Curated OER
Use The Polar Express to Develop Rich and Detailed Writing
Bring The Polar Express into your middle school classroom to spark the creativity of your emerging writers.
Curated OER
Create Learning Experiences with The Polar Express
Center content-integrated lessons around the timeless holiday book, The Polar Express.
Warner Bros.
A Polar Express Word Search
All aboard The Polar Express! Use a word search to bring the magic of Chris Van Allsburg's sweet holiday story to your classroom. It features a picture from the book, as well as words and items from the story.
Curated OER
Polar Express Lesson Plan
Students write and illustrate a wish for the first gift of Christmas. In this Christmas lesson plan, students read the book The Polar Express and then write what they wish could be the first gift of Christmas.
Curated OER
Polar Express Lesson Plan
Students develop a podcast as they retell the story of The Polar Express. In this early childhood lesson plan, students experience technology by creating a podcast. Students also create illustrations to be scanned for the podcast.
Curated OER
R & R - Incorporating Literature While Teaching Math - Ordered Pairs - "The Polar Express"
Third graders create pictures using ordered pairs after listening to a piece of literature. In this ordered pairs and literature lesson plan, student listen to and discuss The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. They participate in...
Curated OER
The Polar Express
Young scholars read The Polar Express.They prepare a painting on KidPix that shows what they predict The Polar Express will be about. They show their paintings and tell what they feel the story is about and discuss why it is important to...
Curated OER
Take the Polar Express to Learning
Learners complete a variety of activities surrounding the book, The Polar Express.
Curated OER
Happy Holidays
Students create holiday story while working in cooperative learning groups, using Chris Van Allsburg's Polar Express as a writing prompt.
Curated OER
The Polar Express
Students listen to the picture book, The Polar Express, and review events that happened in the story. Students draw pictures of what they might have seen on the way to the north pole.
Curated OER
The Polar Express Writing Report
In this grade 2 writing prompt instructional activity, students are give a writing prompt from the book The Polar Express about using their senses to write about going on a trip around the world with Santa Claus. Pages include a rubric...
Curated OER
Gingerbread Man And Polar Express
Pupils keep a folder and outline booklet as they read. They meet with other students each Thursday to discuss their readings.
Curated OER
My Ride
In this reading worksheet, students read a book about riding the Polar Express. For example, "We will see wolves" and "We will go to the North Pole."
Curated OER
It Bears Repeating!!!
Students research bears and their characteristics with a specific study on North American bears and polar bears. For this bear study lesson, students read books about polar bears and wild bears. Students complete activities to further...
Curated OER
Flip Camera Christmas Lessons and Ideas
Students use a Flip camera to complete various projects about Christmas. For this Christmas and technology lesson, students write and record letters to Santa. Students write letters to Christmas characters and record them. Students make...
Curated OER
Take Your Pick of "Beary" Fun Activities.
Students complete an integrated unit on bears. They read numerous books about bears, create a bear puppet, act-out stories, create a polar bear painting, participate in a Teddy Bear Picnic, and conduct a Teddy Bear parade.
Curated OER
Map Me a Paragraph
There are so many great reading strategies. In this lesson, learners practice decoding. They break down two paragraphs to analyze and determine main ideas and details. They each observes ways to model as they map their paragraphs.
Odell Education
Building Evidence-Based Arguments: "Cuplae poena par esto: Let the punishment fit the crime."
Should a criminal's punishment match the crime? An argumentative writing plan explores this question as class members investigate a variety of mixed-medium sources by experts in the field, form evidence-based claims, and support them...
Curated OER
Author Study (Chris Van Allsburg)
Third graders study a list of books written and illustrated by the author. They examine facts about the author's life. They take a survey of Allsburg's books read by the students using the Excel spreadsheet.
Curated OER
Seeing Is Believing!
Students imagine that they have been chosen to visit the North Pole and take a look at what Santa is bringing them for Christmas. They imagine the setting and all the toys for boys and girls around the world. They close their eyes and...
Curated OER
The Food Web
Students explore the role that the Arctic hare plays in the Canadian Arctic food web.
Curated OER
Listening, Pronunciation and Vocabulary Practice
Students work together in reading groups. They practice pronouncing and spelling new vocabulary words. They listen to a recording to practice their comprehension skills.
![Houghton Mifflin: Teacher's Guide to "The Polar Express" [Pdf] Unit Plan](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Houghton Mifflin: Teacher's Guide to \"The Polar Express\" [Pdf] Unit Plan")
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin: Teacher's Guide to "The Polar Express" [Pdf]
This teachers' guide for "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg has lessons designed for both early elementary and intermediate students. It includes working with a timeline and learning about similes and metaphors. (In PDF format.)
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Chris Van Allsburg Lesson Plans
Explore the informative links found within this site to gain an insight into the life and work of Chris Van Allsburg. This site provides lesson plans, teaching ideas and activities for several of his works.