Are you looking for fun reading and creative writing activities
to use with your elementary school students during the months of December and January?
On this page, you will find a variety of reading and creative writing activities
to use with your students that contain winter and Christmas themes.
You can use the creative ideas that are on this page
to help you plan engaging language arts activities for your students that
are SNOW much fun!
The following types of teaching resources can be found on this page: lists of read aloud books that are great to
use at this time of the year, unique story writing templates, reading sticker charts,
poetry lesson plans, and grammar powerpoint presentations.
Winter is the perfect time of the year for your students to discover that reading is SNOW much fun!
My students are encouraged to read during December and January with unique reading
sticker charts that are designed especially to encourage and promote reading
at this particular time of the year with winter themed sticker chart templates.
Engage your students in fun creative writing activities by using the
snowman, gift box, snow globe, and wreath writing templates found
on this page.
When I give my students unique and fun
templates to write on, I have found that they tend to use their best effort on these assignments
and they are more careful to not make careless spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
I hope that you will find some creative ideas to use with your own
students during December and January with the Christmas and Winter English
teaching resources that are found below.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Click on the following link to go to this page on my website:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Lesson Plans Page
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Click on the following link to go to this page on my website:
A Christmas Carol Lesson Plans Page
Above and Below: Thank you to Teresa, a grade 4 teacher in New Jersey, for
sharing her students' projects with the teachers who visit Unique Teaching Resources!
This Christmas Wreath of Fortune Game is named after Wheel of Fortune. Your students will love playing this fun powerpoint game while reviewing homophones!
Click below for more information about:
Winter English Teaching Resources.
Wreath of Fortune Homophones
This Christmas Wreath of Fortune Game is named after Wheel of Fortune. Your students will love playing this fun powerpoint game while reviewing present and past tense verbs.
Click below for more information about:
Winter English Teaching Resources.
Wreath of Fortune Verbs
Your students will love playing this Christmas Who Wants To Be A Millionaire game while reviewing these 4 parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Click below for more information about:
Winter English Teaching Resources.
Christmas 4 Parts of Speech Review
For this unique set of teaching resources, students write a story inside snowman shaped templates.
Your students will love completing this fun creative writing activity and
their finished projects will making an eye catching winter bulletin board display
inside your classroom.
There are 4 templates (on three worksheets) that are cut out and glued
together to form this unique snowman shaped creative writing project. The assembled projects measure 16 x 17 inches (not including the arms).
This set of creative writing activities will guide your students through all of the steps of the writing process.
Students start off using their story maps, and at the end, they complete their assignments on snowman shaped final draft templates.
This set of winter English teaching resources contains the following components:
This set of teaching resources includes a directions worksheet the teacher.
Below you will find an example of the grading rubric that is included in this set of winter English teaching
resources. This grading rubic contains an area for both students and the teacher to assess this
creative writing project.
Students begin this snowman creative writing activity by brainstorming and writing down their ideas
on their story maps.
This story map will help students to plan their stories before they begin writing them. On the snowman story map worksheet,
students brainstorm ideas about the characters, setting, beginning, problem, middle, solution, and conclusion.
Below is an example of the story map worksheet.
After students have completed their story maps, they write the first draft of
their stories on the first draft worksheets. Students proofread and edit their
stories before they write on their final draft snowman templates.
The writing lines and spaces on
this first draft worksheet match the spaces on the final draft snowman templates.
There are 4 templates (on three worksheets) that are cut out and then glued together to form this uniquely
shaped snowman creative writing project. You can choose to give your students the snowman template that has a face drawn on it, or
have your students draw their own faces using the blank head template.
Below are examples of the final draft black and white snowman templates, with and without a face drawn on the head template.
This set of winter English teaching resources includes color snowman templates that you can use
as an example to show to your students before they begin this assignment.
Display this colorful example at the front of your classroom so that your students can see what their finished
snowman creative writing projects will look like.
This set of teaching resources includes 4 snowmen bulletin board
display accent pieces. You can use these snowmen to
help you decorate your classoom display that features your students'
fun winter creative writing projects.
A Gift From the Heart is a fun 3 dimensional project. This set of teaching resources will help you to remind your students
that the most special gifts do not involve money, instead, they are gifts that involve being thoughtful and kind.
Your students will enjoy completing
the thoughtful writing responses that are required for this project and then assembling their templates together to form a 3D present.
The assembled 3D gift box measures 5.5 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches (see the example on the left).
Due to spelling differences in English, there
are two separate sets of teaching resources for the printable worksheets and gift box templates.
You can select the version that contains the
spelling that is used in the country that you live in.
(Examples: color / colour and favorite / favourite)
This fun activity does not have to be a project related to Christmas, but December is an ideal time to use these lesson plans.
