Submitted by Sandy Elder, Michigan

Idea posted January 15, 2002

I'm so excited!!! This lesson idea literally came to me in a flash (I believe it was a gift from God!) when I first popped open my eyes. I always struggle on Friday mornings with my low-low-low-low EMI class. This lesson was DELIGHTFUL and MAGICAL for them and my troublesome kinders, too.

Lesson idea: Read the book. Play music and act out the story with toilet paper tissue streamers in your hands. Here's how we did it...

Dream Snow by Eric Carle: The book is about a farmer who naps and dreams that snow comes on the once green grass and covers him in his chair and all his beloved animals in soft blankets. He wakes to find it has really snowed and goes out to decorate his tree for Christmas. There's even a button to push that makes twinkly chime sounds.

Lesson: Prep. activity (opt.):

  • Kids come into a dark classroom while snowy type song is playing (I used S. Burd. recording of Debussy's "Snow is Dancing" from Children's Corner Suite).
  • They lay down and pretend they're dreaming about snow.
  • While the music plays and the kids "nap," the teacher drapes toilet paper streamers over the kids saying in a soft voice, "...and while they sleep, the snow comes and covers them with a soft blanket..."
  • At the end of the song, turn on the lights saying, "...and when the sun came up, they slowly woke and found the snow on the ground next to them..."
  • Make a pile of tissue (trying not to mash it), and come sit in front of the class.
  • Introduce and read the book to them.
  • Talk about characters: the farmer (not Santa!) and animals: 1-5
  • Choose a child to be the farmer. Others are snow clouds. Turn out the lights, play the song again, and have the kids dance around the sleeping farmer finally covering him with tissue "snow."
  • Then, act out the animal part: choose animals 1-5. Repeat the lesson covering them while they sleep.
  • Each time have the snow clouds run away and hide when the snow is all used up.
  • Turn on the lights and say, "...and when the sun came out the clouds were gone... and the animals/farmer woke..."

This was sooooooo neat!!!! I'm doing it at all my schools!!!