Northern Lights Adventure Poem, Grades 1-3

Hi fellow teachers! Are you looking for a new twist on a read-aloud? “Timber & Clover’s Northern Lights Adventure” is a fun, narrative poem about two little moose calves who set off in search of the northern lights.

You can use it in your classroom as a time filler or bell-ringer activity, or to tie in with curriculum goals about animals of Canada, animal habitats and behaviours, Canadian provinces, or geographical features.

See the teaching ideas below and grab the PPT version or print-ready PDF for Grades 1, 2, or 3. 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 “Timber & Clover’s Northern Lights Adventure” poem below:

poem about moose and northern lights

Original poem by Kim T. Harrison. Video created in Canva.

Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:

PRINT-NorthernLightsAdventureDownload

Download a PPT slide version of the poem:

PPT-NorthernLightsAdventureDownload

Teaching Ideas

  • Introduce or complement classes on animal habitat or behaviours: use inquiry questions inspired by the events in the poem to discover what moose can and cannot do, where moose live in Canada, and what kinds of habitats they prefer
  • Discuss colour blindness in humans and animals (teacher note: moose are considered to be colour blind. See this article by Paul Smith for more information)
  • Use inquiry questions to discover more information about the northern lights, including where in Canada they can be seen from
  • Sharing stories and opinions: ask students if they have ever seen the northern lights or if they’d like to.
  • Critical thinking and response: ask students why Clover and Timber say “It’s even better” in the poem. How could seeing the northern lights be even better for the moose? Could being colour blind be an advantage?
  • Poetry reading and performance: use the poem as a reading out loud or performance text
  • Creativity and art: ask students to illustrate the poem. They could choose one scene or could work together to illustrate the full poem
  • Creative writing: ask students to imagine Clover & Timber setting out on a new adventure. Where would they go? What do they want to see or experience now? Students can say or write their new adventure story in poetic form or prose

Happy Teaching! Kim x

3 Halloween Poems for K-3

Hi fellow spooky teachers! Are you in need of some Halloween poems for your classroom? Below you’ll find 3 Halloween-themed poems for students from Kindergarten to Grade 3. They all come with a video version, print PDF, and PowerPoint slides, so you can choose whatever works best for your classroom.

There’s a link under each poem to a post with teaching activity ideas if you’re looking for extra inspiration.

You have full permission to use the poem for teaching purposes within any educational setting, including online learning and homeschool.

Halloween Poem 1: The Last Pumpkin

Ideal for grades 1-3 with curriculum tie-ins including SEL (feeling left out, differences, perspective), art, and math. Can also be used as a seasonal read-aloud or bell-ringer.

Grab your free printable PDF or ready-to-adapt PPT deck below. For teaching ideas, see this page: The Last Pumpkin

PRINT-TheLastPumpkinDownload
PPT-TheLastPumpkinDownload

Halloween Poem 2: What do you see Jack O’Lantern?

Ideal for grades K-2 as a read-aloud, or use the video version as a moment of post-recess pause in the classroom, as it includes a short mindfulness introduction. Curriculum tie-ins: point of view (POV), perspective, personification, inference, and creative writing (language arts), imagining and drawing pictures of Halloween (visual arts) as well as measuring and shapes (math).

Grab your free printable PDF or ready-to-adapt PPT deck below. For teaching ideas, see this page: What do you see Jack O’Lantern?

PRINT-JackOLanternDownload
PPT-JackOLanternDownload

Halloween Poem 3: In the Corner

Ideal for Grade 2, this short fun poem comes with a video, PPT, and teacher resource pack that includes printable worksheets with response questions and a choice of post-reading activities. Curriculum tie-ins: Math: 2D shapes; Science: animals (species, differences, homes/habitats); Language Skills: poetry, inference, critical thinking

Grab your free printable PDF or ready-to-adapt PPT deck below. For teaching ideas, see this page: In the Corner poem

KTH-InTheCorner-Poem-PDFDownload
KTH-InTheCorner-Poem-PPTDownload

Bonus: Timmy’s Lonely Night

A short story with a Halloween theme for Grades 2-3 or ESL and ELL students. Comes with a video version and teacher resource pack.

KTH-TimmysLonelyNight-PDFDownload
KTH-PPT-TimmysLonelyNightDownload

Find teaching ideas for Timmy’s lonely night here.

Happy Teaching and Happy Halloween! Kim x

All poems are by Kim T. Harrison. Videos are created in Canva.

Save that Snail, Poem for K-2

Hi fellow teachers! Are you looking for a new bell ringer, time filler, or post-recess moment of calm and focus? Use the poem below as a fun and engaging poem read aloud or let the video version play while you tidy or prep!

“Save that Snail!” can also be used to complement or introduce lessons that fulfill K to Grade 2 curriculum goals, including animals and their habitats, human and animal interactions, animals in different provinces, reading and responding to poetry. See the teaching ideas below and grab your print-ready PDF or PPT slide deck to suit your teaching 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 “Save that Snail!” poem below. This “Poetry Pause with Dr. Kim” version includes a short interactive mindfulness introduction before the poem:

“Look,” Jack said, “that snail might fall

into the muddy drain.

How can we help get him home

before it starts to rain?”

“What if,” Sam said, “we move him

with a tiny crane?

Or roll his shell on a bridge,

made from a daisy chain?”

“How about we fly him out

in a little plane?

Or build some tracks, pack his bags,

and put him on a train?”

“But,” Sam said, “we don’t want him

to feel any pain.

Let’s place him down, on those leaves,

until he’s safe again.”

Original poem by Kim T. Harrison. Video created in Canva.

Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:

PDF-PRINT-SaveThatSnailDownload

Download a PPT slide version of the poem:

PPT-SaveThatSnail-PoemDownload

Teaching Ideas

  • Visualization: Read the poem aloud for your students or play the YouTube video without visuals and ask students to draw one or more of the scenes or images from the poem.
  • Creativity and construction: Students could make one or more of the ideas to save the snail out of blocks, card, or other classroom materials.
  • Poetry writing: Students can create their own poem or story by changing the animal in the title. (For example, Save that Frog! Or Save that Worm!)
  • Opinion questions: Is it a good idea to move a snail from the road to leaves? Do you sometimes try to save snails or other animals? Why or why not?
  • Creativity and imagination: How would you save a snail? What other things could you make a snail bridge from? How would you make a train for snails?
  • Environmental awareness & responsibility: Students can research or discover different types of snails and identify what the snail in the poem might be. You can ask students to think about why we might need to save some animals and what we can do to save them. You could also ask students about animals we shouldn’t approach or try to help, and what we can do if we see such an animal in need of help. 

Happy Teaching! Kim x