Create Learning Experiences with The Polar Express

Capturing the essence of the holiday season, Chris Van Allsburg’s celebrated picture book, The Polar Express, has become a contemporary holiday classic. As author and illustrator, Van Allsburg creatively relates a story about a young boy overcoming doubt to believe in the magic of Christmas. In addition to the excellent storyline, the book offers a versatile focus for a content-integrated project. From story details and character development, to the illustrations and setting, each content area can effectively utilize this book to introduce, teach, or review various skills. The following is an outline of cross-curricular project ideas that take advantage of both the story details and the illustrations to afford learners the opportunity to utilize various content skills and concepts.

 

Language Arts Connections: Speaking, Listening, Responding

To begin the unit, facilitate a whole-class discussion focused on holiday traditions that have existed for over one hundred years, as well as personal signs and symbols of the holiday season. In order to activate both thinking and discussion, ask pupils to complete a graphic organizer that allows them to web the holiday traditions, signs, and symbols. As each person in the room shares their web information, an elected discussion recorder can keep track of the various responses.

After the discussion, segue pupils’ thinking with a small introduction into the history of Santa Claus and the surrounding traditions. From that point, an introduction of Van Allsburg and The Polar Express can lead into a read aloud. Pupils can record story events on a plot diagram or event timeline. At the conclusion of the read aloud, have pupils complete a literature response based on the following prompt: Why does the boy choose to believe? How does he change throughout the story?  Then, compare and contrast the main character to a character from a different story (perhaps from a previously read book). How are their beliefs similar or different? This response can be a pre-writing activity to a larger essay comparing and contrasting holiday beliefs and traditions around the world. If time permits, further research can be conducted to provide more information for the essay.

Social Studies Connection: Map Skills

After pupils have read and responded to the story, a social studies-related discussion on the setting can take place. On what continent is the North Pole located? Where is the Arctic Circle? Does the Arctic Circle move? Why or why not? Pupils can further their learning by researching the answers to these questions as well as locating the arctic and the arctic circle on a map. Learning can be evaluated through a map representation, essay, or digital presentation of the research findings.

Science Connection: Life in the Arctic

To enhance learning about the arctic, pupils can study the varied animal and plant life. Pupils can once again put their research skills to the test by collecting information on tundra plants and the survival requirements for both plants and animals. Reviewing illustrations in The Polar Express can jumpstart thinking and provide a focused introduction to a research picture book project. After choosing plant(s)/animal(s) to collect information on, pupils can create their own illustrated nonfiction book presenting and describing their chosen life in the arctic. This project can also be modified with a class-created book, where each pupil is responsible for a page of information.

Math Connection: Writing and Solving Story Problems

Using the story as the focus, pupils can learn to create story problems to share and solve with one another. After studying the format and structure of a story problem, have learners write their own. You can ask them to focus on creating word problems that divide or multiply fractions.  A good resource to help with review and activating thinking is MathStories.com. This website has worksheets that use the train ride from The Polar Express as a reference in the story problems. Pupils can use various parts of the story to create their own math story problems. In addition to creating the problems, have them create an answer key to demonstrate the steps for finding the solution.

Through Chris Van Allsburg’s book, The Polar Express, pupils can study, practice, and review several skills and concepts in different content areas. Whether they are completed simultaneously or individually, the creative focus this book provides will be sure to capture the attention of learners while providing a positive learning experience.

Common Core Connections

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RL.6.3. Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves towards a resolution.   

• CCSS.Mathematics-NS.6.1. Interpret and compute quotients of fractions, and solve word problems involving division of fractions.     

More Holiday Themed Lesson Plans:

Christmas Between the Lines

This is a creative writing activity where pupils create a story from a list of words. The possibilities are endless, and the list can be modified from Christmas-themed words to any other topic or event.

Poets of Christmas Past

Pupils read the poem “A Visit From Saint Nicholas” and write a sequel in similar verse. In addition, writers will also read and reflect on other works that focus their thinking on the Christmas holiday.

Writing about a Christmas Day Celebration

Scholars create a personal narrative about one of their Christmas day celebrations. Focus on plot development and descriptive writing is inherent throughout the activities. This resource could be modified to include any holiday celebration experience.