Polar Express for Young Learners
Ideas, Activities and More
newly updated!
From www.GailLovely.com
For additions, corrections and questions, email Gail Lovely.
Teacher Materials (Lesson Plans and Ideas)
Teacher Lesson or Activity Idea Collections
Simple Ideas for Polar Express
http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1919.html
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson344.shtml
http://library.uncc.edu/files/5/cimc/pdfs/units/polarexpress.pdf
Teacher Themed Units on Polar Express (great ideas here)
http://www.teachingheart.net/polar.html
http://www.geocities.com/ljacoby_2000/polarex.html
http://www.littlegiraffes.com/polarexpress.html
One Teacher’s Kindergarten Ideas for Polar Express
http://www.kinderthemes.com/thepolarexpress.html
A Class Ride On the Polar Express told in Pictures (good ideas here)
http://www.mrsburns.com/polar001.htm
Third Grade Lesson on Expository Writing
http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/deli/exhibits/1000432/The_Lesson.html
Lesson plans from the publisher
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/tg/polar.shtml
About Chris Van Allsburg video interview and more:
Polar Express Party Recipes
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/images/polarexpressimage8.pdf
Things for Students to Do
Story Strips to Sequence (put on sentence strips and mix up, or on train cars to order…)
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/Polar%20Express%20story%20sequencing%20strips.pdf
Story Books for Students to Color (Winter Train Ride – Like Brown Bear, Brown Bear)
http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/winter/A%20Winter%20Train%20Ride.pdf
Math Word Problems based on Polar Express
http://www.mathstories.com/Christmas/Xmas_sheet_3_Polar_Express.htm
Coloring Sheets, Reading Logs, Pajama Party and More
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/fungames.shtml
Collection from The Movie – includes picture frames and cards to make
http://www.classbrain.com/artmovies/uploads/arts_and_crafts.pdf
Jingle Bell Writing Stationery to Print
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/bell%20for%20stationary.pdf
Polar Express Word Searches to Print and Do
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/images/polarexpressimage6.pdf
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/Easy%20Polar%20Express%20Word%20Search.pdf (easier one)
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/Polar%20Express%20word%20search.pdf
The Movie Website – Interactivities Including Build a Snowman and more (this IS a commercial, but some nice stuff here)
Polar Express Crossword Puzzle
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/images/polarexpressimage5.pdf
Webquest about the Author
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/edis771/98webquests/student/speggycarlson/Van_Allsburg.htm
Webquest about Polar Express
More:
Polar Express Read by Lou Diamond Phillips
PowerPoint Example of Student Response to Polar Express
http://www.cobbk12.org/sites/literacy/fetc/ppt/Polar_short.ppt
Audio Student Reviews of the book, Polar Express
Polar Express Tickets
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/polar%20express%20ticket.pdf
http://www.teachingheart.net/roundtrippolarexpressticket2.doc (Word file)
Fonts
Free Font: Toy Train
http://www.fryfonts.com/free-font/31
Free Winter/Christmas Fonts (some seem appropriate)
Clip Art and Images
Images from the Book
http://www.amazon.com and search for “Polar Express” and then choose to “Look Inside the Book” you can see many of the illustrations – and use them with your students.
Game
Fun online Game (not really educational, but fun and problem solving MAYBE)
http://www.smashingideas.com/work/project.php?content=polarexpress.xml
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