and 6th.
Read:
The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
Katie the Candy Cane Fairy by Tim Bugbird
Candy Canes are NOT for Breakfast! by Holly-Anne Divey
We also found a few more read alouds:
The Candy Cane Princess by JS Dyer
Paint:
Crystal Candy Canes and color C is for Candy Cane Coloring Page.
Cook:
Candy Cane Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, recipe included in 2nd edition.
Or, if you want to be very adventurous and experiment with making candy, try making your own candy canes from scratch!
Lesson 3: Snowman
We will be focusing on snowman for the next 3 days! December 7th, 8th and 9th.
Read:
Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
The Snowman by Hans Christian Andersen (link is a version online)
The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo
The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll
All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
100 Snowmen by Jennifer Dussling
Paint:
No-Sew Sock Snowmen Craft or Build a Snowman and color the included coloring pages about snowmen.
Cook:
Melted Snowman Cookies, Recipe Included, but you can also click the link to see how we made them 3 years ago!
Lesson 4: Christmas Trees & Pinecones
NEW LESSON!!
“All Christmas Trees are perfect.”- Charles N. Bernard
This week we will learn about Christmas Trees, and Pine cones, plus learn about a wonderfully talented female artist from Russia & France, who was compared to Botticelli and Renoir. Her birthday is December 10th, 1884, so I have added this new lesson in to fit into the #readpaintcook activity calendar just right. Enjoy this lesson from December 10th, 11th and 12th, or anytime this month!
Read:
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
A Porcupine in a Pine Tree by Helaine Becker
Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht (read aloud below is read by the Author!)
The Wind in the Willows HOME SWEET HOME by Kenneth Graham, Retold by Andrea Stacey Leach, Illustrated by Holly Hannon
While learning about the Life Cycle of the Pine Tree, read this book:
From Cone to Pine Tree by Emma Carlson-Berne The Pinecone Walk by Barbara Springfield
The Nutcracker Retold from E.T.A. Hoffman
Other titles about Pine Trees I found:
The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs
Paint: Clay Cone Christmas Tree Tea Lights
Artist Spotlight: Zinaida Serebriakova, Russian & French Painter 1884 - 1967
Art Appreciation: The Christmas Tree by John Henry Twachtman, At the Dressing- Table. Self-Portrait (1909), Katya in Blue Dress by Christmas Tree, Serebriakova, Neskuchnoye. Field. House of Cards 1919, "Winter landscape.Neskuchnoye"1910 all by Zinaida Serebriakova.
Games: Christmas Tree Silhouette Matching Game and Pine Cone Matching Game
Cook: Caramel Pecan Clusters, Recipe Included
Pair up with our Christmas Adventures in England, Italy and France, or our Christmas Adventures Around the World Advent Calendar, or Wind in the Willows Study Guide, or our Adventures in Russia.
Lesson 5: Ice & Igloos
“One kind word can warm three winter months.” - Japanese Proverb
We will be focusing on Ice for the next 3 days! December 10th, 11th and 12th. Pair this lesson up with our S is for Sculpture Lesson from The Masterpiece Alphabet, and D is for David with our Michelangelo Artist Study, with The Build Your Masterpiece Class Adventures in Italy.
Read:
Ice Boy by David Ezra Stein
Melting Ice by Brooke Rowe
Twelve Types of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed (Read aloud Part 1 + 2)
Ice! The Amazing History of the Ice Business by by Laurence Pringle Curious
George Builds an Igloo by Erica Zappy
Igloos by Jack Manning
An Igloo on the Moon: Exploring Architecture by David Jenkins
*New tile added: Building An Igloo by Ulli Steitzer (flip through about this book here)
The Pencil by Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula (about a family who lives in an Igloo)
Paint & Experiment:
Make Ice Lanterns
Color Mixing Experiment with Ice Cubes
Additional Ice Experiment Ideas:
Melt Snow with ICE (Watch the updated videos below:)
WHY DOES SALT MELT? LESSON
Ice and water are the same thing! But, learn how salt helps ice melt with the following videos:
Lesson 6: Snowflakes #1
We will be focusing on snow again, but this time more on the science and creation of snowflakes for the next 3 days!
December 16th, 17th and 18th.
