Hi fellow teachers! Here’s a fun poem for you to use in your Grades K-2 (ELL, grade 3; ESL, elementary) classrooms. I put some teaching ideas below to inspire you. Let me know if you use the poem – I’d love to hear how it goes.
Watch a video of the “Winter Fun” poem here:
Please pass me that carrot
To use as a nose
Now my snowman’s all done
From his head to his toes
Please pass me that shovel
To use for a door
Now my snow fort’s all done
From the roof to the floor
Please pass me that saucer
To use on the hill
Now my sledding’s all done
From the slide to the thrill
Please pass me that syrup
To use on the snow
Now my taffy’s all done
From the stick to the glow
Please pass me that blanket
To use on my sled
Now my day is all done
And I’m ready for bed
Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:
Download a PPT slide version of the poem:
Teaching Ideas
Fluency practice:
Echo reading: read parts of the poem, or all the poem, out loud, one line at a time, and ask your students to repeat it after you
Performance reading/skits: ask students to act out or perform one of the stanzas
Pair reading: students read the poem to each other. Student A reads 2 lines, Student B reads 2 lines. They can switch for each stanza.
Retelling practice
Students retell the story using narrative structures. For example: First, they … Then, they… Finally, they …
Students change the poem into a prose passage using the SWBST formula: Somebody (the main character) Wanted (what did they want) But (Students can invent a problem) So (Students invent how the problem was solved) Then (Students say how the story ended). This can be done individually, in pairs, or as a whole group
Retell with pictures: Instead of writing, students use art to retell the story
Tie-ins
Good manners: Use the structure “Please pass me…” to practice asking for other things. Brainstorm other ways of asking for items politely
Rhyme: Ask students to find the rhymes in the poem. Brainstorm other words that rhyme (for example: nose, toes, bows, crows, …?)
Seasons: Can you build a snowman in winter? What can you do in winter where you live? Discussion or activities based on things to do in winter
Culture/Parts of Canada: Talk or learn about maple syrup in Quebec (sugar shacks – cabane à sucre, taffy – tire sur la neige)
Science: How do you make a snow fort? Students can create snow forts out of lego, blocks, or other materials. Explore questions such as: How long will a snow fort stay frozen? Do snowmen (or snow people) stay frozen for less time now than when our grandparents made them?
Art: Students illustrate the poem using drawing, collage, 3-D building, or other materials
Gym/Movement: Use the video on mute as the backdrop for a gym performance
Download a PDF of the poem with teaching ideas:
Happy Teaching! Kim x
Kim T. Harrison 