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When the Weather Outside is Frightful... Teach Snow-Themed Literature Lessons

As I sit here watching the snow falling outside my window on a much-needed snow day off from school, I think about my plans for when I head back. Seeing as how it will still be very cold and somewhat snowy when we do return, my students might in the mood for some snow-themed literature. If your area is covered with a blanket of snow as well, consider a wintry lesson while the ground thaws! Depending on the level of students you teach or how much time you have, check out this list of stories that features a snowy setting. What’s better than that? Print-and-go lessons to accompany them, so you can make the most of your spontaneous snow days, too!

1. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London


It doesn’t get any colder than this one! In my unit guide for this snowy saga, students are challenged to see if they would survive the wilderness before they trek through a series of activities to enhance their reading of this short story.


2. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost


This poem may be the most obvious choice for a snow-day lesson, but have you considered pairing it with music? In my classroom-tested mini lesson, students explore theme across texts. 


3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley


I’m pretty sure that this text fits well with just about any situation from Halloween to the New Year to a snow day with its rich themes, layers of characterization, and diverse settings. The 2004 Lions Gate version of Shelley’s story sticks very closely to the text and never fails to draw my students in with the bitter warning this tale issues about science and human nature. 


4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


Much like Frankenstein, I believe that I could work The Hunger Games into just about any lesson or unit I am doing regardless. It’s certainly one of my favorite young adult texts, and it’s perfect for my list of texts that made the cold cut. From President Snow himself to the cold setting in District 12 to Katniss’s icy personality, The Hunger Games would be a hot pick for a snow day flick.


5. The Giver by Lois Lowry


I vividly remember first reading this novel in the 7th grade, and I fell in love. In. Love. I read it over and over, and then I read the sequel. I imagined each and every scene in my mind as my 7th grade teacher read it aloud to our literature class. I can still see those images I pictured when I read it even now. Needless to say, it was those images that I hoped to see on the big screen when the movie version was released in 2014. I wasn’t entirely correct with my visions, of course, but surprisingly, what I had dreamed up for the Giver himself as well as the last scene of the snowy home was similar to what developed on screen. That is most certainly a credit to the master of words that is Lois Lowry. I’m excited about my newest item: The Giver Movie Viewing Guide.



Do you have a “cool” lesson that teens will love? Link up your resources any subject grades 7-12 below and share the linky!


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