Hi fellow teachers! “I See the Falling Snow” is a short poem you can use in your Grade 1, Grade 2 or split grade classroom as a poem of the day, time filler, or to complement language or science lesson goals. It features information about the following animals found in Canada: red fox, Eastern chipmunks, and little brown bats.
See the teaching ideas below and grab the PPT version or print-ready PDF to best suit your needs. You have full permission to use the poem for teaching purposes within any educational setting, including online learning and homeschool.
Let me know if you use the poem – I’d love to hear how it goes.
Watch a video of the “I See the Falling Snow” poem below.
“I See the Falling Snow”
I see the falling snow
Grab my boots, ready to go
It’s time to build and slide
Jump aboard, let’s go for a ride
I hear the crunchy snow
Swish my tail, feel my coat grow
It’s time to trot and leap
Hunt for prey, then curl up and sleep
I feel the slushy snow
Store my snacks, buried down low
It’s time to nap and rest
Snuggled up, all safe in my nest
I smell the distant snow
Calm my breath, keep my heart slow
It’s time to hang and roost
Lick the walls to give me a boost
I taste the powdery snow
Watch the sky put on a show
It’s time to yawn and doze
Head inside and warm up my toes
Original poem by Kim T. Harrison. Video created in Canva.
Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:
Download a PPT slide version of the poem:
Teaching Ideas. Use the poem …
- As a bell ringer, time filler or post-recess moment of focus. Let the video play while you tidy or prep.
- To complement assignments and activities about which animals hibernate: ask students to create “Are/Do,” “Can,” “Why” and “How” questions about each of the animals featured in the poem. For example: Do red foxes hibernate? Note: red foxes don’t hibernate; eastern chipmunks hibernate lightly – they wake for snacks; little brown bats hibernate fully but can wake to lick water from their cave walls to stay hydrated.
- To practice inquiry questions. Prompt your students to ask “I know” and “I wonder” questions about animals in winter.
- To practice inference: without showing students the video, ask them to guess which animal is featured in each stanza. Then use the video to see which ones they guessed correctly.
- To introduce fun art activities about winter weather in Canada: ask students to draw a picture of what they can see in winter in their neighbourhood.
- To connect to sensory activities: What does snow look like? What does it feel like? Taste like? Etc.
Looking for more winter-themed poems? You may also like my “Winter Fun” poem here.
Happy Teaching! Kim x
Kim T. Harrison 