Winter Vocabulary Words

Vocabulary Introduction

Initial Presentation Find pictures for all vocabulary words listed below as well as the two known words paired with each vocabulary word. The known words should be in children’s vocabularies. If not, substitute another from the set of pictures that your students are likely to know. In the large-group setting, show all three pictures (the vocabulary word and the two known words) randomly to the children and ask them, “Which one is _____?” (insert vocabulary word). The children should be able to infer that the vocabulary word refers to the unknown picture.

Quick Definitions

• burrow: the place underground where some animals live in the winter
• fireplace: where our parents can make a fire in the house to keep us warm
• icicle: ice hanging from trees or houses
• mitten: warm gloves for your hands
• mole: a tiny little mousy animal that lives in the ground
• owl: a bird that wakes up at night and says, “Hoot, hoot!”
• skates: shoes used on ice
• sled: a toy that you use to slide down a snowy hill
• wool: fabric made from sheep fur

CAR Quest

The following are questions that you can ask students about the story you are reading. We suggest reviewing the text beforehand and using sticky notes to mark appropriate places to pause for discussion. The questions are labeled according to the types described in Chapter 3.

The Mitten

Relate: The mole burrows in the mitten to get warm. When it’s cold, what do you burrow into to get warm?

• Page location: First picture, a boy is jumping in the snow.

Relate: Have you ever worn a pair of mittens before?

• Competence: Where are the people skating?
• Page location: The boy brings wool to Baba, his grandmother.
• Competence: What color is the wool the boy, Niki, brings to his grandmother?
• Abstract: Why is Baba, the grandmother, sitting close to the fireplace?
• Page location: In the field a mole finds the mitten.
• Competence: Where are the tracks made by the mole?
• Page location: Niki, the boy, climbs a tree.

Building Bridges— Start ’em Up! Topic

What did you do the last time it snowed?

New Vehicles— Extension Activities

Activity 1: Burrow into the Mitten

Materials: Pictures of mitten, rabbit, hedgehog, mole, owl, mouse

Description: Give each child a mitten and have him or her cut it out and staple or tape matching sides together. Talk about how we cover ourselves with sweaters, mittens, and coats, but animals grow more fur and eventually burrow into a warm place in the ground to hibernate. Have them go around in a circle and take turns describing which animal they are going to put in the mitten first, second, and so forth, and why they chose it. Have the children put the animal pictures inside the mitten to keep the animals warm.

Activity 2: Snowy Art

Materials: Piece of blue construction paper, piece of white construction paper (whole), white construction paper (torn into lots of different-size pieces), glue, pens
Description: Have each child design a snowy scene. They can find three pieces of construction paper for a snowman, a piece for a snowball and icicles, and some little pieces for snowflakes. If they like, they can draw features on the snowman and also add a hedgehog and rabbit. Students could also be shown how to fold the whole white paper many times to make a snowflake. The finished product should be a unique snowflake, and attention should be focused on how—as with real snowflakes—each flake is different from the others.

Dear Parents:

This week we will be focusing on vocabulary words for Winter. We will be reading stories and carrying out activities to help your child learn the meanings of these words. By pointing out examples of these words at home and in the community, you can help your child expand his or her vocabulary.