Lesson Plan: "Snowflake Bentley" by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Objective of lesson plan: Teach kids about some interesting properties of snow and help them to connect with the book.

Target age group: 5-9

1. Read Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. After reading, ask the kids what they thought of the book, and what they learned about snow from the story.
2. Play “Jello Babies”- This activity will take place outside. To prep for it, mix a package of liquid jello and pour a small amount into several empty film canisters. Put the canisters into an insulated lunch box to keep them warm. Divide the students into groups, giving each group a film canister of jello and explaining that this is their “baby.” To keep their baby alive, students need to keep it warm outside for 15-20 minutes. Take a baby of your own, and leave it in a pile of snow. Allow the kids to find shelter for their baby, then go inside to do the next activity.
3. Make potato prints- This is an activity that will take place indoors. Tell the kids that the author of the book created her pictures using woodblock prints. This is where a piece of wood is carefully carved to make a stamp, painted, and then pressed onto paper. Tell the kids that they are going to use a similar technique to make their own pictures. Cut several potatoes in half. Have the kids use markers to draw simple shapes on the potatoes. Some good shapes are stars, hearts, or Mickey Mouse silhouettes. They could also draw snowflakes to match the theme of the lesson. Just stress not making the shape too complicated, because after they've drawn the shape, you will cut away a layer of the potato around it so that the shape stands out. Help the kids cover their potato stamps with paint, then let them stamp construction paper to create a picture.
4. Finish “Jello babies”- Go back outside and have the groups retrieve their babies. If you are working with younger kids, just have them open their canisters to see if the jello started to solidify. If the kids are older, you can use a thermometer to see how much the babies have cooled. Retrieve your own baby. It should still be pretty warm. Explain to the kids that freshly fallen snow actually works as a really good insulator; it traps air, so heat can't escape. Ask what other fun facts they know about snow, and what facts they remember Bentley discovering in the book.