Snow! Snow! Let the Winds Blow!

We all know the weather patterns—hot in summer and cold in winter? Or, is that correct? This year alone we’ve had temperatures in the 80s with torrential rains followed by bone chilling, pipe bursting temperatures so cold that schools and businesses were closed. These extreme weather swings took place in the month of January. Climate change is more than likely the cause of our now-familiar roller coaster weather patterns.

Why not tap into these changes in weather patterns to create a snowman glyph?

Today’s post includes instructions and printables to use with your children to practice recording and interpreting data, create and interpret bar graphs, and improve fine motor skills. As an added bonus, I am including a  set of snowflake-themed printables for you to use with the kiddos. So, when the winds are howling and the snow is blowing, you can stay inside warm and snug and still enjoy the snowflakes.

HOW WOULD YOU BUILD YOUR SNOWMAN GLYPH? 

OBJECTIVE: Demonstrate the ability to read and interpret glyphs.

*Please note that younger children may need assistance with cutting the snowman components.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Printouts provided with this lesson*

Scissors and glue

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prior to the activity, prepare a snowman glyph with your personal choices for the snowman components. Show your completed snowman to the children, along with the key.

Ask: Looking at the snowman that I made and the key, what do you think my favorite candy is? What type of shoes do I like to wear?

Explain that the children are going to create their own snowmen, based on their favorite things.

2. Show the key to the children. Discuss the options to use for each category.

3. Give the snowman printout and the component printouts to the children, instructing them to build their own snowman based on their choices.

4. When the glyphs are completed, children will share their choices to reinforce reading the glyph with the Snowman Glyph Key.

Snowmen and a Snow Fort

Use the completed glyphs to build a bar graph showing the total number of children who chose each component, as shown.

MODIFICATION: Children create a glyph based upon their favorite season. Create a bar or pictograph of the results.