“In winter things are down to their essence and bare bones,” says David Lamon, manager of the Field Pond Audubon Center in Holden, Maine. Have you ever stopped to look closely at nature during wintertime? What did you notice?
In this photo-rich article from The New York Times (NYT), students will learn about the hidden natural treasures of wintertime. Then they will document life during the coldest season in their own communities.
The accompanying lesson, part of The New York Times Learning Network’s Accessible Activities feature, guides a broad range of readers in exploring nature at a time of year when the wonders of life in the natural world are subtle compared to the other seasons. The lesson includes an overview, vocabulary, warmup, questions for discussion, and extension activities. As with all NYT lessons plans, no account is needed to access this lesson or linked articles.
Plus: The first thing the little boy says in Ezra Jack Keats’s children’s book The Snowy Day is a simple statement of wonder: “It’s covered everything, as far as I can see!” In the story, a young Black boy named Peter explores his city neighborhood after the first snowfall, capturing the wonder of winter through simple text and collage illustrations.
This Readers Theatre script features narrator roles alongside Peter and his mother, allowing children to embody the characters in the story and bring the joyful, quiet magic of The Snowy Day to life for early literacy.