The Polar Express was our last activity before the winter break. We read the book by Chris Van Allsburg. We sequenced the events in the book, and we discussed setting and characters.
Like the boy in the story, we wrote about what our wish would be if we were chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas.
We used shapes to construct the Polar Express train.
Our December Family Project was to make a train car from a box big enough to sit in comfortably and see over the top. Any materials could be used to decorate the train. Our families were very creative, and we had beautiful train cars.
While the students were away at Art class, the room was transformed into the Polar Express. The chairs and tables were all pushed aside, and the cars were all put together to make a long train. After Art, the students were taken to a different classroom. We were listening to a story when the conductor, Mr. Garcia, showed up to punch our tickets and take us to the train. The conductor led us back to our room, and the students entered to find the Polar Express waiting for them to board.
While "riding" on the Polar Express, the students were served cookies and hot chocolate. Each child was given a bell tied onto a red ribbon to wear around their neck. The bell was a reminder to always believe and a reminder of our special day.