Before I begin this project with my students, we discuss the different times of the year that we give gifts to people:
birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, and other important religious holidays that are celebrated by the students
in my class and other cultures around the world.
Before we begin this activity, I often read The Way to Start a Day by Byrd Baylor to my students.
Click on the following link to go to this page on my website:
Go To: The Way to Start a Day Lesson Plans Page
Next, I lead my students into a discussion that the best gifts that we can give are gifts from the heart.
We discuss thoughtful things that people do for us and ways that we can be thoughtful to others.
These three dimensional activities also tie in well with the message found in Dr. Seuss' popular holiday book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas:
Click on the following link to go to this page on my website:
Go To: How the Grinch Stole Christmas Lesson Plans Page
This set of winter English teaching resources contains the following components:
This gift box display is from Teresa's classroom. She teaches Grade 4 in New Jersey.
Below are examples of the direction worksheets that explain how to assemble the 3D gift box.
A Gift From the Heart: Assembling Directions Worksheets
There are 4 writing topics in this 3D box:
Below are examples of the first draft worksheets. The writing lines and spaces on
these first draft worksheets match the spaces on the final draft gift box templates.
A Gift for My Class and My Family: First Draft Worksheet #1
A Gift for My Community and The World: First Draft Worksheet #2
In order to assemble this three dimensional project, students need to cut out and then glue 6 templates together: 4 sides, a top, and a bottom.
There is a drawing area on each of the 4 side templates.
The assembled 3D gift box measures 5.5 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches.
A Gift From the Heart: Final Draft Black and White Templates
For this assignment, I feel that is important for you to practice assembling one of the 3D projects before you begin this
activity with your students. Then, you will have an assembled example to show your students when you are introducing this assignment
to your students.
I have included color templates in this set of teaching resources in order to save you time in having to
color your gift box templates.
A Gift From the Heart: Final Draft Color Templates
Winter Wreath Creative Writing Project: Color Templates Example
During the months of December and January, include a fun creative writing activity in your
language arts lesson plans by using these fun winter wreath projects. Your students will enjoy writing a winter story or poem
inside these unique wreath shaped templates.
This set of teaching resources guides your students through the writing process as they start off using
first draft worksheets and at the end, students complete their final drafts on fun wreath projects that they have assembled themselves.
Once your students cut out and glue their two templates together, they will have unique wreath shaped
creative writing worksheets which measure 12 x 10 inches.
Students write the first draft of
their stories or poems on the first draft worksheets. Students proofread and edit their
work before they write on their final draft wreath templates.
Winter Wreath: First Draft Worksheet
There are two templates that are glued together to form this
winter wreath creative writing project. There are bow templates included in this set of teaching resources. The assembled project measures 12 x 10 inches.
Winter Wreath: Black and White Creative Writing Project Activities
Your students will enjoy writing stories or poems using this fun winter creative writing activity. Their finished wreath projects
will making an eye catching winter bulletin board display
inside your classroom that will capture everyone's attention!
Are you looking for a fun winter poetry activity that will help you design an eye catching bulletin board display in your classroom
for December and January?
For this winter poetry activity, students lightly draw a picture inside their snow globe templates using color pencils.
In the example above, a pine tree has been lightly drawn in the background. Then using a dark ink pen, students write their poems on the lines.
After these snow globe templates have been cut out along the thick black border, your students will have unique poetry templates
to write their acrostic poems on. There are two sets of templates included in this set of teaching resources:
Above: Examples of finished S.N.O.W. acrostic poems outside of Penny's fourth grade classroom in Nevada.
This set of winter poetry lesson plans includes:
Everything that you need to complete this poetry assignment with your students
is included in this set of teaching resources. All that you will need is scissors, coloring pencils, and pens.
For creative writing assignments, I believe that it is important for students to go
through the steps of the writing process.
For this reason, my students never begin writing their winter poems on their final draft snow globe
templates, instead they write on first draft worksheets. Then, students edit and revise
their poems on their own, with a partner, or in individual writing conferences with me.
Below is an example of the first draft worksheet that is included in this set of teaching resources.
After students have edited and revised the first drafts of their poems, you should give
them their final draft snow globe templates. These snow globe templates have thick border lines, so it is easy for students to cut
out their poetry templates themselves.
I have found that when I give my students fun templates to write on,
they tend to use their best effort, and they are more careful to not
make careless errors.
For their final drafts, students lightly draw and color a background using color
pencils. Then, using a dark ink pen, students write their snow poems on the lines.
By using these unique snow globe templates, you will be able to
create a dynamic poetry bulletin board display that highlights winter in
your classroom.
Above: Example of a student's S.N.O.W. acrostic poem.
Above: Example of a classroom door display using these winter snow globe poetry templates.
This bulletin board display is from Lisa's classroom.
She teaches Grade 4 in Connecticut.
