A guide for using our resources

Students will compare snow and sand, and determine which has melting properties.

Vocabulary: ice crystals, sturdy, slushy, grains

Science Focus: properties of snow

CCSS (and states that have similar standards): RI.1.1 key details; RI.1.4 vocabulary; RI.1.3 compare and contrast; RI.1.10 informational text; SL.1 participate in conversations

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• After reading the issue, follow this snowman’s hilarious journey as he looks for ways to stay warm. Students will enjoy the repetitive text and the characters’ creative problem solving.

• Break off into two groups. One group is assigned the snowman on page 2, and one group is assigned the sandman on page 3. Both groups will reread and circle all the words that begin with the /s/ sound. How many can they find?
• Page 2: snowy, snowman, snowflakes, sky, snowflakes, snow, stack, snowman, sturdy, snowman, sun, snowman, smaller, smaller, slushy
• Page 3: sandy, sandman, sand, stick, sand, sand, sandman, sunglasses, sandman, start, sandman, smaller, smaller

• Call out words from the article and have students clap out the syllables. If a word has only one syllable, they can melt to the ground!
• Words: ice, snow, slushy, sunglasses, forever, melt, sand, carrot, crystals, waves.

Skill: predicting, observing, recording results

Materials: Which Will Melt First? skill sheet, pencil, 3 cubes of ice in separate containers, various materials such as: salt, lemon, sugar, paper towel, hot water, baking soda, etc.

• Let students practice making predictions and observations with this ice melting race!
• Give each student a skill sheet.
• Place ice cubes in diff erent containers. Introduce materials (salt, lemon, sugar, etc.). Allow students to record the materials on their skill sheet. Next they will make their predictions. Which material will melt the ice cube first? Which will melt second? Third?
• Invite volunteers to put salt on one ice cube, squeeze lemon over another one, etc.
• Have students write about one body part on their turkey on the sentence strip. Then have them tape the strip to the bottom of the plate to show what they learned!
•  Keep the ice cubes somewhere visible and continue checking them after 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc. Which ice cube melted fi rst and how long did it take to melt? Students will record results on their sheet and do the same for the other two cubes.
• Have a class discussion comparing students’ predictions and real-life observations!