Dynamic 2 Moms
Welcome Educators! Free lapbooks, notebooking pages and units
Winter Season Units
The Wonders of Winter
For some people when they think of winter they think of frozen slush and sleet and freezing fingers and toes. Adults think of driving on frozen roads and cars that won't work in subzero temperatures.
But when you asked any child about winter, most think of tumbling through snow and building a snowman. Have you ever skated on a frozen pond? Do you like to ski down a mountain slope?
Winter is not all bad and life teems below the blanket of snow.
Let's look at some of these winter wonders but before we do, we need to give credit to the Creator for these beautiful winter wonders.
Psalm 74:17 says "It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter."
What is Winter?
Wintertime is a season where the earth is at rest. Less sunlight brings longer nights, freezing rain and snow in some parts of the world.
Identify that tree - But it has no leaves!
How do you identify a tree in the winter?
Most people identify trees by their leaves. But trees can be identified by other clues and one way is by the twig. Even though winter is here, there is still activity in plants and trees.
First Clue
Terminal Bud - This is the bud at the end of the tip of a twig. It could have flowers or leaves inside. All winter buds are next years’ leaves or flowers. There are all different kinds of buds. They have different sizes, shapes and smells.
Second Clue
Lateral Buds - The side buds are called lateral buds. Buds along the side or sides of the branches.
Third Clue
Arrangement - The arrangement of lateral buds and branches is important.
1. Opposite branching - This means they are directly across from each other.
2. Alternate branching - When buds or branches are alternating on either side of the stem and not directly across from each other. Most trees have alternate branching.
Fourth Clue
Leaf Scars - This is where last year’s leaves were attached.
Fifth Clue
Bundle Scars - Marks on the leaf scar that may form a pattern of tiny dots or lines. The bundle scar marks the place where veins ran from the leaf stem to the twig.
Sixth Clue
Lenticels - Tiny holes or breaks in the bark scattered over the surface.
Because only a few trees have opposite branching it is easier to remember them by an acronym.
M Maple
A Ash
D Dogwood
BUCKING - Buckeye
HORSE - Horse Chestnut
Arctic Fox
Some arctic animals camouflage themselves by exchanging their summer fur for a winter coat. The Arctic fox is unique because its fur changes color seasonally. Arctic foxes grow thick white or near-white fur in the autumn. Their coat is blue grayish in the winter to chocolate brown in summer.
Description: Round head, blunt nose, short rounded ears with short legs and a long fluffy tail.
Habitat: Arctic and alpine tundra on the continents of Europe and Asia, North America and the Canadian archipelago, Siberian islands, Greenland, inland Iceland and Svalbard. They live in burrows and dens.
Diet: The Arctic fox is a scavenger and hunter. During the autumn, this fox gathers ground squirrels, mice and lemmings, kills them, then stores the food supply just below the surface of the ground — in a veritable “icebox,” or “refrigerator.”
Predators: They can be eaten by polar bears or wolves.
Recognizing their tracks: Like other wild canine, their tracks tend to be oval. It also has fur on the soles of its feet, which protects its feet from freezing and helps it to walk on the ice without slipping.
Life Cycle of a Snowflake
From Speck to Crystal
Crystals require a tiny speck of matter to grow around. It could be ash, salt, pollen, soil or bacteria. When the tiny speck gets cold enough, then water vapor sticks to it and it begins to grow into an ice crystal.
Subnivean Habitat
{Picture Credit: Marco Cibola}
What is subnivean?
Subnivean refers to a zone that is in or under the snow layer. From the Latin for "under" (sub) and "snow" (nives).
Subnivean animals include small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, and lemmings that must rely on winter snow cover for survival. These mammals move under the snow for protection from heat loss and some predators.
Subnivean animals include small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, and lemmings that must rely on winter snow cover for survival. These mammals move under the snow for protection from heat loss and some predators.
About Shrews:
A shrew or shrew mouse (family Soricidae) is a small molelike mammal. In general, shrews are terrestrial creatures that forage for seeds, insects, nuts, worms and a variety of other foods in leaf litter and dense vegetation, but some specialize in climbing trees, living underground, living under snow or even hunting in water. They have small eyes, and generally poor vision, but have excellent senses of hearing and smell. They are very active animals, with voracious appetites and unusually high metabolic rates. Shrews must eat 80-90 % of their own body weight in food daily.
About Lemmings:
Lemmings are small rodents, usually found in or near the Arctic, in tundra biomes. They are subniveal animals, and together with voles and muskrats. Lemmings weigh from (1.1 to 4.0 oz) and are about (2.8 to 5.9 in) long. They generally have long, soft fur, and very short tails. They are herbivorous, feeding mostly on leaves and shoots, grasses, and sedges in particular, but also on roots and bulbs. At times, they will eat grubs and larva.
About Voles:
Certain animals, such as mice, weasels and shrews live under the snowpack. Because the earth gives off heat, it is warmer under the snowpack than to live up on top of the snow.
Notebooking Pages
Download Notebooking Pages below
Layout of the Winter Lapbook
Cover or Pieces for the Outside of Lapbook or to place on Notebooking Page
Dnload here Winter Wonderland Page for outside of lapbook
Dnload here Identify that Tree. Dnload here Life of a Snow Crystal
Dnload here Life Under the Blanket Dnload here what causes the seasons to change
Dnload here types of frost Dnload here what are the winter months
Dnload here did you know minibook
Dnload here one winter coat please - Arctic fox
Dnload here Animal Adaptations
Dnload here above winter art and pocket
Links to other Wonderful Winter Units/Crafts/Activities
Crafts/Activities
{Pic. Credit: Bon Temps Beignet}
How to fold and make great paper snowflakes.
{Pic. Credit: Giggle, Giggle, Kindergarten
Anybody have 490 milk jugs to make this igloo?
{Pic. Credit: The First Grade Parade Blogspot}
{Pic. Credit: Whimsical Ways}
Science Activity by Whimsical Ways. Separate the animals {Animals - snow or no?}
Other Wonderful Winter Units
{Pic. Credit: 2 Teaching Mommies}
The above unit by 2 Teaching Mommies is adorable. It looks to be for the Prek/K Group. Also they have a free tot unit for winter on their site.
We love your comments and because sometimes we can't answer all emails, we have created this comment section. Also because this is one of our "season units", like the other units here about seasons, it will grow by our adding new printables continually.