Read:
Snowflake Bentley by Jaqueline B. Riggs Martin
Snowflakes in Photographs by W. A. Bentley (added on after print)
The Story of Snow by Jon Nelson and Mark Cassino
The Secret Life of a Snowflake by Kenneth G. Libbrecht
The Tiny Snowflake by Arthur Ginolfi
Curious About Snow by Gina Shaw
The Art of the Snowflake: A Photographic Album by Kenneth G. Libbrecht
Paint:
Crystal Snowflake Ornaments, tutorial included.
Cook:
Sugar Cookie Bites, recipe included.
Lesson 7: Winter Solstice
Winter solstice marks the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year.
We will be focusing on the shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice for the next 3 days!
December 19th, 20th and 21st.
Read:
The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper
The Shortest Day: Celebrating Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer (added after first edition)
The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson - This book is about a Scottish Family and their beliefs to celebrate the Winter Solstice. We also have included this book for today’s read with our Christmas Adventures Around the World Advent Calendar, Day 21/Scotland.
Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven - The read aloud we found is below, and was read in the spring, however the book is set in winter. It was the best quality read aloud we could find.
The Solstice Badger by Robin McFadden
The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice by Carolyn McVickar Edwards
Paint:
Snowflake Watercolor Resist Art
Find inspiration with the video below:
Some additional Winter Watercolor Techniques:
Cook:
Star Bread, recipe included in unit.
For visual aids, watch this video below, who’s recipe is a lot like ours.
Lesson 8: Snowflakes #2
We will be focusing on Snowflakes once again for the next 3 days! December 22nd, 23rd and 24th.
Read:
Snowflakes Fall by Patricia MacLachlan
A Perfect Day by Carin Berger (Raad aloud below by the Author!)
Here Comes Jack Frost by Sharon Peters
Winter is for Snow by Robert Neubecker
Paint:
Paper Snowflake Table Runner, art tutorial included in unit.
Cook:
Scandinavian Rosette Cookies, recipes included in unit.
Lesson 9: Penguins
We will be focusing on three optional topic of penguins, for the next 3 days! December 25th, 26th and 27th.
Read:
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester + Tacky’s Christmas by Helen Lester
Parker the Purple Penguin by Marybeth Wishart (Read aloud by Sarah Ferguson below) I am so excited to see this book getting so much love! I was gifted this book by the author when I was first creating this unit study, and I included this title in the plan, even before you could get the books, in hope if it being a hit once it was released. Happy reading today!
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins
If You Were a Penguin by Florence Minor Spelling corrected
Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florance Atwater
Paint: Winter Penguin Silhouette Watercolor Art
Use printable included, and trace or glue to your child's own watercolor scene. Use the Watercolor techniques we have been using this month for your winter background and find inspiration from the books you have read so far.
Cook:
Lesson 10: Happy New Years!
Yay! We made it to the New Year!! Enjoy this special New Year's Eve Tea Party Guide. We have included additional books to read about New Year's Celebrations Around the World.
Read:
Freedom Soup by Tami Charles - Read Aloud
Squirrel's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller - Read Aloud
The Night Before New Year's by Natasha Wing - Read Aloud
Happy New Year Around the World by Sylvia Walker (we could not find a read aloud of this one, but we did find this education video about the topic)
Sylvester and the New Year by Eduard Mörike
Goodbye Old Year, Hello New Year by Frank Modell
Mademoiselle Grands Doigts: A Cajun New Year's Eve Tale by Johnette Downing
Who Stole New Year's Eve? A Chickadee Court Mystery by Martha Freeman
Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport (new addition- so fun, it talks about different cultures new years celebration meals!)
Paint: New Years Hand Print Craft and decorate the house for your 2021 New Year's Tea Party with our banner template.
Science Experiment: Fireworks in a Jar (updated option)
Cook:
Joumou, Freedom Soup (A Haitian Beef and Pumpkin Soup) You can also use any type of squash, winter squash, or pumpkin. There are many recipes, but they all look delicious!
Why do the Haitian people cook Joumou on January 1st?
Because, it's a celebration of their home country's independence. Jan. 1, 1804 marked the culmination of a successful, decade-long slave rebellion against French colonial rule, establishing Haiti as the world's first black republic. Let’s make some of this special soup, as we are soon approaching New Years! Will you make it before or on January 1st? Let us know!