The Polar Express | Book Study Activities and Craft

This is a book study unit with literacy printables for The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. The unit is packed with Common Core aligned reading activities for Kindergarten and First Grade. The craft makes a wonderful Christmas bulletin board display to showcase student learning.

Your students will LOVE this Christmas classic!

WAYS TO USE THE BOOK ACTIVITIES

• for whole class learning
• during small group guided reading time
• as individual student work
• as part of a book club
• homeschool instruction
• leave for a sub

Copy a pack for each student and you're ready to go!

WHAT TEACHERS LOVE

• differentiate to suit your students' learning abilities and needs
• saves planning time
• standards based learning
• great to leave for a sub
• no prep - print and go

THIS UNIT INCLUDES:

STORY ELEMENTS ACTIVITIES

• student unit cover page
• story elements
• making predictions
• character traits
• character analysis
• story retell
• story events
• story clues
• story sequence
• can-have-are-need graphic organizers

MAKING CONNECTIONS ACTIVITIES

• making mental images
• giving my opinion
• text-to-self connections
• If I were a train conductor
• If I were an elf
• design a train ticket

WRITING ACTIVITIES

• writing retell pages
• story writing prompt

VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES

• making words
• vocabulary word search
• syllable sorting
• vocabulary word sort
• alphabetical order

COMPREHENSION ACTIVITIES

• making inferences
• problems and solutions
• author's purpose
• main idea/theme
• fiction and non-fiction story elements
• fill in the blank activity
• story response
• story notes

CRAFTIVITY

• I Would Ask Santa For... craftivity

LEARNING STANDARDS CHECKLISTS

• learning standards checklist charts for Common Core, TEKS, VA SOL

LEARNING STANDARDS COVERED:

Common Core

• RL.K.1, RL.K.2, RL.K.3, RL.K.6, RL.K.7
• RL.1.1, RL.1.2, RL.1.3, RL.1.7

TEKS

• K.5.C, K.5.D, K.5.E, K.5.F, K.6.A, K.6.B, K.6.C, K.6.D, K.6.E, K.7.A, K.7.B, K.7.C, K.7.D, K.9.A
• 1.6.C, 1.6.D, 1.6.E, 1.6.F, 1.7.A, 1.7.C, 1.7.D, 1.7.E, 1.8.A, 1.8.B, 1.8.C, 1.8.D, 1.10.A

VA SOL

• R.K.8.a, R.K.8.b, R.K.8.c, R.K.8.d, R.K.8.e
• R.1.9.c, R.1.9.d, R.1.9.e, R.1.9.f, R.1.9.g, R.1.9.h

MORE CHRISTMAS BOOK STUDIES

Olive the Other Reindeer

How to Catch Santa

Mooseltoe

Snowmen at Christmas

Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Christmas

©Anita Bremer

Permission by author for single classroom use only.

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