Reading is SNOW Much Fun is a sticker chart set that will help you to motivate your students to read this winter.
Cut out your students' sticker chart templates
along the thick black border and you will have unique snow globe shaped sticker charts to record
the number of books that your students have read during December and January. There are separate templates to use for boys and girls.
Students place stickers inside the 14 snowflake spaces on their templates after they have finished reading a book.
This set of winter English teaching resources includes:
Reading is SNOW Much Fun Sticker Charts: Color Template For Girl Students
Reading is SNOW Much Fun Sticker Charts: Color Template For Boy Students
Reading is SNOW Much Fun Sticker Charts: Black and White Sticker Chart Templates
This set of teaching resources includes 8 colorful snowglobes to use as bulletin board accent pieces to help
you create your eye-catching winter bulletin board display.
The 8 reading phrases that are written inside the snow globes are:
Snow Globe Bulletin Board Accent Pieces
Below is a letter that you can send home to parents that explains this home reading program,
along with the reading record worksheet for parents to sign each time their child reads at home.
This parent letter is in the form of a Microsoft Word Document so that you can edit it to your own word choice.
Parent Letter and Reading Record Chart
Reading Is SNOW Much Fun Hallway Display of Sticker Charts
Chill Out With a Good Book is a sticker chart set that will help you to motivate your students to read 20 books.
Although these
penguin templates are ideal to use during the winter, this reading sticker chart can be used anytime of the school year.
Cut out your students' sticker chart templates
along the thick black border and you will have unique penguin shaped sticker charts to record
the number of books that your students have read.
This set of winter English teaching resources includes:
Chill Out With A Good Book! Color Penguin Template
Chill Out With A Good Book! Black and White Penguin Template
This set of teaching resources includes 6 penguins to use as bulletin board accent pieces to help
you create your eye-catching winter bulletin board display.
The 6 reading phrases that are written inside the penguins are:
Penguin Bulletin Board Display Accent Pieces
Below is a letter that you can send home to parents that explains this home reading program,
along with the reading record worksheet for parents to sign each time their child reads at home.
This parent letter is in the form of a Microsoft Word Document so that you can edit it to your own word choice.
Parent Letter and Reading Record Chart
This Stuff Your Stocking With Stickers incentive chart is ideal to use with your students before Christmas.
These uniquely shaped Christmas sticker charts can be used for a variety of different purposes during the month of December: homework, reading, math, spelling, or good citizenship.
Click below for more information about:
Winter English Teaching Resources
Christmas Stocking Sticker Chart
Encourage your students to work towards achieving a goal by using these colorful Christmas tree sticker charts.
There are 17 places for stickers on this colorful sticker chart template. These incentive charts will help you to motivate your students to Decorate Their Christmas Trees with stickers this winter.
Click below for more information about:
Winter English Teaching Resources
Christmas Tree Sticker Chart
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Thank you for visiting my Christmas and winter English teaching resources page.
Please be sure to check out the other pages on Unique
Teaching Resources for a large variety of fun lesson plan activities
that will engage your students in learning and save you valuable time.
Sincerely, Heidi McDonald
Creator and Site Manager
Unique Teaching Resources
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Your lesson plans for Stellaluna, Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas have saved me so much planning time this year. My Gr. 3 students really enjoyed completing the projects that you designed for each of these books. I was able to create great Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas displays in my classroom this year with their projects. Thanks for sharing your ideas and for saving me time.
My students loved your seasonal powerpoint games for Halloween and Thanksgiving. They thought they were playing a game instead of reviewing grammar ;-) I've already purchased all of your other holiday powerpoint lesson plans. Keep making more of these great activities, more POWER to you Heidi!
I just wanted to say thank you for the most amazing teaching resources that I have ever come across in my thirty years of teaching. I have used many of your book report sets this year and my students absolutely loved them. What was particularly pleasing was seeing some of my reluctant readers (especially the boys) really wanting to read books and complete the activities. Keep up the great work!
I feel so fortunate to have found your website and I have referred several of my co-workers to your website. Just for the month of January, there were three teachers displaying your book reports. I had the trophy reports, my neighbor to the left had the computer reports, and my neighbor to the right had the birthday cake reports. Thank you so very much for all of your work!
I'm writing to tell you that my students just finished the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory group projects. They worked so hard, and the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory projects turned out great! We had them to show for student led conferences. The parents were very impressed, and so were many of the other teachers and my principal. They all commented on my students' work and your creative templates. My students had so much fun doing these projects. I also used the multiplication pizza sticker charts. My students loved those as well!! Thank you so much for all of your amazing products.
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My students are working on their Charlie and Chocolate Factory projects that I bought on your website. One of my students said how nice the other character wheels were and he said, "Besides this is just fun!" Not bad for a third grade boy!!
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